Common Plagiarism Excuses

• I’m too busy to write a paper.
  • Plan ahead and set priorities. Use a day planner if necessary.
  • If you find you have no time to complete the assignment, discuss this with your professor before the assignment is due.
  • Efficient use of time between class can help you keep up with your homework assignments.
• The professor will never find out.
  • Yes, they can. Many professors have access to internet plagiarism detection tools like turnitin.com.
  • Professors recognize writing styles.
• I don’t write well enough to get a good grade, so I might as well use someone’s work that is a whole lot better.
  • Ask your professor for help.
  • Get a tutor.
  • Ask friends or family members to help you improve your writing.
• It’s just one passage - what's the harm?
  • Whether you plagiarized one passage or one hundred passages, it’s still plagiarism.
• I don’t know how to cite materials properly.
  • Ask for help with citation styles from your professor or the librarian.
• I didn’t know it was plagiarism.
  • Plagiarism is simply a matter of using someone else's material as if it were your own.
  • You can avoid plagiarism by giving a clear citation every time you use material from someone else.
  • When in doubt, always ask your professor or a librarian for guidance.
• I thought that by citing it in my bibliography it wasn’t plagiarism.
  • You have to cite it in your paper in addition to your bibliography.
• I thought by citing it in text I didn’t plagiarize.
  • You have to use quotes around exact phrases.
• I don’t remember where I found the information so I couldn’t cite it .
  • When you take notes, make sure you write down the source of information so that you can use it later when you need to cite it.
• My sister said I could use her paper. / I found this paper free on the internet.
  • Using a family member’s paper or something you found on the internet for free is still plagiarism.
• I used a thesaurus to change the words.
  • Changing a few words but not the idea is considered plagiarism.