Stopping Plagiarism

1
Stopping Plagiarism

• A pro-active approach
• The following presentation is provided to help
  teachers and students avoid plagiarism, stopping
  it before it starts. Please feel free to use the
  presentation and to modify where appropriate to
  your needs
• Dr. Stephen T. Holland,
• Chair, English, Muscatine Community College

2
What is plagiarism?

• Plagiarism is defined as
• The intentional or unintentional copying of
  someone elses work and claiming it as your own.
• Of the two, intentional is more serious. However,
  even though unintentional plagiarism is not as
  serious, it is still a crime. Being ignorant of
  the rules is not acceptable as a defense.

3
A Spike in Plagiarism?

• Plagiarism has always been a problem for students
  to avoid. However, the ease in using the Internet
  has definitely increased the temptation to
  plagiarize.
• It has always been important to offer the student
  training in avoiding plagiarism. However, because
  of the ease of cutting and pasting, it is now
  more important than ever.

4
Consequences noted

• Plagiarism has been defined and inserted into the
  course syllabus.
• Academic cheating and consequences are noted in
  the colleges student handbook.

5
Examples of plagiarism

• Copying a page from an encyclopedia.
• Lifting a paragraph from a magazine.
• Merely substituting synonyms and/or turning
  around words in a passage.
• Turning in someone elses essay.
• Gaining too much help in writing the essay.

6
Common Knowledge

• Not all facts must be documented. If people can
  agree that certain facts are well-known, then
  such notes can be called Common Knowledge.
  Common Knowledge does not have to be documented
  within research essays.
• However, if in doubt that something is Common
  Knowledge, then document.

7
Common Knowledge Examples

• Examples of Common Knowledge include
• The formula of water H20.
• The Civil Wars first battle 1861.
• The year John F. Kennedy died 1963.

8
What Must be Cited

• Whenever an opinion is being offered regarding
  some viewpoint, the researcher must demonstrate
  the evidence upon which the conclusion is based.
  Thus, the researcher demonstrates the opinion is
  an informed one.

9
Crediting My Sources

• The following example is taken from
• Goshgarian, Gary, Kathleen Krueger and Janet
  Minc. Dialogues An Argument Rhetoric and Reader,
  4th ed. New York Longman, 2002.
• On pages 228-29, the authors credit a passage
  from English in a Multicultural Society. The
  author is Dennis Baron and the article appeared
  in the Spring 1991 issue of Social Policy.

10
Example of Plagiarism

• Here is the original passage (Goshgarian 228-29)
• The notion of a national language sometimes
  wears the disguise of inclusion we must all
  speak English to participate meaningfully in the
  democratic process. Sometimes it argues we must
  speak one language to understand one another and
  share both culture and country. Those who insist
  on English often equate bilingualism with lack of
  patriotism. Their intention to legislate official
  English often masks racism and certainly fails to
  appreciate cultural difference it is a thinly
  veiled measure to disenfranchise anyone not like
  us.

11
Plagiarized version

• Supporters of U.S. English argue we must speak
  one language to understand one another and share
  both culture and country. But Dennis Baron argues
  that their intention to legislate official
  English often masks racism and certainly fails to
  appreciate cultural differences (8).
  English-only legislation really intends to
  exclude anyone who is not like us.

12
Examples of plagiarism

• Notice the highlighted words below. From the
  previous slide, they are taken word-for-word from
  the original. These are obvious cases of copying
• we must speak one language to understand one
  another and share both culture and country.
• English-only legislation really intends to
  exclude anyone who is not like us.
• The above examples are plagiarized!

13
A Pro-active Approach

• In order to help students avoid plagiarism, the
  instructor is taking a pro-active approach.
  First, it is recognized that students are only
  just starting to understand what plagiarism is
  and the serious consequences associated with
  committing it. Nevertheless, plagiarism must not
  appear in research essays.

14
Plagiarism a reminder

• Again, the term plagiarism has been defined and
  this definition placed within the course syllabus
  and the colleges student handbook.
• Examples of plagiarism are made available to
  students through the classroom, within the
  textbook, and outside sources (library, CDs, and
  Internet).

15
Consequences Will Be Enforced

• The instructor is serious about enforcing
  plagiarism consequences.
• Consequences include failing the essay and
  reporting the infraction to the Dean.
• Student will fail the course.

16
Librarians as Allies

• College librarians are strong allies and can
  offer students opportunities for learning about
  plagiarism. Library tours should touch upon the
  concept of plagiarism and demonstrate to
  students how to find proper research materials.

17
Student Knowledge To Be Tested

• Questions about plagiarism will appear on tests
  and quizzes.
• Students will be given opportunities to
  demonstrate note-taking skills prior to writing
  major research essays.

18
Limiting Topics and Resources

• Placing limitations upon the assignments will
  help students stay within the boundaries of the
  research essay assignment. These include
• The instructor assigning topics.
• The number of Internet sources allowed.
• The student not using any information from
  sources older than nine years.

19
Notecard Instruction

• Students will be given instruction on how to
  write notecards without plagiarizing.
• Types of notecards include summaries,
  paraphrases, quote cards, and combination cards.
• A notecard is required for each source used.

20
MLA Instruction

• Students will be given lessons in how to present
  their essays in a recognized academic style. In
  this case, the style is MLA (Modern Language
  Association). The instruction will include
• How to cite sources within the body of the essay.
• How to create a Works Cited page to demonstrate
  where the reader can find original sources.

21
Notecards Required and Checked

• Students must provide all notecards to the
  instructor to verify their sources.
• All evidence used must be placed upon a notecard.
  
• The notecards will be identified as summaries,
  paraphrases, quote cards, and combination cards.
• The instructor will check notecards for
  plagiarism.

22
Sources Must Be Provided

• Students must provide the instructor with all
  original documents used to support conclusions
  made within the essay.
• Magazine articles, book pages, Internet
  documents, etc., must be provided.
• Transcripts from interviews must be provided.
• All, all, all and all documents must be provided.

23
Quality Sources Count

• Students will be given instruction on how to
  conduct a quality literature review. This
  includes
• Demonstrating what does and does not make a
  quality source. For example, strict opinion is
  not considered a solid resource.
• Demonstrating what makes an Internet source
  credible. (Taking material from he top three
  items listed after a web search is never a good
  strategy.)

24
Rough Draft Required

• A rough draft of the research project is required
  and includes a section of the essay, in-text
  citations, and a Works Cited page.

25
Communication

• To help the student, the instructor schedules a
  conference. Here the student will learn what
  strengths and weaknesses the essay has. The
  conference is not limited to a discussion of
  plagiarism. It is includes essay structure, MLA
  style, and grammar.
• To prepare, the student will provide sources,
  notecards, a Works Cited page, and a rough draft
  to the instructor.

26
Additional Help

• For additional help in avoiding plagiarism,
  students should contact
• The instructor.
• Check the textbook.
• Visit appropriate websites.