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Insufficient Citation of Quotations

Definition

Insufficient citation of partial quotations occurs when writers incorporate into their own texts words or phrases that are stylistically or intellectually marked as another writer's within a larger paraphrase of the source, without using either quotation marks or proper citation.

Example Source Text

The force that the electromagnetic field exerts on electrically charged particles, called the electromagnetic force, is one of the four fundamental forces. The other fundamental forces are the strong nuclear force (which holds atomic nuclei together), the weak nuclear force (which causes certain forms of radioactive decay), and the gravitational force. All other forces are ultimately derived from these fundamental forces. However, it turns out that the electromagnetic force is the one responsible for practically all the phenomena one encounters in daily life, with the exception of gravity.

"Electromagnetism." Wikipedia. 21 Aug. 2005. Retrieved Aug. 31 2005, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism

Inappropriately cited paragraph

Electromagnetism is defined as the "force that the electromagnetic field exerts on electrically charged particles," and it is "one of the four fundamental forces." Electromagnetism and the other three fundamental forces (strong and weak nuclear forces and gravitational force) are the foundations for every other fundamental force, but electromagnetism itself dictates almost every phenomenon we witness daily.

Explanation of insufficient citation

In this example, the writer has attempted to acknowledge that she or he took words from a source document by putting quotation marks around particular words within his or her own text. However, she or he has failed to identify the source with adequate parenthetical or endnote or footnote citation. Despite the writer's partial citation, she or he is guilty of plagiarism.

To eliminate this type of plagiarism, you should include quotation marks around the words taken directly from your source and include a parenthetical or endnote or footnote citation to identify the author, location, and/or date of the original material's publication. Check the most recent edition of your style guide for documentation guidelines.

Inappropriately cited paragraph

Electromagnetism is defined as the force that the electromagnetic field exerts on electrically charged particles, and it is one of the four fundamental forces (Wikipedia "Electromagnetism"). Electromagnetism and the other three fundamental forces (strong and weak nuclear forces and gravitational force) are the foundations for every other fundamental force, but electromagnetism itself dictates almost every phenomenon we witness daily.

Explanation of insufficient quoting

In this example, the writer includes an appropriate citation but does not use quotation marks to indicate that parts of the sentence are directly quoted from the source. This suggests that the sentences are in the writer's own words and a paraphrase of the source, when in fact the words are the original author's, not the writer of the paragraph. Quotes taken directly from a source - even partial quotes - must be surrounded by quotation marks AND include a correct citation.

Appropriate paragraph

Electromagnetism is defined as the "force that the electromagnetic field exerts on electrically charged particles," and it is "one of the four fundamental forces" (Wikipedia "Electromagnetism"). Electromagnetism and the other three fundamental forces (strong and weak nuclear forces and gravitational force) are the foundations for every other fundamental force, but electromagnetism itself dictates almost every phenomenon we witness daily (Wikipedia, "Electromagnetism").

Examples adapted from from The Academic Integrity Tutorial for Faculty by Northern Illinois University, CC-BY-NC-SA.