This chapter is an in-depth explanation of plagiarism; what it is, what it isn’t, how to avoid it and what to do if you think you may not have avoided it as well as you should have.
It’s very important that your notes be very clear about what ideas are yours and what ideas aren’t, and carry that clearness through to your paper. Clearly mark and cite the ideas of others, as well as little-known information that comes to you from others. On that last note, the chapter also describes and defines ‘common knowledge’. You needn’t cite information that most people are likely to know, whether through culture or through elementary or secondary education. In addition, there are bits of knowledge that are ‘common knowledge’ within the field you’re writing, if not to the population at large. In general, the book says, if you see any given fact repeated without citation within three or more of your sources, then it’s probably common knowledge within that field, and you don’t need to cite it either. (If you see it in your sources, but they always cite it to some other source, then you should cite it from that same source. I think.) The chapter also collects together various bits of information that were spread through the previous six chapters.
If you’re accused of plagiarism, it’s your responsibility to do what you can to fix it. It’s a really serious matter, and if you have done anything, deliberately or through negligence, it’s pretty much time to grovel and basically be very humble and ready to work hard.
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