Plagiarism

What is it? How do I avoid it?

Ms. Hunnewell

What is Plagiarism?
Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense. From: http://plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.h tml
This website might prove helpful to you so write down the link!

The Dictionary Definition

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward. http://plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html

What sort of things are considered Plagiarism?

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

turning in someone else's work as your own

copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit failing to put a quotation in quotation marks giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation 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 (see our section on "fair use" rules)

FROM:
http://plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html

Some other examples

If a teacher asks you to use a vocabulary word in your own sentence and you find a sentence online and turn it in as homework, you are presenting someone elses work as your own and plagiarizing.

Doing homework together

Be careful when you do homework with a friend. What you hand in must represent only your own efforts unless the teacher has assigned a collaborative project.

How do I avoid plagiarism?

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. See our section on citation for more information on how to cite sources properly.
We have very helpful staff and resources in the library to help you with citation. Your teachers can also help. http://plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.h tml

Reading and Note-Taking Ideas

In your notes, always mark someone else's words with a big Q, for quote, or use big quotation marks
Indicate in your notes which ideas are taken from sources with a big S, and which are your own insights (ME) When information comes from sources, record relevant documentation in your notes (book and article titles; URLs on the Web) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/03/

Responsible note taking strategies

Read a passage and jot down ideas from memory
Take abbreviated notes do not write down exactly what is said in the source Pull out key ideas and put them into new words of your own Remember to label direct quotes or paraphrases to give credit later http://www.studygs.net/marking.htm

The above link takes you to a source with additional note taking strategies.

Using Quotations
Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.
A rose by any other name. I wrote that! Give me credit!

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resour ce/563/1/

Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
FROM: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

If, after you paraphrase, you put the idea entirely into your own words, it is not necessary to cite the source.

Paraphrasing examples
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase.ht ml

The link above takes you to The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin where you will find examples of good and poor paraphrasing.

Summarizing
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.
FROM: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

Again, if take your own text from the summary and put it entirely into your own words, you do not need to cite.

The Consequences
The consequences for plagiarizing are severe. Many colleges consider expulsion for even a first offense. You should review the consequences at FSHA by checking your student handbook. I allow for multiple submissions to turnitin.com so that you can review your authenticity reports. Each new submission overwrites the previous.

REMEMBER: No one wants this to happen. Your teachers and the library staff are all available to help you make the correct choices. Any questions? Ask us!