How Do I Write a Research Paper?

Plagiarism occurs when all or part of another person's work or ideas is presented as one's own, or used without giving credit to the original author or source. Even if unintentional, plagiarism is a serious academic offense.

Types of Plagiarism

• Complete or Global Plagiarism
  • Buying, borrowing, or stealing content and turn it in as one's own work
• Direct or Verbatim Plagiarism
  • Copying passages or sections without proper credit to source/author/creator
• Paraphrasing Plagiarism
  • Failing to credit original ideas, thoughts to source/author/creator
• Source-based Plagiarism
  • Misrepresenting sources
• Self-Plagiarism
  • Re-using or recycling materials from one assignment for another

Academic Integrity

Nipissing University has a helpful page with tutorials, frequently asked questions, academic integrity policy, and more. 

Canadore College has a list of various academic policies, including academic integrity. 

• Review your syllabus or assignment. Each Professor will have different expectations for assignments.
• Know how to cite references using the citation style required for your course. 
• Make sure you understand the material you've obtained through your research. This makes it easier to write about it in your own words, and to come up with your own thoughts and views about the material.
• Keep track of all your sources as you do your research. Save copies of articles, write down citations, or add to your bibliography as you do your paper. If you're not sure whether you should cite something, check one of the books or links listed in the boxes on the left. 
• Leave yourself enough time to do a complete bibliography. If you rush this step to get your paper done on time, you could easily miss a reference and be accused of plagiarism.
• If you are unsure about a source, contact your Instructor for help.