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PLAGIARISM PRIMER |
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The bottom line:
It’s your education.
It's your relationship with your learning community.
It’s your personal integrity.
It’s your work.
If you’ve turned in work that not’s your own,
if it isn't your thinking and it isn't your voice,
then it’s plagiarism.
Plagiarism is representing someone else's work as your own. This includes words, images, music, designs, programming and all other forms of creative expression. The theft of intellectual property is considered cheating. With the exception of common knowledge, if the idea, interpretation, point-of-view, opinion or concept isn't yours, it must be cited.
You can build on other's ideas in your work by
Quoting
Paraphrasing
Summarizing
as long as the material is properly cited in the text &
documented in the bibliography.
What is intentional plagiarism?
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Purchasing papers from online paper mills.
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Extensive help from a fellow student or tutor so that the work is no longer truly your own.
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Downloading or copying chunks of information and inserting it into a paper along with your own writing - cutting and pasting your way to an honor code violation,
- Falsifying citations, fabricating sources
- Recycling assignments is considered self-plagiarism.
What is inadvertent plagiarism?
As explained in the comprehensive pamphlet Avoiding Plagiarism, Mastering the Art of Scholarship many students get into trouble because of unintentional plagiarism.
- Improper or inadequate citations.
- Careless note taking.
- Cutting and pasting from electronic and internet resources without attribution.
- Massaging passages by popping in synonyms (sometimes called mosaic plagiarism or patchworking).
- Mimicking organization and structure of source.
- Misunderstanding scope of common knowledge.
Rewording passages or paraphrasing concepts without appropriate attribution is plagiarism. Lack of awareness and/or lack of skills does not change the fact that inadvertant plagiarism is a violation of academic integrity. (UC Davis, Div of Student Affairs, Office of Judicial Student Affairs, 2006) Source
Do not confuse copyright and plagiarism: just because something is in the public domain or open source doesn't mean that you can quote or paraphrase without citing.
Strategies to avoid inadvertant plagiarism:
- Give the research process plenty of time.
- Evaluate a variety of sources.
- Take meticulous notes - document, document, document.
- Use inline citations when quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing. Including the source in the bibliography is not enough.
- Facts are common knowledge; interpretations and concepts are not. A rule of thumb is if the same information appears in at least five sources it is common knowledge for that discipline. However, if it is new to you, it is best to cite it. When in doubt --- ALWAYS cite.
- Make sure you understand what you're reading - identify key concepts and compare & contrast it with what you already know. Remember that putting something in your own words does not make the ideas yours. Cite to make things right.
- Separate note taking from draft writing - if you are composing with a book open you are heading for trouble.
- Confused? Ask your teachers or librarians for clarification. Get the guidance you need. They understand that research is a learning process.
- Have confidence in your own voice. Writing papers helps you to develop your analyzation and writing skills.
- Build on the documented work of others by developing your own conclusions.
"Note taking is a process of understanding, not scribing"
Debbie Abilock (creator of Knowledge Quest)
Beyond Cut and Paste, 2007
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| Know Citation Format | | | | Your teacher will instruct you on format required for your discipline (MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style). Use citation generators for accuracy:
BibMe
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| | Avoid Inadvertant Plagiarism | | | | Lack time?
Lack confidence?
Lack citation skills?
Think you might be headed for trouble? Duke University lists warning signs and scenarios for preventing plagiarism.
Ask for an extension rather than risking plagiarism.
Understanding how to properly paraphrase and cite is a learning process. Take the Plagiarism-by-Paraphrase Risk Quiz designed by A. Sanders at Glouchester College.
Indicate direct quotes and paraphrased passages. Organize your notes and sources with NOODLE TOOLS. Or develop your own system that clearly labels passages Q, P, S or M.
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