Why Document?

 To borrow ideas, phrases, or other material without giving the source is plagiarism. There are two types of plagiarism:

    a) Using ideas, information, or language without crediting the source

   &nbspb) Documenting the source, but paraphrasing the language too closely, without using quotation marks to indicate what words or phrases have been borrowed

 To avoid plagiarizing, you must document your sources properly.
 
 

What To Document

 Document all contributions made by other writers whose work you are drawing from. These contributions include the following:

    a) A direct quote from a source, whether primary or secondary

    b) A summary or paraphrase of a source

   &nbspc;) Facts or ideas that you borrow from a source, such as statistics, little-known facts, tables, graphs, diagrams

 When in doubt, document!
 
 

What Not To Document

    a) Your own ideas

    b) Common knowledge (i.e., what an average college graduate who hasn't done this research would know - e.g., Shakespeare wrote Hamlet)

    c) Information that you've seen in multiple sources -- e.g., Shakespeare died in 1616 -- unless this information is controversial -- e.g., Shakespeare's plays were actually written by Queen Elizabeth.
 
 

4. Things to Keep in Mind While Doing Research

 When taking notes during your research, write down all the bibliographical information (i.e., author, title, publication data, and page number). If the book is from the library, write down the call number so that you will be able to find it again (However, don't include the call number in your final documentation).

 The basic information you will want to note while doing your research includes the following: 

   a) Close paraphrases are the most common form of plagiarism. This is usually done unintentionally, such as when you change the structure of the sentence or use synonyms. To avoid this, read your source, close your book, and take notes from memory. Then reopen your book and check your notes for accuracy.

    b) Use direct quotes sparingly. Use direct quotes when the source is especially clear or expressive. The more that you summarize and paraphrase the better because this is your voice.

    c) Integrate quotes as smoothly as you can into your own writing. Don't just drop a quote in the text without warning. Provide clear signal phrases, including the author's name, to prepare the reader for the quote. Vary these signal phrases (see attached list). Often, rather than quoting a full sentence, you can weave a phrase from the source into your sentence.

    d) When you quote more than four typed lines, set this text of by indenting 10 spaces from the left margin and single-spacing the text. Don't change the right margin and don't use quotation marks.

    e) Use ellipses (three periods within brackets [. . .]) to condense a quote to show where you've deleted words or sentences. In doing so, make sure that you are retaining the meaning of the original and that the sentence remains grammatically correct.

    f) Use brackets (not parentheses) when you want to insert your own words into a quote. You might do this to explain a vague or confusing reference or to keep your sentence grammatical. If there is an error in the original quote, type it as it is, adding the Latin word sic in brackets directly after the error.
 
 

5. Specifics

    a) Documenting sources means following complex rules. It also depends on what discipline you're writing in, and, most importantly, what your instructor expects.

    b) Documenting sources consists of two parts:

       (i) the individual documentation of each quote or paraphrase and
      (ii) a list of works that you have cited or consulted.

    c) You can do either in-text parenthetical citation or some sort of notes (either footnotes or endnotes). The type of style that you use will depend on what your instructor wants. Never assume that style and format don't matter to your instructor.