Whats the difference between summarizing and plagiarizing an article? Is there a certain point when summarizing turns into plagiarizing?
To summarize accurately and concisely is an important skill in research writing. For a good explanation of the differences between summary and plagiarism, see Prentice Hall. Why aren’t famous lines from films or poems cited when used in a play or some other text? It seems that when it’s an “allusion,” it’s okay to plagiarize. What’s the difference between making an allusion and plagiarizing? Plagiarism seeks to conceal the source, while allusion seeks to reveal it. In creative writing (poetry, fiction, drama, memoir), you may indeed include allusions. These are references to other texts that extend your meaning. But in academic writing (essays, research, argumentation, lab reports), you must document all of your sources. One of the goals of academic writing is to show that your research is part of a larger conversation. Proper documentation will help you achieve this goal, since it places your work into the context of this larger conversation.
