What it is and how to avoid it. Plagiarism What it is and how to avoid it.
What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is using someone else’s words, ideas or images as your own. Plagiarism is dishonest, unethical, and illegal! Read Student Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism.
Intentional vs. Unintentional Plagiarism Using minimal or careless paraphrasing Failing to document or “cite” properly Quoting excessively Failing to use your own “voice” to present information or ideas Copying a friend’s work Buying or borrowing papers Cutting and pasting text from sources without giving credit “Borrowing” media without giving credit Publishing on the web without the permission of the original creators
Consequences ZERO credit for work Parents will be notified Referral to administration Note on permanent student record Suspension or expulsion from school activities including sports, clubs, field trips, extra-curriculars, etc. Could mean expulsion, depending on school
How to Avoid Plagiarism DON’T copy word for word, or by copying and pasting. DON’T print directly (and turn in as your own work). DON’T copy from other students. DO take notes! DO paraphrase!
Quoting Directly is Acceptable! Always put quotation marks around any words that you take directly from a source. Always give credit to the source! In a bibliography Or webography— (usually only online sources)
Paraphrasing Reading a passage, learning what it means, and retelling it in your own “voice” or words is acceptable. Always give credit to the source.
Use Common Knowledge Info that is known to many people (George Washington was the first president. McCain and Obama ran for president in the 2008 Presidential Election.) You do NOT need to cite Common Knowledge! ☺
Why Cite Online Sources? Find source again to check information Acknowledge your sources for ethical reasons Remember: If you could find it, so can your teacher!
Citing Online Sources – Web Pages Author’s last name, first name (if available) *Web page title—in quotes *Date Retrieved: Day, Month, Year Main Page Title (If Available) *URL: Web Site Address Date Published or Revised: Day, Month, Year (if available) *Required! It is OK to not memorize this list, but you need to be familiar with it and know how to find it so you can refer to it when necessary!
Citing Online Sources – Images *Description of title of image *Label [Online Image] *Available at: URL (copy and paste from web page) Images include any type of graphic, picture, map, or photo! *Required!
An easy way to cite sources accurately! Citation Machine An easy way to cite sources accurately! Visit the Citation Machine site. Use MLA format (used in most middle schools and high schools).
Resources Kagan, Jocelyn, and Susan Victor. "Plagiarism WebQuest." www.BucciTeacher.com. Mr. Bucci, Web. 18 Feb 2010. <http://www.bucciteacher.com/IS/plagiarism/plagiarism.htm>. "Plagiarism." University of West Alabama. Web. 18 Feb 2010. <library.uwa.edu/Help/Plagiarism.ppt>. "Plagiarism - Don't Do It!." Marcos de Niza High School Learning Resources and Technology Center. Web. 18 Feb 2010. <www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/mdn/Depts/Departments/lrc/plagiarism.ppt>. "Son of Citation Machine." Son of Citation Machine. David Warlick & The Landmark Project , Web. 18 Feb 2010. <http://citationmachine.net/>. "Student Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism." Education World. 2002. Education World, Web. 18 Feb 2010. <http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/TM/curr390_guide.shtml>. "What is plagiarism? (And why you should care!)." School District of Springfield Township. Web. 18 Feb 2010. <www.sdst.org/shs/library/powerpoint/plagiarism.ppt>.