Plagiarism is using someone else’s work (words, images, ideas, or phrases) and presenting it as your own. To prevent plagiarism you should always cite your sources. For information on how to cite, visit Seneca Libraries APA Citation guide.
Here are some examples of plagiarism:
Plagiarism is one type of Academic Integrity offence. Others include: Cheating, Falsification, Impersonation, Contract Cheating, and Inappropriate Collaboration.
Full citations which are listed in your Reference List at the end of your assignment. The citations includes all the required information about your sources, such as the author's name, source title, and URL.
These are short citations found in your paragraphs. They often include the author's last name, publication year, and sometimes page number. For example: (Lee, 2020, p.13)
Example of two parts of citing: in-text citation and reference list citations
Your reference list will contain all the sources that you have cited in your assignment. The reference list citations contain important details about your source, such as the author's name, source title, date of publication, and URL. See the APA Citation Guide for tips on formatting reference lists and learn how to cite different sources.
Here are the basic parts of APA Reference List citations that generally appear at the end of assignments and other coursework:
Now that we know the basic parts of a citation, let’s look at an example of a Reference List Citation for Webpage by a Group Author:
Diabetes Canada. (n.d.). Preventing diabetes. https://www.diabetes.ca/signs,-risks---prevention/preventing-diabetes
APA has different rules for each type of source. Check out the library's APA Citation Guide for more examples.
Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Remember to add an in-text citation after the quote.
Parenthetical Style Example
“Until they are displaced by a new technological innovation, digital screens will remain a fixture of human experience” (Orben & Przybylski, 2019, p. 694).
Narrative Style Example
Orben and Przybylski (2019) noted that “until they are displaced by a new technological innovation, digital screens will remain a fixture of human experience” (p. 694).
Consider quoting a source if (University College, 2022):
The language of the passage is particularly elegant, powerful, or memorable that it can't be expressed any other way.
You wish to confirm the credibility of your argument by enlisting the support of an authority on your topic.
The passage is worthy of further analysis.
Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must restate the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. It's useful when describing short passages from a source. Remember to add an in-text citation after the paraphrase.
Note that some instructors may require page numbers for paraphrase in-text citations. If this is the case, follow the quotation examples above. Always confirm citation expectations with your instructor.
Parenthetical Style Example
Digital screens will continue to be part of people’s everyday lives (Orben & Przybylski, 2019).
Narrative Style Example
Orben and Przybylski (2019) determined that half of the participants in recent studies overestimated how much time they spend on the internet and a quarter of the participants underestimate it.
Always confirm with your instructor their citing requirements for your digital media assignment. You may be required to cite sources in APA style, or you may be permitted to use a simple citation (see example below). Check out the Citing in Digital Assignments guide for Seneca Libraries examples and tips.