PLAGIARISM

What it is & how to avoid it…

PLAGIARISM

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”

Simply put, plagiarism is cheating.

It is using someone else’s work

without giving that person credit.

Plagiarism is generally considered a problem seen at the high school and college level.

Schools often develop Honor Codes or Academic Honesty Policies that spell out the consequences of plagiarism.

Academic Plagiarism

Consequences vary from school to school, but some include:◦ Zero on the plagiarized paper◦ Failing the course◦ Suspension for the semester◦ Expulsion from the school◦ You will find IMG Pendleton’s policy on page 62-63 of

your student handbook Zero on assignment Parents notified More serious consequences occur if it happens again

Academic Consequences

Not enough time to do the work Pressure to get good grades, to get into

college, to please parents & teachers Easy to do Illusion that they won’t get caught And sometimes, plagiarism is unintentional

Why do people plagiarize?

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 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.

Words and information are not the only things which must be cited from the Internet

You must always cite the source of graphics, sounds recordings or any other media that you use in your paper or presentation.

Citing Source for Images

Sometimes 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?

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

QuoteParaphraseCite sources

How do I avoid Plagiarism?

If you copy anything directly from a source, put it in quotation marks.

Example: “Your detention will take place at eleven o’clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall” (Rowling 247).

Quote

Paraphrase

While occasional quotes from a source are fine, most of your paper should be in your own words. Paraphrasing means putting the information you gather from your sources into your own words. But even paraphrased information MUST STILL BE CITED!!!!

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 from the original source. You must use your own.

Read and reread the information until you fully understand it.

Put the source away and write your own understanding of the information.

Compare your version with the original. If you use any unique phrase or word from

the original, put it in quotation marks. Be sure to write your source on a note

card so you can give credit to the source. (“Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words”)

How do I Paraphrase?

Original

“When Mr. And Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair” (Rowling 2).

Paraphrase

The story of Harry Potter begins, for the Dursley family, like any other uneventful day. The normal activities of a father getting ready for work while the mother attempts to feed her baby give no indication as to what the day has in store.

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Examples:

Original:

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 (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.

When you use a direct quote

When you paraphrase information from a source! Even if you have written a passage of text in your own words, you still must acknowledge the source of those ideas.

When in doubt – cite!!!

Cite Sources

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

The three most commonly used citation styles are MLA, APA, and CMS. There are other styles that may be used in science, music, medicine, and law. In English, we use MLA, which stands for the Modern Language Association.

Style Guides

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

OWL, Online Writing Lab, Purdue University, “Research and Documenting Sources,” http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research. This site contains explanations and examples of many aspects of writing a paper.

Bibliography“Information Literacy Tutorial” http://www.lib.umb.edu/webtutorial/

module6/Module6-1a.html (07 Jan. 2004)

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.

“Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words” http://owl.english.

purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_paraphr.html (07 Jan. 2004)