plagiarism
TRANSCRIPT
Plagiarism,
Copyright, Citations
and You
About this Tutorial
Faculty:This tutorial was made using Microsoft PowerPoint 2007.This tutorial will help students:
• avoid unintentional plagiarism• learn to incorporate sources into their writing• understand the consequences of plagiarizing
Students:This tutorial will help you :
•understand what plagiarism is.•figure out why plagiarism is wrong. •learn how to use sources without plagiarizing.
This tutorial will take you about 20 minutes to complete.
This tutorial meets the following ACRL standards:
2.5c 2.5d
What to watch for…
Notes – These are to let you know there is important information you need to know about what is being covered.
What is Plagiarism?
The East Central University Policy on Academic Integrity defines plagiarism as “presenting the words, visual images, or ideas of another as one’s own.”
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Plagiarism actually comes from the Latin word plagiārius which means “kidnapper.”
The modern usage of this word in the English language dates back to the mid-1600s.
Bottom line: Plagiarism isn’t something your professors randomly decided to outlaw; the theft of ideas has been looked down upon for centuries.
All of the Following are Considered Plagiarism:
• Reusing work that you created for a previous assignment
• Submitting assignments that were completed by someone
else
• Allowing another student to submit your work as their own
• Claiming the ideas, images, or words of another as your
own
• This includes any info taken from the Internet!
• Copying passages, and changing only a few words, into
your work
• Copying content without giving appropriate credit for the
content
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Yes. Using someone else’s ideas without their permission or without acknowledging the source, is considered a violation of copyright law.
Those who violate copyright law can be subject to fines or even imprisonment.
Copyright law protects those who publish, produce, or otherwise make creative pieces, including songs, visual art, and any other literary or artistic piece.
But can words and ideas really be stolen?
Abiding by copyright law is a good reason not to plagiarize, but there are a number of other reasons to learn how to avoid plagiarism:
Why should you care about plagiarism?
• Plagiarism devalues your own writing and intelligence. Giving proper credit to others is something that all good scholars do; it is a sign of good research.
• Plagiarism is disrespectful to your teachers. They try hard to develop your thinking skills!
• The golden rule: you wouldn’t others to steal your words without giving you credit, right?
• Plagiarism could get you a failing grade in your classes, and maybe even cause you to be expelled from ECU.
So what can you do?
Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided by citing your sources.
Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism.
Image created by Sarah LeBlanc at the University of Waterloo
What is a citation?
A "citation" is the way you tell your where you found your information. It consists of all the information your reader would need to find the source again, including:
• the author’s name• the title of the work• the name and location of the
company that published your copy of the source
• the date your copy was published
• the page numbers you used There are many different citation styles, or ways of writing this
information. Ask your professor which one s/he prefers.
You need to cite any idea that didn’t come from your own brain. The following situations almost always require citation:
When do I need to cite?
• when you use quotes
• when you paraphrase
• when you summarize
• when you make specific
reference to the work of
another
Every Time!
Proper ways of incorporating a source into your writing include quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.
But what is the difference?
Providing citations at the end of your paper for the information you looked is important, but you also need to make sure that you incorporated the information into the body of your paper properly.
Quotations are the exact words of the original author. You don’t necessarily have to use entire sentences, though. You can incorporate snippets into your own work, as long as you place quotation marks around the words of others.
Remember:
When quoting a source word for word always put the phrase in quotation marks, and always include citation information.
The actual page reads:In short, George Washington was not highly educated, and never became what might be called an intellectual.
The correct quotation format is:“George Washington was not highly educated” (Cunliffe, 31).
Paraphrasing involves putting what someone else has said into your own words. Even though you’re using your own words, you still need to provide a citation for the paraphrased information since you got the ideas from someone else.
Remember:
It is not always necessary to use an exact quote. Sometimes paraphrasing is more appropriate. Paraphrasing is restating the same idea with different words. Paraphrasing also requires citation.
The actual page reads:In short, George Washington was not highly educated, and never became what might be called an intellectual.
The correct paraphrase format is:George Washington did not receive a formal advanced education. (Cunliffe, 31)
Summarizing involves pulling out the main ideas of a source and communicating them in your own words. Once again, even though you’re using your own words, you do have to provide a citation for the borrowed ideas. Summaries should be significantly shorter than the original since they focus on generalization and expression of the main ideas only.
The actual page reads:In short, George Washington was not highly educated, and never became what might be called an intellectual.
The correct summarize format is:George Washington was not a scholar. (Cunliffe, 31).
There are some exceptions. Facts which are “common knowledge” do not need to be cited, but when an original idea or interpretation comes from someone other than yourself, that must be cited.
Common knowledge:George Washington was the first president of the United
States.
Original idea:The four sides of the Washington Monument represent four roles that George Washington played in our country’s history (Cunliffe 7).
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Most colleges and universities take a tough stance on plagiarism, and ECU is no exception. East Central University expects all members of the campus to abide by the Policy on Academic Integrity.
Academic Punishments
Click above to read ECU’s Policy on
Academic Integrity.
At ECU, any member of the campus can report a suspected case of plagiarism. When a student is suspected of plagiarism, it is up to the professor and Vice President for Academic Affairs to determine appropriate consequences.
Students often wait until the last minute and then don’t have the time to do their own thinking and writing. Sometimes students unintentionally plagiarize by forgetting quotation marks, incorrectly citing a source, or thinking that paraphrases and summaries don’t have to be cited. Students may also take poor research notes, leading to confusion when they try to figure out separate their ideas from those of others. These are all understandable occurrences, but that doesn’t make them acceptable.
Why Do Students Plagiarize?
Avoid plagiarism by…1. Planning ahead. Do your
research early so you can develop you own ideas instead of using someone else’s.
2. Taking clear and complete notes so that you always know where your information came from.
2. Always citing your sources!
3. Asking a librarian! We are always here to help you with your research and with questions about citations.
Thanks for learning more about plagiarism and how to properly cite sources in your projects.
If you want more information, stop by the Reference Desk at the library to learn about the many resources that can help you with citations and other aspects of the research process.
Don’t forget to take your blackboard quiz!