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Resources for International Students

Evaluating sources

Evaluation Criteria:

  • What are the author’s credentials? 
  • What sources does the author use to support his/her conclusion?
  • Is the article biased?
  • Is the author objective and fair, or does the author ignore certain data or information contradictory to his/her conclusions? 
  • Does the author’s argument make sense and is it persuasive? 
  • How does the article fit with other research on the topic? 

Citation Managment

APA Style Guide - A guide to help users create APA-style reference citations, text citations, title pages, and more! Find help videos and frequently asked questions.

RefWorks (New Version) - This update to RefWorks is a new way to collect, manage and organize research papers and documents. You can read annotate, organize, and cite your research as well as collaborate with friends and colleagues by sharing collections. Access: You need to create an account using your @unco.edu or @bears.unco.edu email. Contact jennifer.leffler@unco.edu with any questions or concerns.

Refworks (Old, Legacy version) - RefWorks is a web-based bibliography and database manager that allows you to create your own personal database by importing references from text files or online databases and other various sources. You can use these references in writing papers and automatically format the paper and the bibliography in seconds. Access: If you are new to RefWorks, please create an account in the new version. Contact jennifer.leffler@unco.edu with any questions or concerns.

 

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Knowing the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing will help you to avoid plagiarism.

 

Quoting Paraphrasing Summarizing
Copy text directly from source. Use your own words to fully describe ideas from source. Use your own words to explain only the key points or main arguments of the source.
Matches original source word for word. Does not include too many words or phrases from the original source. Changes the sentence structure from the original source Significantly reduces the length of the original text.
Attribute quote to author with in-text citation. Short quotes enclosed in "quotation marks." Longer quotes are set apart from text and indented. Attribute paraphrased ideas to author through in-text citation. Attribute main points to author through in-text citation.

This YouTube video explains the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing in more detail.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Definition of Plagiarism

"The act of taking the writings of another person and passing them off as one's own."
Encyclopedia Britannica
(More from Indiana University's Definition of Plagiarism)

UNC's Policy on Plagiarism

  • From UNC's Student Handbook:
    • Student Code of Conduct
    • "Students who are judged to have engaged in some form of academic misconduct may be subject to (1) a zero or an “F” on the work in question, (2) an “F” in the course, (3) other academic penalties as outlined in the professor’s course requirements and expectations, (4) disciplinary action as specified in the Sanctions for Misconduct section below, or (5) any combination thereof. Procedural due process, including the right to appeal, is to be followed in making a determination of whether academic misconduct has occurred."

Information for Faculty

Information for Students