Plagiarism

(image by Randall Munroe)

Plagiarism: The action or practice of taking someone else's work, idea, etc., and passing it off as one's own; literary theft.

(Oxford English Dictionary 3rd Edition 2006)

Plagiarism occurs when someone:

1. Uses words, ideas, or work products that are attributable to another identifiable person or source
2. Do so without attributing the work to the source from which it is obtained
3. In a situation in which there is a legitimate expectation of original authorship
4. In order to obtain some benefit, credit, or gain which need not be monetary

Words to Know:

Paraphrase: A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.

(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language)

Intellectual Property: property (as an idea, invention, or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect; also : an application, right, or registration relating to this

(Miriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary)