With so much focus on plagiarism, you may feel reluctant to share or discuss your work with anyone else. That would be an unfortunate result, however, because much of our knowledge comes from talking with and learning from others. Sharing your ideas and your creative works freely with others is a way to perpetuate them and to gain an audience for your views. If you want to make your work available for others to share, use, and adapt, consider marking your work with a Creative Commons license that suits your purpose.

Remember, too, that sharing ideas—and creating works together—is sometimes required for college projects. Collaborative writing projects call for the same kind of acknowledgments you use in any college writing. In general, cite all the sources used by the group, and acknowledge all assistance provided by others. Find out more about collaborating in college.