Writing Papers and Citing Sources: How to Avoid Plagiarism

What IS Plagiarism? Plagiarism: Is derived from the Latin word plagiarus meaning kidnapper. Definition: In an academic setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source. (WPA, 2007)

Plagiarism includes: Turning in someone else’s work as your own Copying words or ideas without giving credit Failing to put a quote in quotation marks Giving incorrect information about the source of a quote Changing words, but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not

How do we see Plagiarism?

Policing Happens!

How Do We See Plagiarism? Doris Kearns Goodwin Stephen Ambrose Rice University 2003

Universities provide statements and rules about academic misconduct. Hays H S provides the honor code.

Ignorance and Confusion… What is common knowledge? When should I cut-and-paste? What if there’s no copyright on the Web page? But if I wrote it for another class?

Do I have to cite EVERYTHING? There are conditions, but citing sources gives weight to your argument and credit to the owners of an idea. If the sentence offers a universal truth, well accepted and documented, you won’t need to cite. Statistics and information that can easily be found in several sources and are not likely to vary from source to source do not need citations. The population of the United States is 281 million. (OSLIS, 2007)

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Quote: The College Student Fun Portal explains when you can assume your class has been canceled. “The Fifteen Minute Rule is used when a professor is over 15 minutes late. The class may leave and not expect any penalty.”

How Do I Use a Direct Quote? Use quotation marks and the source name in your sentence. Be sure your quote flows with the rest of the paper. Keep it short. A phrase is often enough. Use only direct quotes that will have impact on your work. Too many quotes will weaken your paper.

How Do I Paraphrase? Use the source name somewhere in the paraphrase. If you are having trouble, put your notes out of sight and write the paraphrase. Check your paraphrase against the original. Using sentence and paragraph structure is also plagiarism.

Sometimes We Don’t Want to Know…

Tips to Avoid Inadvertant Plagiarism Think about your topic before you research. Write what you know. This is common knowledge which doesn’t need to be cited. Take care in gathering sources. Take notes as you cut and paste. Keep the original quote, but add your own words and thoughts to each! Mark them with Q if you have a direct quote, S if you have paraphrased a source, and ME if it is your own idea. (Purdue, 2007)

Tips to Avoid Inadvertant Plagiarism Think of your sources like a puzzle. Try to weave them together with your own ideas to create a new product. Write your ideas while you are researching. Record your source with your notes: Use a working bib. page that you number. Get the correct format with the Citation Machine. Mark your notes with the number of your source

A Works Cited Page Putting all of your citations together on one page according to ONE style. Citation tools can help: Citation Machine “ When in doubt, cite; if the citation turns out to be unnecessary, your teacher or editor will tell you.” - OWL at Purdue

This is stressing me out, how am I supposed to write anything? There are many online tools at public and academic libraries with everything from beginning research to presenting results. Purdue’s Writing Process Topics include: Creating a Thesis Statement Developing an Outline Prewriting (Invention) Proofreading Your Writing Starting the Writing Process Writer's Block/ Writer's Anxiety

Works Cited for this PPT: Cat and Mouse Abilock and Crider Cartoonbank.com The New Yorker Magaine Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices for teachers OWL Avoiding Plagiarism Oregon School Library Site http://www.plagiarism.org