1. How to Avoid Plagiarism: Using Sources in Research
ELA 10, APHS
2015
*Attribution: Michelle Kramer, Mt. Lebanon HS: Pittsburgh, PA

2. You know you shouldn’t plagiarize, right?
Sure you do. Teachers have been talking (and talking, and talking) about plagiarism—and how you should avoid it.
But, if it is so bad, why do students (and adults) do it?

3. Why do students plagiarize? Here are some excuses…
Why does it matter? My
(pick one of the following)
teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it.
Everybody else does it. Why not me, too?
The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put effort into it?

4. Why do students plagiarize? Here are some excuses…
Why does it matter? My (pick one of the following) teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it.
Everybody else does it. Why not me, too?
I didn’t know that I had to cite my sources.
I didn’t understand the assignment and I needed some help.
The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put my effort into it?

5. Why do students plagiarize? Here are some excuses…
Why does it matter? My (pick one of the following) teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it.
I didn’t have the time to do the work on my own. I had work/rehearsal/practice/etc.
Everybody else does it. Why not me, too?
I didn’t know that I had to cite my sources.
I didn’t understand the assignment and I needed some help.
I had to. I need to have good grades.
The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put my effort into it?

6. But excuses don’t apply… There is no acceptable excuse for plagiarism
But excuses don’t apply… There is no acceptable excuse for plagiarism. Plagiarism is cheating (and it will be treated as such if it is found in your work).
Look at these real life examples…

7. Real Life Plagiarism Scandals
Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, was forced to step down from the Pulitzer board after she was found to have accidentally used another’s words in one of her books.
Disgraced
Kirpatrick, David D. “Author Goodwin Resigns from Pulitzer Board.” New York Times. (1 June 2002.) 5 Aug <
Hostetter, Janet. 6 Apr Associated Press Images. 5 Aug <

8. Real Life Plagiarism Scandals
After being accused of rampant plagiarism in her work, tenured professor Madonna G. Constantine was fired from her position at Columbia University.
Fired
Santora, Marc. “Columbia Professor in Noose Case Is Fired on Plagiarism Charges.” New York Times. (24 June 2008.) 5 Aug <
Bondafeff, Dian. 10 Oct Associated Press Images. 5 Aug <

9. Real Life Plagiarism Scandals
Blair Hornstein was the valedictorian of her high school class and had earned admission to Harvard University. After articles Hornstein wrote for a local newspaper were discovered to have been plagiarized, Harvard University rescinded their acceptance.
Harvard
Admission
Revoked
“Blair Hornstein.” The Gothamist. 14 July Aug <
Capuzzo, Jill P. “MOORESTOWN JOURNAL; Seeing Crimson.” New York Times. (20 July 2003.) 5 Aug
<

10. Plagiarism is a serious offense: So, how can you avoid it?

11. Plagiarism Defined: Plagiarism is:
To steal the words or ideas of another person
To pass off the words or ideas of another person as one’s own
Remember:
It doesn’t matter whether the theft is intentional or accidental. Either way, it is plagiarism.

12. Let’s look at some hypothetical situations: For each, determine if the student plagiarized or not.

13. Jack’s Situation Is this plagiarism? Yes No
Jack has an English paper due tomorrow. He read the book and paid attention during class, but he has no idea what to write about. Jack logs onto the Internet “just to get some ideas about topics for his paper.” He finds a great idea and begins writing his paper using the topic he found. He is very careful to avoid copying any text or words from the Internet article he found.
Is this plagiarism?
Yes No

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15. You said… Jack did plagiarize.
You are right. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism.
Jack is committing plagiarism by taking the ideas of the source without citing them in the paper.
Even though he put the ideas in his own words, Jack is stealing the intellectual property of the source.

16. You said… Jack did not plagiarize.
You are wrong. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism.
Jack is committing plagiarism by taking the ideas of the source without citing them in the paper.
Even though he put the ideas in his own words, Jack is stealing the intellectual property of the source.
He could avoid plagiarism if he cites the source.

17. Jill’s Situation Is this plagiarism?
During history class, Jill is asked to find some background on Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Jill searches databases and finds a World Book article on Fidel Castro. Without using quotation marks, Jill cuts and pastes several sentences from into her assignment.
Is this plagiarism?
Yes No

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19. You said… Jill did plagiarize.
You are right. Jill’s actions constitute plagiarism.
By taking the words from the World Book article, Jill is committing plagiarism.
She can avoid plagiarizing by quoting the article in her assignment and including an entry in her “Works Cited” page at the end of her paper.

20. You said… Jill did not plagiarize.
You are wrong. Jill’s actions constitute plagiarism.
By taking the words from the World Book article, Jill is committing plagiarism.
She can avoid plagiarizing by quoting the article in her assignment and including an entry in her “Works Cited” page at the end of her paper.

21. Think you’ve got it. Read the following… (and pay attention
Think you’ve got it? Read the following… (and pay attention! There will be a quiz on this information at the end!)

22. Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is:
To steal the words or ideas of another person
To pass off the words or ideas of another person as one’s own
It doesn’t matter whether the theft is intentional or accidental. Either way, it is plagiarism.

23. How to Avoid Plagiarism
Cite the source of any idea or words you take from anyone else.
Carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s words or idea.
Provide a bibliography to show where the borrowed material originated.

24. So, what is the benefit of citing my sources?
OK, I get it…
there are penalties for plagiarizing because it is stealing someone else’s words or ideas.
But,
if I am not caught,
I won’t be penalized.
So, what is the benefit of citing my sources?

25. Good reasons for citing sources in your work:
Citing reliable information gives credibility to your work.
Cheating is unethical behavior: It is only fair to give credit to the source—otherwise, you are stealing ideas.
The consequences are severe—plagiarism is not worth the risk.

26. You probably have two questions: (1) What do I need to cite
You probably have two questions: (1) What do I need to cite? (2) How do I cite?

27. What do I need to cite?
Did you
think of
it?
No.
Yes.
Is it
common
knowledge?
Cite it.
Do not cite it.
This chart will help you decide what must be cited.
It was created by Robert A. Harris in The Plagiarism Handbook.

28. Did you
think of
it?
No.
Yes.
Is it
common
knowledge?
Cite it.
Do not cite it.
So—the rule is: If you created it without any help, you do not need to cite the source. If you did not create the content, you must cite the source.

29. Did you
think of
it?
No.
Yes.
Is it
common
knowledge?
Cite it.
Do not cite it.
The one exception to that rule is for “common knowledge.” You do not need to cite the source of IF: (1) an educated person should know the information, OR (2) it is a fact that could be found in an encyclopedia.

30. So, you don’t need to cite a commonly known fact, but you must cite the source of opinions and ideas that are not your own And, you must cite anytime you use the exact words of the source—even if the words are presenting common knowledge.

31. So, you don’t need to cite a commonly known fact, for example: Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. but you must cite the source of opinions and ideas that are not your own. for example: Dorothy Gale believes that Lord of the Flies is an inspiring story (75). And, you must cite anytime you use the exact words of the source—even if the words are presenting common knowledge. You must always cite the source of ANY direct quotation.

32. So, let’s check to see that you understand when you need to cite the source and when you don’t… Answer the following questions and choose the correct answer.

33. Do not cite the Cite the source. source.
Test Case #1 Jack isn’t sure if he needs to cite the source of the information below. He found the fact online. “Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president.” What do you think? What should Jack do? Pick one of the answers below.
Cite the source.
This means he will:
Either:
Surround with quotation marks, or
Put the quotation into his own words,
changing the syntax, structure,
& organization
Include a lead-in giving the source’s name,
Give the page number, and
List the source in a bibliography
Do not cite the
source.
This means that the information is a
commonly reported fact. It is generally
known and available from many sources.
Jack should verify the information in at
least two sources, then
Jack will write the well-known
information in his own words.

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35. You are incorrect. In this case, citation is not necessary.
Jack does not need to cite the source or quote the information because it is general knowledge.
Abraham Lincoln’s status as the 16th President of the US is a fact that is verifiable in many places.

36. You are correct! Jack does not need to cite this information.
Jack does not need to cite the source or quote the information because it is general knowledge.
Abraham Lincoln’s status as the 16th President of the US is a fact that is verifiable in many places.

37. Test Case #2 In her paper on Affirmative Action, Jill found one source that explained that Affirmative Action “evens the field of play by forcing equality among all players.” In her paper, Jill uses the phrase “forcing equality” but she puts all the other parts of the source into her own words. What should Jill do? Pick one of the answers below.
Cite the source.
This means she will:
Either:
Surround with quotation marks, or
Put the quotation into her own words,
changing the syntax, structure,
& organization
Include a lead-in giving the source’s name,
Give the page number, and
List the source in a bibliography
Not cite the source.
This means that the information is generally
known and available from multiple sources.
Jill should verify the information in at
least two sources, then
Jill will write the well-known
information in his own words.
(3) Jill should make a bibliographic citation
for use on her Works Consulted page.

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39. You are correct! Jill must cite this information.
Jill needs to cite the source of the paraphrase because the idea belongs to the source.
Further, because Jill uses the unique phrase “forcing equality,” she must include that phrase in quotation marks, indicating that it is a direct quotation from the source.

40. You are incorrect. In this case, citation is necessary.
Jill needs to cite the source of the paraphrase because the idea belongs to the source.
Further, because Jill uses the unique phrase “forcing equality,” she must include that phrase in quotation marks, indicating that it is a direct quotation from the source.

41. Test Case #3 Gretel found a very helpful article in an online database
Test Case #3 Gretel found a very helpful article in an online database. She very carefully made sure that she rewrote the content of the article using her own personal style; she changed the author’s syntax and organization so that it fit seamlessly into her paper. What should Gretel do?
Cite the source.
This means she will:
Either:
Surround with quotation marks, or
Put the quotation into his own words,
changing the syntax, structure,
& organization
Include a lead-in giving the source’s name,
Give the page number, and
List the source in a bibliography
Not cite the source.
This means that the information is generally
known and available from multiple sources.
Gretel should verify the information in at
least two sources, then
Gretel will write the well-known
information in his own words.
(3) Gretel must include a bibliographic citation
on her Works Consulted page.

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43. You are correct. In this case, citation is required.
Gretel paraphrases the source’s idea and content. She must give credit to the source.
She must provide her audience with the source of the idea that she borrowed.

44. You are incorrect! Gretel must cite the source of this information, even though she put it in her own words.
Gretel paraphrases the ideas of the source, so she must cite the identity of the source.
Gretel must provide her audience with the source of the material that she borrowed.

45. So, you can identify what must have a citation… Now you need to know how to use and cite a source!

46. How to Cite a Source
It’s easy. Just provide your audience with the source of any ideas or words that are not your own.
First, carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s words or idea.
Then, provide a “Works Cited” page to show where the borrowed material originated.
In fact, listing your sources shows your audience that you are an informed, well-researched writer!

47. How to Cite Direct Quotations
Provide a bibliographic entry to show where the borrowed material originated.
Park, Beth L. Understanding William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Lebo University Press: Pittsburgh, PA, 2008.
Carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s words or idea.
Use a signal phrase to introduce the source.
Use quotation marks to surround the words of the source.
Provide the page number (or another citation) after the closing quotation marks.
EXAMPLE:
According to literary critic Beth L. Park, Piggy finds peace through “his search for the height of his own potential” (Park).

48. How to Cite Paraphrases
Provide a bibliographic entry to show where the borrowed material originated.
Park, Beth L. Understanding William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Lebo University Press: Pittsburgh, PA, 2008.
Carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s material.
Use a signal phrase to introduce the source
Put the source’s original words into your own words:
It isn’t just about using synonyms to replace words.
You must change the syntax, sentence structure, & organization of the original.
If you find yourself just changing a word here or there, ask yourself if a direct quotation would work. If it would work, then use a direct quotation.
Provide the page number (or another citation) after the closing quotation marks.
EXAMPLE:
According to literary critic Beth L. Park, Piggy protects
his self-esteem by disciplining the other boys (Park).

49. Can you identify plagiarism when you see it?
Try the following four examples. On each you will see the source material and the student’s usage of that material.
Use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to choose if the example shows acceptable use or plagiarism.

50. Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 1
Original text from the source:
Student’s Text:
One reason that Lincoln was well-liked during his lifetime was that his integrity was sincere. A person’s statements and dealings with the world allows that person to be judged as honest.
Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine.
Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (Phillips)
Student’s Works Cited page:
No references given.
Acceptable Use
Plagiarism
CHOOSE ONE:

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52. You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are incorrect.
Use the arrow at the bottom of this screen to return to the example.
Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is plagiarism.

53. You said that the example showed Plagiarism You are correct!
The student put the author’s idea into her own words; however, she did not give credit to the source of the idea.

54. Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 2
Original text from the source:
Student’s Text:
Phillips believes that the populace’s admiration for Lincoln stems from his integrity and honesty (Phillips).
Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine.
Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (Phillips)
Student’s Works Cited page:
Phillips, Donald T. Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. Warner Books: New York, 1992.
Acceptable Use
Plagiarism
CHOOSE ONE:

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56. You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are correct!
The student clearly marked the boundaries of the paraphrase:
Providing the author’s name at the beginning of the paraphrase shows where Phillips’ idea starts.
Providing the page number at the end of the paraphrase shows where Phillips’ idea ends.
The reference on the bibliography page is accurate.

57. You said that the example showed Plagiarism You are incorrect!
Use the arrow at the bottom of this screen to return to the example.
Reread the example and see if you can determine why this usage is acceptable.

58. Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 3
Original text from the source:
Student’s Text:
Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime because he had integrity. Integrity must be sincere. Through an individual’s words, deed, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine.
Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine.
Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (Phillips)
Student’s Works Cited page:
No references given.
Acceptable Use
Plagiarism
CHOOSE ONE:

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60. You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are incorrect!
Use the arrow at the bottom of this screen to return to the example.
Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is plagiarism.

61. You said that the example showed Plagiarism You are correct!
The student used the exact words of the source without providing any indication of their origin.
A reader would believe that this passage is the work of the student.

62. Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 4
Original text from the source:
Student’s Text:
During his lifetime, people admired Lincoln because his words, deeds and actions demonstrated his sincere, genuine integrity.
Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine.
Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (Phillips)
Student’s Works Cited page:
Phillips, Donald T. Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. Warner Books: New York, 1992.
Acceptable Use
Plagiarism
CHOOSE ONE:

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64. You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are incorrect!
Use the arrow at the bottom of this screen to return to the example.
Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is plagiarism.

65. You said that the example showed Plagiarism You are correct!
The student changed the order of the words and the structure of the sentences; however, he did not give credit to the Phillips’ book as the source of the idea.

66. So, to review…
Plagiarism is a serious offense. Not only does it carry heavy penalties, but your integrity is damaged when you plagiarize.
Plagiarism is easily avoidable—just cite the sources when you use the words or ideas of another person.
If you have any questions, see your teacher or school librarian!

67. Sources Consulted
Attributed and adapted from a PowerPoint by Michelle Kramer, Mt. Lebanon HS: Pittsburgh, PA Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism. Pyrczak Publishing: Los Angeles, Valenza, Joyce Kasman. “What is Plagiarism? (And Why You Should Care).” Springfield High School Media Center Information Literacy Lessons. Springfield School District.