Final answer:
Plagiarism involves failing to acknowledge sources, incorrectly citing quotations, and insufficient paraphrasing. Proper attribution and striking a balance between source material and original ideas are crucial to avoid plagiarism.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering what constitutes plagiarism in the context of using research data such as 'just 20 percent of conference attendees expect eco-friendly meetings', several factors must be evaluated. Plagiarism includes:
- Not acknowledging the source of ideas or information.
- Not correctly acknowledging direct quotations by failing to use quotation marks or a proper citation.
- Insufficient paraphrasing, which involves rephrasing someone else’s words without changing the meaning and not citing the source.
Therefore, to not plagiarize, one must properly attribute ideas to their original authors through in-text citations and reference lists, use direct quotations sparingly with proper marks and citation, and paraphrase effectively by genuinely rewording and integrating the information into the larger context of one’s own work. Additionally, the majority of an essay should consist of original ideas and analysis, with a suggested ratio of using no more than 10%-20% of material from sources.