I am writing a project report for my master degree in STEM (U.S.). I have to cite a large paragraph of others' work. This paragraph describes some basic stuff (For example, a duck has two eyes and two legs). I did not change a word in that paragraph.
I have already cited this paper at the end of my report. Is there anything else I can do to avoid plagiarism?
Answer
When you use someone else's words verbatim, you must either
- put it in quotation marks, or
- indent the paragraph (make it a block quote)
to indicate that those words are not your own. (Most style guides recommend block quotes for long quotations.)
You must also indicate somewhere near the paragraph (e.g. in a footnote, parenthetical reference, or other kind of inline citation depending on what citation style you use) which source in your reference list it comes from. (You must do this - indicate what source it comes from - any time you use someone else's ideas or material you found in a reference, even if you summarize or paraphrase it in your own words.)
In general, a rule of thumb for avoiding plagiarism:
- For any idea or information that isn't your own work, clearly indicate where it comes from. (Excluding facts that are "common knowledge".)
- Additionally, make it clear any time you use words or images that you didn't write/create yourself. (For example, with quotation marks, block quote formatting, or image credits in the caption.)
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