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1. Original work vs. copied 3rd party content: how much is too much?

Original work vs. copied 3rd party content: how much is too much?

Students are strongly encouraged to write 100% of the content of their papers. Limited 3rd party quotes can be included in papers as long as the following conditions are met:

1. the source is properly referenced in the back of your paper.
2. The total 3rd party text does not exceed 350 to 400 words (about 1.5 pages)
3. The 3rd party content is quoted or indented with block text font such as:

Here is an example of material that is copied directly into a paper. 

When grading papers (particularly individual assignments), I look for the following:

1. Original content. The text should come from you, the writer, not a 3rd party source.
2. Demonstrated understanding. This  only comes from spending time researching and reading prior to writing your paper. There is no shortcut here.
3. Research with references. This is the basis of items 1 and 2 above.

In summary, read first, then write your own material, then document the references. When you do these three steps, the results will shine through on your papers.

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