Plagiarism
Plagiarism is an attempt to present another person's work or ideas as though they are your own.
It often involves copying text directly from another source without acknowledging whose work it is. It is important when writing a report or essay that you acknowledge all the sources you have used.
Books, journal articles and websites you have referred to must be acknowledged.
This is usually done in a bibliography, using a standard referencing method such as the Harvard Referencing System.
Remember, plagiarism is a form of theft and is regarded as a serious offence within TAFE NSW. Students who are found to have plagiarised may face disciplinary action under the Student Discipline Policy.
Staff and students should refer to the Hunter TAFE Plagiarism Policy.
The NSW Board of Studies has created a useful website All My Own Work - to help students follow ethical practices when locating and using information.
Referencing
When preparing an assignment be aware that you are expected to provide a list of references used in completing the work. This is called a bibliography and should appear at the end of your assignment.
Also provide references in the text to any material you quote, paraphrase or summarise.
This is known as in-text referencing.
The most commonly used systems for referencing are the APA and Harvard (Author-Date) referencing systems. Check with your teacher if they require you to use a different referencing system.
The following handouts on referencing provide guidelines on how to reference sources using the APA and Harvard referencing systems.