How to Avoid Plagiarism

Aurora Tsai

What is Plagiarism?

A simple definition:

• presenting someone else’s words or ideas as if they were your own.

What are some examples of Plagiarism?

Is it plagiarism to hire someone to write your paper for you?

Is it plagiarism to copy someone’s words from a website while giving credit to the source?

Is it plagiarism to write your opinion about someone else’s comments?

Is it plagiarism to summarize someone else’s ideas from a written or spoken source?

Is it plagiarism to do these things by mistake? All avoidable by citing the author!!

O

X

X

O

O

Consequences of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a violation of the Student Conduct Code that may result in suspension or expulsion from the University.(Source: 2003-2004 University of Hawaii

Catalog)

These days, it’s very easy for instructors to use the Internet to catch plagiarists.

Generally, you need to give credit when you . . .

• use or refer to somebody else’s words or ideas from a book, magazine, newspaper, web page, computer program, letter, or any other media

• use information gained through interviewing another person

• copy the exact words or a ‘unique phrase’ from somewhere

• reprint any diagrams, illustrations, charts, and pictures

• use ideas that others have given you in conversations or emails

How to Present Information in WritingStep One:

Use an “in text” citation

How to Present Information in Writing

• Quotes1. According to Jones (1998), "Students often

had difficulty avoiding plagiarism, especially when it was their first time learning about citations" (p. 199).

• Paraphrasing and Summaries:1. According to Jones (1998), avoiding

plagiarism is a difficult concept for first-time learners (p. 199).

2. Avoiding plagiarism can be difficult for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

Try using “in text” Citations

Paragraph Topic:

TS: We need to drive more fuel efficient cars in order to protect our environment.SS1: First of all, car exhaust leads to global warming, which has caused global temperatures to rise drastically. This SS1 is a Fact that Needs Proof, so let’s

add a specific supporting detail (SSD)

2009: SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD

Except for a leveling off between the 1940s and 1970s, Earth's surface temperatures have increased since 1880. The last decade has brought the temperatures to the highest levels ever recorded. The graph shows global annual surface temperatures relative to 1951-1980 mean temperatures. Source: NASA, 2009 Annual Report

SS1: Car exhaust leads to global warming, which has caused global temperatures to rise drastically.Except for a leveling off between the 1940s and 1970s, Earth's surface temperatures have increased since 1880. The last decade has brought the temperatures to the highest levels ever recorded. The graph shows global annual surface temperatures relative to 1951-1980 mean temperatures.

QuotationAccording to NASA, “The last decade has brought the temperatures to the highest levels ever recorded” (NASA, 2009 Annual Report).

ParaphraseThe 2009 Annual Report by NASA (2009) reveals that the last decade has had the highest temperatures ever recorded.

Topic 2

TS: The cost of college education is becoming a societal problem in America.SS1: Tuition prices are rising faster than family income levels. Fact that Needs Proof or Opinion?

The rising cost of tuition threatens to put college education out of reach for most Americans.

Over all, college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while family income only rose 147 percent. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade, and students from lower-income families, on average, get smaller scholarships from the colleges they attend than students from more wealthy families.

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College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S.

Source: The New York Times

Quotation

Paraphrase or Summary

SS1: Tuition prices are rising faster than family income levels.

Quotation

An article by The New York Times reveals that, “over all, college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while family income only rose 147 percent. ” (“College May Become Unaffordable”).

ParaphraseAn article about increasing tuition costs in The New York Times discusses how students are borrowing twice as much money to pay for college. However, even this may not be enough since tuition has risen over 400% in the last 30 years. (“College May Become Unaffordable”).

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if it's a longer work (U of Purdue Website).

How to Present Information in WritingStep Two:

Write the name of the source (book, article, etc.) in your “Works Cited” list at the end of your paper.

Works Cited"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow. Demand Media, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009. <http://www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html>.

Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009. <http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writeliving/>.

How do we know how to write/format this list?

How to Cite sources: Format

• Resource: Purdue University Online Writing Lab:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/(write this URL down!!)

• Different disciplines require different citation styles– MLA (Modern Language Association), APA

(American Psychological Association)– You can use either for this class, but all

examples are MLA format

Try it: Write up a Works Cited Entry for your

articleA Page on a Web Site“Name of Article.” Name of Website. Organization Name, Date of last update (if available). Date you accessed the site: website address. An Article in a Web MagazineAuthor Last name, first name. “Article Name.” Website Name. Organization Name, Date of last website update (if available). Date you accessed the site: website address.