Research Basics

At Quinnipiac, our community has chosen integrity as one of its guiding principles. Please follow this link to QU's Academic Integrity page:

An important aspect of maintaining academic integrity is to avoid plagiarism, which is the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of someone else's words or ideas.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own, without giving proper credit. This includes copying text directly, paraphrasing without citation, or using information without acknowledging the source.

Intentional Plagiarism Examples:

• Copying someone else’s research and turning it in as your own

• Buying a paper from a private or commercial source

• Copying out paragraphs, or even sentences, of articles or books and incorporating them into your own paper without documentation

• Lifting ideas or interpretations from other sources without acknowledgment

• Using a paper you submitted for one assignment for another assignment

Unintentional Plagiarism Examples:

• Forgetting to put quotation marks around a sentence

• If your paraphrase is too close to the wording or sentence structure of a source

• If you quote something, but do not put a source

• If you do not cite an idea you clearly did not come up with on your own

Turnitin. (2021). Plagiarism Spectrum 2.0. https://www.turnitin.com/resources/plagiarism-spectrum-2-0

Common knowledge is information that is widely known and accepted by the general public.

For example, it is common knowledge that:

• The Earth revolves around the sun.
• George Washington was the first president of the United States.
• Water freezes at 32°F / 0°C.

Common knowledge facts do NOT require citation. However, it's essential to use good judgment when determining if something is truly common knowledge. If you're unsure, it's always better to cite your source.

You MUST include an in-text citation along with a corresponding end reference citation (Bibliography, Works Cited page, etc.) when:

• You use a direct quotation, even if it is in quotation marks
• You use facts that are not common knowledge
• You paraphrase the author’s idea(s)
• You have changed some of the author’s words (i.e., used synonyms)
• You use key words or phrases from the author
• You mention the author’s name in your sentence
• You have written a sentence that mostly consists of your own thoughts, but you have made a reference to another author’s idea

The staff of the Learning Commons provide invaluable support for the QU community, including:

• Peer Academic Support / Tutoring
• Support for Students with Disabilities
• Academic Coaching & Outreach

If you need tutoring assistance, please contact the Learning Commons via their email: LearningCommons@Quinnipiac.edu

Please remember that tutors will not copy-edit your papers for you, but they can look for and give advice on copy-editing problems. The tutor email box is checked daily. Feedback turnaround time can be up to 48 hours, though it can be longer over the weekends or in busy times. If you anticipate needing a tutor, make contact with the Learning Center email address 5 days before the assignment is due.

You can also view the Learning Commons page in MyQ via this link: Learning Commons in MyQ