APA Resources
Definition of Plagiarism
National University’s definition of plagiarism is “the presentation of someone else’s ideas or work as one’s own.” This is considered academic dishonesty and “includes cheating, plagiarism and any attempt to obtain credit for academic work through fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest means” (National University Online Course Catalog, p. 49).
Plagiarism means that you use someone else's words or ideas (or media) and fail to give credit to the author or creator. It means you are passing off someone else’s words or ideas as your own. This is never acceptable and usually carries severe consequences in college and in the business world.
If you use quotations, paraphrases or summaries from written sources, you must indicate where you are doing so in your paper with APA in-text citations and list full source information in an APA Reference list at the end of your paper.
The following websites explain plagiarism:
What
is APA style?
It is a method of formatting papers and citing sources used in the social sciences and created by the American Psychological Association. Below are links to various websites on APA style.
How to format your paper and cite sources in APA Style: APA Style Step-by-Step
Other helpful websites are:
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Two Types of In-Text Citations
Any time that you use source material in your writing, you must cite the source twice: first as an in-text citation, then as a full reference citation at the end of your paper.
All APA in-text citations use the same information: the author's last name plus the year of publication. If the source you are using does not list an author, use an abbreviated title of the source in the author's place.
Finally, good writers make a clear distinction between an "attribution" citation and a "parenthetical" citation. Both are explained below.
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Attribution
in-text citations: use
the author’s name and the publication year in the sentence
that introduces the source material and indicates the page number after
the quotation. The FORMULA for attribution in-text
citation is: Sentence period
goes after the citation. |
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Parenthetical in-text citations:
put all three pieces of information after the quotation, paraphrase or
summary. The formula for parenthetical citations is: Sentence
period goes after the citation. |
If there is no author, publication year or page number, use these substitutions:
How to list your class textbook in a Reference list
Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Reference list formats for common sources used in online classes
(Note: Your reference citations should be double spaced and in hanging indent format, which is not demonstrated here. For automatic formatting of your reference citations with double spacing and hanging indents, please use the Bedford Bibliographer.)
Book with one author:
Last name, initial(s). (publication year). Title. (edition). Publisher's city: Publisher's name.
Article from an online library database:
Author's last name, initial(s). (publication year). Article title. Journal title, volume(issue #), page numbers. Retrieved from database name.
Article with multiple authors:
Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas. Journal of Abnormal Eating, 8(3), 3-7. Retrieved from PsycARTICLES database.
Nonperiodical web document, web page or report:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from http://Web address
Information from lectures or course materials in the classroom
Last name, initial. (publication year). EDT 612: Unit 2: Handout or lecture title. La Jolla, CA: National University Online. Retrieved May 15, 2008, from National University Online, EDT 612 website.
Information used from a class chat, the Reference source would have this formula:
Author’s last name, initial. (publication year, month date). Chat posting. Retrieved month date, year, from school name, class name: class number website.
Information used from a discussion board posting:
Author’s last name, initial. (publication year, month date). Discussion board posting. Retrieved month date, year, from school name, class name: class number website.
Information used from a unit presentation, such as a multimedia or PowerPoint presentation, created by the college, not the instructor:
College name (Ed.). (c. date). Class number: Unit #: title [multimedia presentation]. City, State: College. Retrieved month date, year, from college name, class name: class number website.
Format for an Electronic Image:
Author (Role of Author). (Year image was created). Title of work [Type of work], Retrieved Month Day, Year, from: URL (address of website)
Format for an Electronic Image with no author:
Title of work [Type of work]. (Year image was created). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from: URL (address of website)
Basic Format for an Electronic Image with no author, title or date
[Subject and type of work]. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from: URL (address of website)
Citing a Government Document Web Page Federal Government Agency Publication:
In-text: (California State Board of Education, n.d., p. #)
Reference list: Sponsoring Agency. (Date). Title. Retrieved [date of access], from [URL]
Example:
California State Board of Education. (n.d.). Curriculum frameworks. Retrieved January 6, 2009, from http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/fr/
NU Writing Center
Get feedback on your writing before you turn it in for a grade. The NU Writing Center is the place to go for expert help in all others of your writing.
Important
Note About Copyright and Fair Use
We tend to think that because something is on a website, we can copy it and use it. When it comes to product or company logos, other graphics, photos, etc. that are displayed on websites, we need to be aware that most are copyrighted and cannot be digitially duplicated without permission. While educators and students do have some copyright provisions under the Fair Use Act, you need to be aware of what you may and may not include in your multimedia assignments: A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright