FAQ: How can I avoid plagiarism?

Follow these common-sense tips for avoiding plagiarism:

• Keep a careful record of your research.
• Make sure you have all of the citations for the sources you are using. Have your books, printouts, weblinks, etc. easily accessible.
• Use an outline when you write. It will help organize your thoughts.
• Use quotation marks for direct quotes. Remember that direct quotes with a clear acknowledgment are usually appropriate if not overused but that copying another’s work word for word outside of a direct quotation, even with acknowledgment, is likely to be considered plagiarism.
• If you paraphrase (write in your own words) another author's words, remember to cite the author/source.
• Know which citation style you should be using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Ask your instructor if you're unsure which style you should be using.
• WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE THE SOURCE.

Plagiarism Detection

Your instructors have access to several technology resources to help them with plagiarism detection.

Turnitin This link opens in a new window A plagiarism prevention system used at SNHU. A student submits a paper and Turnitin checks it for plagiarism against content on the web, other student papers, and selected online library databases.

Google: This link opens in a new window In addition to Turnitin, a simple Google search can oftentimes detect plagiarism. Instructors can put a sentence or two of a student's paper into Google to see if there are any matches.

Help Avoiding Plagiarism & Copyright Violation

The library has several books and ebooks in our collection which can help answer your questions about avoiding plagiarism and copyright violation. To find books and ebooks on avoiding plagiarism and copyright violation, please search the Multi-Search or the Online Library Catalog.

More Information

• How to Lower your Turnitin Score This link opens in a new window (SNHU Academic Support)
• Avoiding Plagiarism This link opens in a new window (Hoonuit - log in using your SNHU email username and password):
• ​Copyright Guide (Shapiro Library)
• Citing Your Sources: Academic Honesty & Plagiarism (Shapiro Library)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guide, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about strategies to avoid plagiarism if you have any specific concerns about your work or your courses.  

Campus Students

To access academic support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citation and more, visit Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• The Complete Guide to Using Academic Support via Brightspace This link opens in a new window
• Accessing Writing STEM Help This link opens in a new window

SNHU has provided the resources on this page to help individuals learn more about copyright laws and issues. However, SNHU cannot be responsible for the accuracy or completeness of third party links. This page is intended to be educational in nature and is not meant to constitute legal advice.