Boxer Library
Technically, attribution and plagiarism are not copyright issues. However, in an academic environment it is impossible to discuss copyright and fair use without also discussing attribution and plagiarism. Why? Because copyright and fair use guidelines tell us when we can use copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder, and they provide us with guidance about how much we can use, and in what situations, but they don’t offer any guidance regarding when we should give credit to the creators of the materials that we do use, or how we should do it.
To break down what we mean by plagiarism and attribution...
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines plagiarism as...
“The act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person.”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines attribution as...
“the ascribing of a work (as of literature or art) to a particular author or artist.”
So how do we avoid plagiarism? One way to avoid committing plagiarism is by attributing the work you have used. In academic papers and presentations, you can using proper citation styles. Many styles exist, but two of the most common styles used in healthcare are the American Medical Association (AMA) Citation Style and the American Psychological Association (APA) Citation Style. By referencing your sources and avoiding plagiarism, you are also providing the reader of your work with the information they need to find your sources efficiently and effectively. Please see our AMA and APA style guides for more information.
