PLAGIARISM: How to Avoid It

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?  Plagiarism is defined as: to take and use (thoughts, writings, inventions, etc., of another person) as one’s own.  According to the Purdue Owl website: Research-based writing in American institutions, both educational and corporate, is filled with rules that writers, particularly beginners, aren't aware of or don't know how to follow. Many of these rules have to do with research and proper citation. Gaining familiarity with these rules, however, is critically important, as inadvertent mistakes can lead to charges of plagiarism, which is the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of somebody else's words or ideas.

Plagiarism in Western Culture  While some rhetorical traditions may not insist so heavily on documenting sources of words, ideas, images, sounds, etc., American academic rhetorical tradition does. A charge of plagiarism can have severe consequences, including expulsion from a university or loss of a job, not to mention a writer's loss of credibility and professional standing.  In the United States, ideas are considered the property of their author. It is considered stealing to use the ideas of another in a paper or presentation without giving the credit to the originator of the idea…Americans value originality and individual achievement. These values are reflected in the rules of Academic Honesty (Pennycook, 1996, p. 14).

Avoiding Plagiarism: Tips to Remember  Avoiding Plagiarism  Hacker and Sommers (2011) suggest, “As you take notes and jot down ideas, be careful not to use language from sources unless you clearly identify borrowed words and phrases as quotations. Even if you half-copy the author’s sentences – either by mixing the author’s phrases with your own without using quotation marks or by plugging your synonyms into the author’s sentences structure – you are committing plagiarism, a serious academic offense”(p. 411).  Hacker and Sommers (2011)conclude that there are several distinct ways to plagiarize: “(1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words” (p. L-24).

Example of Plagiarism  Original Source  “Here again Glaspell’s story reflects a larger truth about the lives of rural women. Their isolation induced madness in many. The rate of insanity in rural areas, especially for women, was a much-discussed subject in the second half of the nineteenth century. ”  Elaine Hedges, “Small Things Reconsidered: ‘A Jury of Her Peers,’” p. 59  Plagiarism  Glaspell may or may not want us to believe that Minnie Wright’s murder of her husband is an insane act, but Minnie’s loneliness and isolation certainly could have driven her mad. As Elaine Hedges notes, the rate of insanity in rural areas, especially for women, was a much-discussed subject in the second half of the nineteenth century (p. 59).  Note the “borrowed” words from the original source. Even though the writer mentions the author and the provides the page number of the source, the plagiarism occurs because of the lack of quotation marks. This could be construed as intentional or unintentional plagiarism, but the reader has no way of knowing which.

Plagiarism Corrected  Correct Use of Borrowed Language in Quotation Marks  Glaspell may or may not want us to believe that Minnie Wright’s murder of her husband is an insane act, but Minnie’s loneliness and isolation certainly could have driven her mad. As Elaine Hedges notes, “The rate of insanity in rural areas, especially for women, was a much- discussed subject in the second half of the nineteenth century” (p. 59).

More Examples of Plagiarism  Original Source  “In an effort to seek the causes of this disturbing trend, experts have pointed to a range of important potential contributors to the rise in childhood obesity that are unrelated to media.” -Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, “The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity” (2004), p.1  Unacceptable Borrowing of Phrases  According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (2004), experts have indicated a range of significant potential contributors to the rise in childhood obesity that are not linked to media (p. 1).  Unacceptable Borrowing of Structure  According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (2004), experts have identified a variety of key factors causing a rise in childhood obesity, factors that are not tied to media. (p. 1).  Note that the writer has still borrowed the words from the original source and added a few words of his/her own to make it slightly different. However, the original text is still presented. This is plagiarized.

More Tips to Avoid Plagiarism  Hacker & Sommers (2004) suggest that “to avoid plagiarizing an author’s language, resist the temptation to look at the source while you are summarizing or paraphrasing. After you have read the passage you want to paraphrase, set the source aside. Ask yourself, “What is the author’s meaning?” In your own words, state your understanding of the author’s basic point. Return to the source and check that you haven’t used the author’s language or sentence structure or misrepresented the author’s ideas. When you fully understand another writer’s meaning, you can more easily and accurately present those ideas in your own words” (p. 503).

Acceptable Paraphrasing without Plagiarism  Original Source  In an effort to seek the causes of this disturbing trend, experts have pointed to a range of important potential contributors to the rise in childhood obesity that are unrelated to media. -Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, “The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity” (2004), p.1  Acceptable Paraphrase  A report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (2004) concludes there are causes other than media for the childhood obesity crisis (p. 1).

Statement on Academic Honesty from the UNA Catalog  Students are expected to be honorable and observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. Additionally, students are expected to behave in an ethical manner. Individuals who disregard the core values of truth and honesty bring disrespect to themselves and the University. A university community which allows academic dishonesty will suffer harm to the reputation of students, faculty, and graduates. It is in the best interest of the entire university community to sanction any individual who chooses not to accept the principles of academic honesty by committing acts such as cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation. Offenses are reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for referral to the University Student Discipline System for disposition (UNA Catalog, p.54).  Cheating: using or attempting to use unauthorized materials or information; giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination or other academic exercise.  Plagiarism: using another's words or ideas without acknowledgment.  Examples include:  · failing to use quotation marks when quoting from a source; and  · failing to reference distinctive ideas from a source.  Misrepresentation: falsifying, altering, or misstating the contents of academically related documents, sources, or assignments.

Plagiarism Defined  In essence, plagiarism means to use someone else’s work without giving proper credit to the originator. The “work” could be published or unpublished materials, including such things as art, computer programs, graphs, music, websites, or any other form of creative or original expression. The act of plagiarism can be committed deliberately, as in  1) purchasing a research paper from a commercial source (term paper mill),  2) “borrowing” a completed paper from a student who had previously taken the same class and passing that paper off as your own work,  3) having someone else write a paper for you, or  4) by downloading material from the Internet and submitting it as your own work.  It can even be submitting a paper that you prepared for one class as fulfillment for an assignment in another class without receiving permission from your instructor. The latter is a form of “self plagiarism.”

Beware of Unintentional Plagiarism  Plagiarism can occur unintentionally. This happens when you have been careless in taking notes—neglecting to record quotations word- for-word or omitting quotations marks and the appropriate citation for the source of the quotation. It can also happen when you have not paraphrased another’s words properly, when you have neglected to cite or give credit to authors as you have summarized their work, or when you have incorrectly assumed that a fact is common knowledge and thus have failed to indicate the source of your information.  Ignorance or a lack of understanding is no excuse for plagiarism—it is still wrong!

References  Hacker, D. & Sommers, N. (Eds.). (2011). A writer’s reference (7 th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.  Purdue Owl. (2013). Avoiding plagiarism: Overview and contradictions. Retrieved from  University of North Alabama Catalog (2013). Florence, AL: The University of North Alabama.