Note taking EXAMPLES. PLAGIARISM Are you guilty?

Note taking

EXAMPLES

PLAGIARISMAre you guilty?

What is plagiarism?

Representing someone else’s ideas or words as your own.

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According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (http://www.m-w.com), to plagiarize means:

“transitive senses : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the sourceintransitive senses : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source”

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Why is plagiarism important?

Who really cares?

Plagiarism is theft of intellectual property.

Plagiarism is cheating.

Plagiarism may result in receiving an ‘F’ or zero for the assignment.

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Eastern Kentucky University, From Today's Cartoon by Randy Glasbergen, http://www.acts.eku.edu/cartoon/more.htm.

What is collusion?

Allowing some else to copy your work or writing something for someone

else.

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The Plagiarism Handbook by Roger A. Harris, http://www.pyrczak.com/antiplagiarism/index.htm.

Sorry, you cannot use someone else’s paper, art work, or presentation without proper citation even if he gave you permission. (Of course, your instructor may not want someone else’s paper as your work even with proper citation!)

You may even have to cite yourself. If you created a work for a previous paper or presentation, and you are using it again, you must cite your previous work.

Did you notice that ‘roommate’ is spelled incorrectly on the previous slide?

What is self-plagiarism?

Handing in the same work for more than one assignment (without permission from the

teacher).

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Possibly the most important reason to not plagiarize is that it robs you of the educational experiences involved in research, thinking, and writing. One of the main purposes of higher education is to learn to do research, to help expand thought processes, to improve writing skills, and to learn to prepare presentations.

Taking credit for someone else’s work hurts you most of all.

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Carnegie Mellon University, Enhancing Education, “Plagiarism and the Web.” http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/plagiarism.html.

Some of the things that you think you know about plagiarism may be wrong.

Alive or dead, it does not matter. If it is not your own idea, you must cite your source!!

If you translate or paraphrase something, you must still give a citation.

You may have been told that if you put something into your own words, you need not cite.

This is incorrect.

The material is still someone else’s idea and requires acknowledgement.

Paraphrasing requires a citation.

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Do you know how to paraphrase correctly? Paraphrasing is more than simply rewording the original material!

It must be almost entirely in your own words. You must use new synonyms and new phrases. Only technical terms should be repeated.

Any exact words that are retained should have quotation marks around them.

The sentence structure should be yours, not the same as in the source.

Do not add ideas, interpretations, explanations, or assessments.

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Examples:

Source:

Unless steps are taken to provide a predictable and stable energy supply in the face of growing demand, the nation may be in danger of sudden power losses or even extended blackouts, thus damaging our industrial and information-based economies.

– John Doe, 1999, p.231.

Inadequate paraphrase:

Doe (1999) recommends that the government take action to provide a predictable and stable energy supply because of constantly growing demand. Otherwise, we may be in danger of losing power or even experiencing extended blackouts. These circumstances could damage our industrial and information-based economy. (p.231).

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The inadequate paraphrase is guilty of plagiarism even though the material is cited correctly. The writer has used too many word-for-word phases from the source. Also, the order of the ideas is unchanged from the source.

Compare the following correct paraphrase:

Doe (1999) believes that we must find a more reliable source of energy if we are to have a dependable electricity supply. Without this, the nation’s economic base may be damaged by blackouts (p.231).

Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Robert A. Harris. Los Angeles, California: Pyrczak Publishers, 2002.

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Quotations should be used sparingly. They must be exact, word-for-word as they appear in the original document.

Quotes require a citation in addition to the use of quote marks.

Every quoted word needs to be cited. Even a short phrase or single word must be quoted and cited if it is unusual.

“pretzeled logic”

“clandestine coup”

Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Robert A. Harris. Los Angeles, California: Pyrczak Publishers, 2002.

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Quotations must be attributed to the original author and the source that you used.

For example:

If you use the phrase, “Fourscore and twenty years ago, our forefathers . . .” you must give credit to Abraham Lincoln and the book in which he is quoted.

Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address. In Lincoln at Gettysburg: the Words that Remade America, Garry Wills. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.

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Sometime in elementary school you may have been told that if your information comes from an encyclopedia or a dictionary it is common knowledge and does not need to be cited. That is a MAYBE. What is common knowledge?

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Common knowledge consists of:

•Information that is easily observed – the sky is blue, but not a detailed explanation of why the sky is blue.

•Commonly reported facts – George Washington was the first president of the United States, but not the information that historians have to say about Washington.

•Common sayings such as proverbs – “Waste not, want not;” “Look before you leap.”

Common knowledge does not need to be cited, but be sure that what you are using really is common knowledge. When in doubt ask either your instructor or a librarian.

QuotingQuotations are the exact words of an author, copied directly from a source,

word for word. Quotations must be cited!

Use quotations when:• You want to add the power of an author’s words to support your

argument• You want to disagree with an author’s argument• You want to highlight particularly eloquent or powerful phrases or

passages• You are comparing and contrasting specific points of view• You want to note the important research that precedes your own

Carol Rohrbach and Joyce Valenza

ParaphrasingParaphrasing means rephrasing the words of an author, putting his/her

thoughts in your own words. When you paraphrase, you rework the source’s ideas, words, phrases, and sentence structures with your own. Like quotations, paraphrased material must be followed with in-text documentation and cited on your Works-Cited page.

Paraphrase when:• You plan to use information on your note cards and wish to avoid

plagiarizing • You want to avoid overusing quotations• You want to use your own voice to present information

Carol Rohrbach and Joyce Valenza

Summarizing• Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) of one

or several writers into your own words, including only the main point(s). Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material. Again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to their original sources.

Summarize when:

• You want to establish background or offer an overview of a topic• You want to describe knowledge (from several sources) about a topic• You want to determine the main ideas of a single source

Carol Rohrbach and Joyce Valenza

As you take notes:

• Include any direct quotes or unique phrases in quotation marks or mark with a big Q and make sure the speaker’s /writer’s name is identified.

• Make sure you note a paraphrase with the writer’s name and mark it with a big P

• Include page numbers and source references so you can go back and check for accuracy as you write.

A presentation of the MdN LRTC

Guidelines for avoiding plagiarism

Use your own words and ideas.

Give credit for copied, adapted, or paraphrased material.

Avoid using others' work with minor "cosmetic" changes.

There are no "freebies."

Beware of "common knowledge."

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WHEN IN DOUBT,

USE A CITATION!!

CBE References and Citations Document (2000)

Special Consideration: The INTERNET

• Special recognition needs to be given to the Internet as a source of information. Due to the transient nature of information on the Internet, a copy (either paper or disk) should be retained.

WHY???

• Internet sites must be examined very carefully for reliability, as all sources are not authoritative or trustworthy. Lack of author or publisher often indicates

that the information should be treated with caution.

The work of other students (e.g. home pages) may be consulted but should never be a sole source of information.

CITATIONS IN TEXT

Definition

Citations in text identify the source of quotations or a personal communication used in research.

The citation provides the author’s last name, publication date and page number.

1 2 3Purpose

1. Whether paraphrasing or quoting an author directly, the source must be credited.

2. Citations enable the reader to locate the source of the quotation in References.

**It is like the difference between signing a legal document with your initials: EH (citation) and giving your whole signature: Erin Hansen (entry in Reference List).

Format1. Citations are included in the same sentence or

paragraph as the quotation.

2. The sentence and the citation together must provide the author’s last name, the publication date and the page(s) from which the quotation was taken (see quotation example #1 later).

3. For poetry, include line numbers and use a slash ‘/’ to indicate the end of a line.

4. Quotations of more than 40 words are indented five spaces from the left margin and are doublespaced in a free-standing block (example later)

They are also known as a Block Quotation

Punctuation

1. Quotation marks “ ” enclose quotations of less than 40 words and are included in the text.

2. A colon : follows the statement immediately preceding a long quotation (block quotation).

3. Brackets ( ) enclose information about the source of the quotation (this is the citation).

Quotation Examples

1. Quotation of less than 40 words:

He confirms our suspicions: “Because N-Gen children are born with technology, they assimilate it. Adults must accommodate – a different and much more difficult learning process”_ (Tapscott,

1998, p. 40).

(no punctuation at end of quotation) (punctuation is here)

Quotation Examples

2. Quotations of more than forty words (Block Quotation):

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994)

explains how to avoid plagiarism:

Quotation marks should be used to indicate the exact

words of another. Summarizing a passage or rearranging

the order of a sentence and changing some of the words is

paraphrasing. Each time a source is paraphrased, a credit

for the source needs to be included in the text. (p. 292) _

(no punctuation at end) (punctuation at end of

quotation)

Or, if you are double-spacing your paper, SINGLE SPACE the block quotation

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994)

explains how to avoid plagiarism:

Quotation marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Summarizing a passage or rearranging the order of a sentence and changing some of the words is paraphrasing. Each time a source is paraphrased, a credit for the source needs to be included in the text. (p. 292)

Citation Example 1

He states, “anything takes on a new meaning when we think of it as a monument” (Boorstin, 1987, p. 215) and adds that monuments can be both man-made and natural.**Note punctuation

What makes this sentence elegant or unique?

• The sentence has both a direct quotation and a paraphrase!

Citation Example 2

Johnston and Cutchins (1988) state that “life is hard for animal babies of all kinds, but for young reptiles, surviving their first year is especially difficult” (p. 36).

• To put two authors in the brackets, you must use the ampersand “&” symbol.

(Johnston & Cutchins, 1988, p. 36)

• For more than 3 authors, you may use the Latin phrase “et al” which means “and the rest”

(Abrams, et al, 1999, p. 345)

Citing Electronic Sources(Internet, CD-Rom, etc)

For electronic sources that do not provide page numbers:

Use the paragraph number, if available, preceded by the paragraph symbol or the abbreviation para.

If neither paragraph nor page numbers are visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph following it to direct the reader to the location of the material (see section 3.39).

(Myers, 2000, ¶ 5)(Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1)

(APA Style, 2005, para. 3)

EXAMPLESFrom:

Identifying Plagiarism

Original PassageAt the start of the Great Depression, many Americans wanted to believe that the hard times would be only temporary.

Plagiarism or Not?At the beginning of the Great Depression, a lot of Americans wanted to think that the hard times would be only temporary.

Original PassageDevices in the iPod range are primarily digital audio players, designed around a central click wheel — although the iPod shuffle has buttons also. Plagiarism or Not?An iPod is an MP3 player that lets you choose and play songs to listen to using a click wheel (or on older versions, buttons).

Original PassageHe was a very silent man by custom.

Plagiarism or Not?He was usually a quiet person.

Original PassageA letter of thanks is a courteous acknowledgment of a gift or of something that was done for you.

Plagiarism or Not?A thank you note is a polite acknowledgment of a present or something nice someone did for you.

Presentation by Joyce A. Brannan, Technical Services Librarian, Julia Tutwiler Library, University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

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