1. Plagiarism and how to Avoid it

2. What is plagiarism?
When you represent someone else’s words or ideas as your own.

3. Is this Plagiarism? Compare
Original Source:
private static int partition(Comparable[] a, int lo, int hi) {
int i = lo;
int j = hi+1;
New text from student:
private static int partition(Comparable[] a, int lo, int hi) {
int i = lo, j = hi+1;
(From Princeton University Academic Integrity Website at

4. Plagiarism applies to all ideas, not just English Class papers
Java Computer Code
Plagiarism applies to all ideas, not just English Class papers
Is it plagiarism?
Yes
Why?
Same code even though it is in a slightly different line structure

5. Is this Plagiarism? Compare
Original Source: The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the population were the three great developments of late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger, steam-powered factories became a feature of the American landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants.
New text from student: The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large wave of immigrants.
(From the University of Indiana Wells Library Information commons pamphlet at

6. 1. The student only changes a few words from the original.
Text from Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and Crime in the 1890’s BY Joyce Williams, et al.
Is it plagiarism?
Yes
Why? Two reasons:
1. The student only changes a few words from the original.
2. The student has not cited a source for the original idea.

7. Acceptable way to use Passage
Steam powered production had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a result, populations grew, and large urban areas arose (Williams 1).
You could have also directly quoted it.

8. Steps to avoid Plagiarism
1. When in doubt- cite it!
Do not use words in your paper you do not know the meaning of?
Paraphrase without looking at the original passage (hidden hand method).

9. Use your notecard to paraphrase information in this passage without plagiarism
“With increased fame and success came greater scrutiny of Shakur’s gangsta lifestyle. A string of arrests culminated with a conviction for sexual assault in 1994; he was incarcerated when his third album, Me Against the World, was released in  ”
( From the Encyclopedia Britannica article on Tupac Shakur: Shakur/ Available through your Cobb Digital Library)