Plagiarism involves the act of taking the ideas, writings or inventions of another person and using these as if they were one's own, whether intentionally or not. Most academic writing involves building on the work of others and this is acceptable as long as their contribution is identified and fully acknowledged. Plagiarism occurs where there is no acknowledgement that the writings or ideas belong to or have come from another source. This guide is intended to provide students at Heriot-Watt University with a clear definition of plagiarism and examples of how to avoid it.

see also: guidelines