Skip to Main Content
Skip to content
University of Iowa

University Libraries

HillCrest at UIOWA

Guide for non-UI students to virtually engage with the UI Libraries, learn searching techniques and how to evaluate information.

Avoid Plagiarism

You may think of plagiarism as simply failing to cite or document your references or sources in a paper. It can actually be more serious than that. Simply, plagiarism is taking someone else's work and passing it off as your own. But did you know that you can even plagiarize yourself? Self-plagiarism is when you fail to cite your past work like a paper or a blog post in your current work. This is because you still need to cite where you're getting the information, even if the information comes from you. Plagiarism can sometimes be done intentionally or accidentally. Forgetting to place quote marks around a paraphrase or direct quote and not including an in-text citation is also plagiarism. 

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite consistently. Below you will find examples of MLA citations, as well as how to cite correctly. 

Quick Tips - Steps for Citing your Sources

Citing your sources correctly is the right thing to do because...

  • you give credit to people who did research before you
  • your readers may want to follow-up and track down some of your original sources
  • it helps you avoid plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, which is “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work” (dictionary.com)

Step One: Take good notes as you do your research

If you cut 'n' paste text, be sure to: 

  • Put quotation marks around any words that you pull directly from another source
  • Transfer the information about where the text came from as you go, for example, cut 'n' paste the URL of the website, and list the author, title, journal, etc. right below the text that you copied
  • Keep all the research you collect in one place
  • Write citations as you go

Step Two: Select the citation style you are going to use

  • Use the citation style recommended or required by your professor (commonly APA, MLA, or Chicago)
  • If the citation style is left up to you, use the one that is recommended for your discipline
  • Stay consistent, using only one citation style throughout your project

Step Three: Decide when you need to cite

  • Have you quoted something directly?
  • Have you paraphrased another person's idea?
  • Every time you cite something within the text of your paper, there should be a corresponding citation

Step Four: Carefully follow the rules of the citation / style guide

  • Rules apply to indentation, alphabetization, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, element order, using full names or initials, etc.
  • Example citations are listed in each of the style guide to be used as models
  • If you are citing something unusual, provide enough information to track down the original source, following the same general rules of punctuation, capitalization, etc. 

Step Five: Be consistent and proofread

  • Watch for the little things - those little things are what make a citation style distinctive
  • Have a detail-oriented friend proofread with you to help catch things you may miss
  • If you have used "machine-generated" citations, you need to "human-proofread" those citations to make sure they are following the current rules, and so they are consistent with the rest of your citations.

Yes...you read that right...

Proofreading citations can make you want to pull your hair out. But have no fear! All you need to make sure you catch every accidental typo or anything left out is a Rubber Duck (or any small inanimate object you can talk to). I know it sounds strange, but it really does work!

The practice comes from the world of computer coding. When computer programmers or web designers are checking through the code they are writing, it's common for them to use a "rubber duck."

All you do is read through what you're checking out-loud to your rubbery ducky friend and all of a sudden, anything that you might have missed in your first go-around proofreading jumps out at you!

A Brief Intro to MLA

What is it?
  • MLA style refers to a specific formatting style created by the Modern Language Association.
  • MLA is most commonly used by students and scholars in the humanities and liberal arts when writing papers and citing sources.
How does MLA work?
  • MLA Style uses a brief in-text citation and a full citation on a works cited page. 
Where can I find Examples?
  • Examples of MLA citations can be found by source in the box to the right on this page or in the print version of the handbook.