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Undergraduate Research

This LibGuide will provide an overview of the research process, finding and evaluating information, and appropriate use of citation for undergraduate students completing a research project.

LRU Writing Center

Click this link for information about the LRU Writing Center: https://www.lr.edu/student-life/lohr-learning-commons/writing-center

 

Plagiarism and Paraphrasing

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides these helpful guides related to paraphrasing and summarizing information. 

Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

LRU Academic Integrity Policy

LRU defines plagiarims as: 

The act of copying a sentence, several sentences, or a significant part of a sentence from any source, including Internet sites, that has been written by someone other than the person submitting the paper, and then neglecting to indicate through the use of quotation marks or blocking that the material has been copied; also, copying from another writer in such a way as to change one or two of the words in the sentence, or to rearrange the order of the wording, or to paraphrase, or to summarize information and then neglect to furnish documentation. Failure to cite sources when appropriate is a form of dishonesty. 

The Importance of Citation

There are many reasons to cite the information you use in your research:
  • When you write a paper on a particular topic, you are joining an ongoing conversation about that topic. As you create your own research, you should be aware of what has already been said about the topic of your paper and you must cite your sources.
  • It's important that you take the time to document each source you use in order to give credit to the original creators of the work and to avoid plagiarism. Not doing so means that you are misrepresenting your own work and may result in academic and legal ramifications.
  • Citations provide a trail for your readers to follow to locate teh source you used in your research.
  • Providing citations of credible and appropriate sources lends credibility to your research.
  • In providing a bibliography, you show others the extent of your research efforts in consulting sources to support your work.

The LRU Honor Commitment and Statement of Academic Integrity states: 

"A fundamental purpose of a liberal education is its attempt to cultivate in the student a sense of honor and high principles pertaining especially to academics, but extending to all areas of life. An inherent feature of Lenoir-Rhyne University is its commitment to an atmosphere of integrity and ethical conduct. As a student of Lenoir-Rhyne University, I accept as my personal responsibility the vigorous maintenance of honesty, truth, fairness, civility, and concern for others. My devotion to integrity demands that I will not cheat in academic work and that I adhere to the established and required community code of conduct. I accept the responsibility for upholding the established standards against those who would violate them. And I understand and accept the consequences of infracting upon or assisting others in infracting upon this code. In addition to and beyond the requirements of any code or law, I affirm my own commitment to personal honor and integrity in all matters large and small. Even though the ideal of honor is an abstract one, by implementing this ideal, I join the men and women of Lenoir-Rhyne University in making the concept of honor a reality." 

To Cite or Not to Cite-That is the Question!

Any time you quote, paraphrase, or summarize ideas that are not your own, you must cite. Undisputed facts (e.g., “The earth revolves around the sun”) do not need to be cited. However, all original ideas and opinions must be cited to give credit to the author. If you don’t cite your sources, you can give the impression that the author’s idea is your own, original idea, and this is plagiarism.

Citing and Plagiarism

Citation Styles

Citation styles are sets of rules for how to arrange, or format, citations. They include the same basic information about sources but arrange them in different ways. Ask your instructor about what style to use for your assignments.

For detailed information about some of the most commonly used citation styles go to the Citation Style LibGuide.