Let's Not Plagiarize Now...

We know as students that plagiarism is not acceptable. Taking ownership of someone else's work has serious consequences in any academic community and can result in suspension from one's area of study, program, or the university. Later in life, it could cost your job or damage your professional reputation. Copying another person's work may appear tempting because you believe it will save you time on your paper, particularly if you've procrastinated until the last minute. In the end, however, there will be nothing but negative repercussions for trying to take that shortcut. 

If you have problems with formatting, style manuals, and citations, get help from your professor, a librarian, SmarThinking, a tutor at the Learning Resource Center, or the library's writing instructor, Angel Jiminez. We are all happy to assist you with your writing and research! 

But what if it's late at night and no one's available at the library? Try EasyBib, a citation-making software program to which the library subscribes. In addition to helping you create your citations, it offers fantastic resources that help you understand the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, unique ideas, and plagiarism! Your Saint Leo University online library, like NYU and Emory, proudly provides this service as a resource for currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty, staff, and administrators of Saint Leo University. 

http://content.easybib.com/students/research-guide/what-is-plagiarism/

The example EasyBib flowchart shown to the right illustrates how to figure out if what you're writing is  plagiarism. EasyBib helps you learn how to:

• Accurately credit sources and avoid plagiarism
• Discern credible websites with their evaluation tool
• Use dynamic note taking to hone critical thinking and organizational skills

The library provides access through its subscription to an upgraded "pro" package of resources for MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian citation styles. All you need do is sign up through the library website. Once on the main library page, click on the Research and Writing Help link on the lower section of the screen in the Get Help column, and follow the on-screen instructions. 

Remember: You must register and log in through the library website in order to access the upgraded package that includes the current MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian style guides, as well as the Notes & Outline feature, citation creation template, and downloadable tip sheets.

So what's the harm? Take a look, try it out, and be prepared for the Summer and Fall semesters!

I'd like to offer congratulations to our graduates, good luck to those attending summer session, and I hope you enjoy your summer!

-Aimee Graham, Online Librarian - 

--edited by S.Hawes