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academic honesty, plagiarism and citations

Sometimes students do not always know what to cite and how to cite it when preparing a research paper. The format sanctioned by the American Psychological Association (APA) is the most common, although some professors may require other formats or may specify that entries be listed on a single “references” page at the end of the paper or provided via footnotes or endnotes. You should clarify the requirements of your professor prior to beginning work on your paper. Regardless of these preferences and depending on the situation, violating one of the following two absolutes can result in anything from a failing grade on an assignment to expulsion from the university:

  1. Whenever you present an idea in a paper without a citation you are presenting it as your own original work.
  2. Even if a citation is provided, you attest that the wording provided in your paper is your own unless you use quotation marks and list the specific location of the quote in the source document, typically the page number. Changing a few words in a paragraph is not a sufficient reason to omit the use of quotes. For example, if you are using footnotes to cite your sources and provide a “quote from another source”1 you should place the material in quotes and include the specific page number of the journal, as in this example. 

Please note that only providing a “references” or “sources” page at the end of your research paper is not sufficient. You must identify locations in the paper where your external sources are used, including Internet sources. Whenever you cite material from an Internet source, you should follow the pattern in this example.2  Including only the URL is not acceptable.

If your professor requests footnotes or endnotes, then you should use the Microsoft Word Footnotes feature (click on the INSERT pull-down menu and then FOOTNOTE) to organize your cites and endnotes. If a name-and-date system is employed, it is your responsibility to provide the last name and year of publication in parentheses in the paper immediately following the use of the material, and also provide a complete listing of citations at the end of the paper. Unless otherwise specified, you must cite all sources used in assignments, papers, exams, etc. at the point where they are used, such as in this example for a book.3 

Your professor might restrict the use of direct quotes in your paper. If not, please note that while submitting a paper full of direct quotes may not suggest academic dishonesty, it suggests little creativity and a heavy reliance on the thoughts of others. This problem can result in a serious reduction in your grade.

It is highly recommended that you properly cite your sources from the beginning. Writing a paper first with the intention of adding the citations later can be disastrous.

If there are any doubts, you are encouraged to submit your work to a web-based verification service such as turnitin.com that will verify the authenticity of your entire paper. If you have any questions, it is your responsibility to see your professor early in the process.

1 J.A. Parnell, “Strategic Change Versus Flexibility: Does Strategic Change Really Enhance Performance?” American Business Review, Vol. 12(2) (1994), page 24.

2 D. Jones, “Fundamentals of Strategic Planning,” www.djones.com/fundamentals/sample.htm, accessed 6/1/02.

3 P. Wright, M. Kroll, and J.A. Parnell, Strategic Management:Concepts, (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998).

Updated: Monday, April 23, 2007

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