Washington and Lee University
Students frequently express concerns about inadvertently committing plagiarism, described in the W&L 2009-2010 Catalog, and cited by the Student Executive Committee, as "the use of another's words or ideas without proper ackowledgement."
The resources below should be considered reliable sources of advice about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.
Introduction, from W&L's Student Executive Committee.
Comprehensive guide covers plagiarism, citation practices, collaborations, etc., authored by current W&L Dean of the College Hank Dobin.
Guide from Northwestern University.
From Amherst College.
Excellent eight-page guide.
From Williams College.
Guide from Grinnell College.
From the College of William and Mary.
From Duke University.
Brief guide from the University of Auckland (New Zealand).
From the Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University.
Focus on two sections of this site: the options ("Overview of Terms," etc.) in the column on the left; and the Self-Test (click on "Start the self-test"). From Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin Colleges.
There is a spcific section entitled "What Is Plagiarism?," but the entire site is helpful. University of Southern Mississippi.