Plagiarism is using another person’s words or ideas without acknowledgement. It is a breach of an ethical code that can result in charges of misconduct. In comparison, copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.
A student may avoid claims of plagiarism by using quotations when directly quoting another source, citing the source used, and, when possible, translating works into his or her own words. However, these tactics alone do not protect a student against claims of copyright infringement. To use a copyright protected work, the student must have permission to do so, either under the law or through the copyright owner.
