Plagiarism

1
Plagiarism

• This tutorial will help you understand what
  plagiarism is, the consequences for committing
  it, and how to avoid it.

2
What is plagiarism?

• You have committed plagiarism if you have done
  any of the following
• quoted what someone said or wrote without using
  quotation marks and/or properly citing the source
• paraphrased the work of an author without
  proper citations
• used another authors general ideas or theories
  without citation
• submitted as your own work something someone
  else wrote or created (this includes purchasing
  something from the internet)
• created fictional or inaccurate citations
• submitted your own work more than once for the
  same or different classes

3
What are the consequences?

• Consequences for plagiarism can range from a
  verbal reprimand to expulsion from school.
• Typically, a student can expect a failing grade
  on the assignment or the class, if the
  infringement was serious enough.
• You can find more information on plagiarism and
  academic misconduct in general in the UW Colleges
  Student Rights and Regulations Booklet.

4
Avoiding Plagiarism

• Keeping in mind that one can be accused of
  plagiarism
• whether the infringement was intentional or
• unintentional, it is important to be vigilant
  when
• researching, writing, and providing citations for
  papers.

5
Avoiding Plagiarism

• Lets break down the elements of proper
  citation using the six
  question words
• Who
• What
• When
• Why
• Where
• How

6
Why?

• Lets start with why it is imperative to cite
  properly
• The primary reason is to give credit to the
  authors who have, in different ways, contributed
  to your work.
• Citing established authors lends credence, or
  trustworthiness, to your work.
• Citations allow your readers to find your
  original sources.
• It is always important to distinguish your
  original thoughts from those of other authors,
  especially when you disagree with what they had
  to say.

7
Who/What?

• Who and what are cited? Just about everyone and
  everything!
• Anyone who created anything that you are now
  using for your work needs to be cited this
  includes written words, charts, graphs, art work,
  etc.
• Aside from authors of published written works,
  this includes another students class notes, or
  the psychology professor you interviewed.
• Also cite anything original that someone told
  you. If you verify this in a reliable source,
  cite that source.

8
What

• Getting into the what can seem a bit daunting.
• Remember that any original words or ideas must be
  properly attributed.
• This includes anything from a phrase to an
  extended quote of several sentences.
• You also need to cite the source when you have
  paraphrased any amount of text.
• Accurate citations need to be included regardless
  of the type of source or medium

9
Sources and Media

• Types of sources include
• Journal, magazine, or newspaper articles
• Essays
• Short stories
• Poems
• Song Lyrics
• Novels (Fiction)
• Non-Fiction
• Text books
• Interview

• Media include
• The computer
• This includes electronic databases and the
  internet
• CD-ROM
• DVDs
• CDs
• VHS tapes
• Cassette tapes
• Vinyl records
• Radio

These are not exhaustive lists, but likely
sources of information. All sources need to be
cited, whether print or electronic.
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When?

• As was mentioned, you need to cite any original
  words or ideas.
• What does that mean? When is something not
  original?
• Answer When its common knowledge.

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Common Knowledge

• Common knowledge can be a little tricky. The
  following tips are from Cal State University
• Two criteria to keep in mind are whether the fact
  can be found in at least 5 reliable sources and
  if it is widely known. Its usually beneficial
  if the information is well known in the class for
  which you are writing your paper.
• Another important criterion is whether the
  information can be easily found in a general
  reference source.
• As you do more research on a topic, you are
  likely to discover which facts count as common
  knowledge because you will encounter these facts
  in many places.
• If you are not sure, assume that an idea is not
  common knowledge and cite the source. It is much
  easier to remove a citation than it is to hunt
  down a citation and try to add it later. Finally,
  when in doubt, check with your professor
  (Thompson).

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Examples of common knowledge

• Birthdates of very well-known people such as
  Shakespeare, Einstein, and Lincoln
• Dates of wars and battles
• Well-known facts about the earth and other
  planets in the solar system
• Date ranges of epochs
• Capitols of states and nations

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Where?

• For those items that do require citations, one
  part will go in the text, and the corresponding
  full citation will be listed on the page or pages
  at the end, often titled Works Cited, References,
  or Bibliography.

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In-Text Citations

• The in-text (or parenthetical) citation is quite
  briefthe last name of the author/s (if not
  stated in the text) and page number/s from which
  the quote was taken.
• It should be placed at the end of the quoted or
  paraphrased material. Usually this means the end
  of the paragraph, though in cases of a single
  quoted phrase or sentence, the citation would
  come at the end of that sentence.
• All citations must conform to the assigned or
  chosen format, generally MLA (Modern Language
  Association), APA (American Psychological
  Association), or Chicago.

15
End-of-Text Citations

• It is critical that the author (or the title in
  some cases) is named in the text or parenthetical
  citation because each name is a link to its
  corresponding full citation at the end of the
  work.
• The citations are listed alphabetically by the
  authors last name.
• Again, the citations must conform to the chosen
  format. There are protocols for print and
  electronic sources (including the Internet), as
  well as instances of no authors, multiple
  authors, and corporate authors.

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How?

• The How of proper citations quickly breaks down
  into many rules and exceptions. The next slide
  has links to examples commonly encountered by
  students. There are links to both MLA and APA
  formats.

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How?

• Block quotes
• Multiple authors of a single work MLA APA
• EditedMLA APA
• Multiple works by same authorMLA APA
• Book chapterMLA APA
• Print PeriodicalsMLA APA
• Articles in databases--MLA APA
• Internet sourcesMLA APA
• InterviewsMLA APA

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Further examples

• There are far too many variations to show here,
  but there are some wonderful web sites with
  excellent examples
• MLA
• http//www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strateg
  y/citing/mla.html
• http//www.lcc.edu/library/research-help/citation/
  mlaparen.htmmulti
• MLA and APA
• http//www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/writer_r
  esources/citation_styles/apa/apa.htmintext
• http//www.library.ucla.edu/url/referenc/citing.ht
  m

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Additional help

• Consult Keys for Writers. There are several
  copies on reserve in the library. Librarians are
  also happy to help.
• Click on the Writing Resources link on the
  library home page. Here you will find a number
  of links to help you with proper citations and
  academic writing in general.
• Remember to ask your professor!

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Summary

• Plagiarism is basically stealing from, or not
  giving credit to, the author or creator whose
  work you are using.
• It is a very serious offense and can mean a
  failing grade in a class and in extreme cases
  expulsion from school.
• You can protect yourself against accusations of
  plagiarism by taking careful notes on every
  source you consult and following the rules of the
  format you are using.
• There are many wonderful resources that provide
  examples for common and unusual circumstances.

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Fun

• Is it possible to have fun with efficient
  research and proper citations? Yes, it isand
  here are some wonderful sites to test your
  knowledge!
• http//library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/
• http//library.camden.rutgers.edu/EducationalModul
  e/Plagiarism/

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References

• Thompson, Sue. How to Avoid Plagiarism.
  Plagiarism Prevention for Students. 2008. Cal
  State University. May 7, 2008.
  .