Plagiarism is the crime of presenting someone else’s words, ideas, or intellectual property as your own, intentionally or unintentionally. It is a growing problem and is not limited to the written word—or to students (Park, 2003). In August 2012, Time columnist and CNN host, Fareed Zakaria, was suspended over an allegation of plagiarism involving a column he wrote on gun control. Zakaria had not cited his sources correctly and later apologized, acknowledging that he had made a mistake. Despite the fact that he was ultimately reinstated, Zakaria certainly suffered the consequences of his actions, particularly an unforgettable blow to his image as a journalist (Haughney, 2012).

Most universities and colleges have clear definitions of plagiarism and enforce strict penalties regarding the issue—your school’s plagiarism policy may even be included on your class syllabus. If so, read this document carefully. The syllabus is like your contract with your professor; by enrolling in the course, you have agreed to follow it.

Despite the problems associated with plagiarism, many students, writers, and speakers remain unsure of how, when, or why they must credit their sources. In fact, many people are shocked to find that they can be guilty of plagiarism with a seemingly unimportant error, like simply failing to include quotation marks or mistakenly deleting one little footnote when completing a paper or speech. To avoid making the same mistake, keep careful track of where all your material comes from and document it properly. In Chapter 13, we will explain how to document your sources in your speech; for now, we will focus on the important role of taking accurate and thorough notes during the research phase.