In the simplest of terms, plagiarism is using others ideas and words as your own.  Black's Law Dictionary (1) defines plagiarism as: "The act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one's own mind."  Definitions such as this help us define plagiarism, however it is harder to know exactly when we are or are not committing it.  Giving proper citation to a source or to an authority is the most important aspect of avoiding plagiarism in medical writing. 

 

The following resources will help you to gain a better idea of exactly what plagiarism is and how to avoid it:

 

This Document, developed by the Holgate Library - Bennett College, provides the reader with a short, yet comprehensive definition of plagiarism as well as instruction on how to avoid plagiarizing.

 

A comprehensive site developed by Stanford University examining U.S. Copyright Laws as well as Fair Use.