Plagiarism
Why use this page?
This page is both for students and for course instructors. The resources linked on this page can help students avoid plagiarism, and help instructors teach their students about plagiarism.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the “act or an instance of copying or stealing another’s words or ideas and attributing them as one’s own.” (Excerpted from Black’s Law Dictionary, West Group, 1999, 7th ed., p. 1170). This is the definition used by Western's Scholastic Discipline document. Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Either way, plagiarism is a Scholastic Offence.
The following Western resources can help students avoid plagiarism:
- Western Libraries' Style Guides help you cite using APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.
- Citation management software can help you track sources, and automatically format bibliographies, footnotes, endnotes or in-line citations.
- Western's Centre for Teaching and Learning page on Academic Integrity includes Resources for Faculty and Graduate Teaching Assistants.
- Students: If you have additional questions, contact a library Research Help (Reference) desk.
- Course instructors: If you have additional questions, contact us.
Contact us for more assistance
