It’s from the Latin word ‘plagiarius’ for kidnapper. In higher education it can mean ‘kidnapping’ someone else’s words or ideas without attribution.
It may happen if you copy & paste chunks of text from your sources.
How can I avoid being accused of plagiarism?
There are a few ways.
You can submit your assignment to Turnitin - an online service which checks for plagiarism.
Referencing correctly is another antidote. See these previous posts for some tips on referencing:
https://community.holmesglen.edu.au/node/190
https://community.holmesglen.edu.au/node/196
Paraphrasing, or writing in your own words, is also a cure. (But even if you do this you must still reference.)
And paraphrasing is not just changing a couple of words from the original text. There’s more to it than that. You may have to restructure the original text, change word order, write in a passive rather than active voice…
Luckily, Learning Skills teachers can also assist you with mastering that skill.
Need help? Contact learningskills@holmesglen.edu.au