Student Resources

Copyright information and how to properly cite sources of all types

Avoid Plagiarism

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If you don't cite your sources properly, you are plagiarizing. Not only will this negatively impact your grade, but it's a violation of the Academic Integrity Code outlined in your Student Handbook.

Plagiarism is intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of another as one’s own (i.e., without proper acknowledgment of the source). The sole exception to the requirement of acknowledging sources is when the ideas, information, etc., are common knowledge.

(Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Some examples of plagiarism include:

  • Buying a paper online
  • Passing someone else's paper off as your own
  • Copying all or part of any previous work without proper acknowledgment (citations)

Copyright in a Nutshell

Copyright laws grant creators exclusive rights to how their creation is used. A work is protected from the "...time the work is created in a fixed form" . Some examples are books, maps, charts, prints, photographs, music, drama, paintings, drawings, sculpture, movies, computer programs, records and tapes, dance, architecture, and characters. (Copyright Basics, 2008, p.1- 3), (Samuels, 2000)

For more information visit the official website for the U.S. Copyright Office.

Samuels, E. (2000). The illustrated story of copyright. New York: St. Martin's Press.

U.S. Copyright Office. (2008). Copyright Basics. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

(Text used with permission from FSU Libraries.)

What is RefWorks?

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RefWorks an online citation management tool that allows you to collect, manage and organize research papers and documents.

With RefWorks, you can:

  • Collect & Import: Save an unlimited number of references by importing from online databases, catalogs, websites, and your computer
  • Manage your Research: Organize, retrieve, read and annotate documents and references
  • Share & Collaborate: Share folders and work with others simultaneously
  • Write & Cite: Generate bibliographies and citations in thousands of citation styles, including MLA, APA and Turabian

 

 

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