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Library Orientation for HKU SPACE International College & Community College Students: Use Information Ethically

Getting Started Guide for HKU SPACE International College and Community College students

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work or idea and passing it off as your own, without proper acknowledgement.

It is a form of theft and deception, an unethical act.

For example:

Video adapted from http://youtu.be/xoK4UJelWQE. Learn more about Plagiarism here.

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Why do you need to cite?

Reasons:

  • Acknowledge the work and words of others.
  • Let the readers know the sources.
  • Using ideas and words of others as my own work without citing the original work is plagiarism.
  • Avoid academic cheating.

Video adapted from http://youtu.be/izFVBrjkpVo.Check out more videos about academic honesty here.

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Citation Style

In academic writing, you need to give credit to the sources you referred to avoid academic cheating. Citation style governs the formatting of the academic paper, in-text citations and references. Different subjects will require different citation styles. You may check with your instructor which is preferred.

In this guide, APA (American Psychological Association) style will be introduced. It has been adapted by many disciplines and is used by writers around the world.  

The APA Style Central provides useful tips on APA Style:

  • Quick guides and tutorials on the Basics of APA Style
  • Self‐quizzes assess your knowledge of APA Style rules
  • Sample papers, references, tables, and figures illustrate how APA Style rules are applied.

Video adapted from https://youtu.be/WQb1KnjFeD8. Check out more videos about academic integrity here.

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