Plagiarism means including the words or ideas of another person in your work without acknowledging them as the source. Whenever you use a quotation from a book or reproduce an author's ideas (even in your own words), you need to indicate the source. This process is known as referencing. Different faculties might have preferred styles of referencing; you should ask your tutor which style to use.
Avoiding plagiarism
Plagiarism is most obvious when you directly copy an author's words from a book, paper, magazineor website. Wherever you directly use someone else's words, they must be presented clearly as a quotation and referenced:
"It doesn't really matter which of the many referencing systems are used, as long as the writer is consistent in the application of her or his chosen method." (Owlford, 2005)
If you do not directly use someone else's words, but paraphrase or refer to some aspect of their work, then you still need to indicate the source in your text:
Owlford (2005) suggests that, while there are a number of approaches to referencing, it is important to select one method and apply it consistently.
Please note that is it not acceptable to use large portions from another's work. You may only draw on short extracts to illustrate and support your own opinions.
Penalties for plagiarism, especially in assessed work and examinations, can be severe and may result in your failing the course.