Plagiarism and Citing Sources

What is plagiarism?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary it is

to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source

Possible Consequences of Plagiarism

• Redoing a paper.• Failing grade on a paper.• Failing grade in a class.• Expulsion from a school.• Destroyed student reputation.• Firing from a job.• Legal consequences.

Avoiding Plagiarism

• Plan for your paper or project.o Waiting until the last minute can lead to plagiarism.

• Write down your sources as you collect information.o This will prevent having to go find them again.

• Limit direct quotations to less than 25% of your paper.o Use direct quotes for statistics or if author’s words

support your position.

• Cite your sources

Paraphrase and Summarize

You must still cite your source if you

Paraphrase:• Put someone else’s ideas into your own

words.Summarize:

• Condense someone else’s words or ideas

MLA: Modern Language Association Citation Style

Two things make up MLA citation1. In-text Citations2. Works Cited Page

• You must use both to avoid plagiarism.

In-Text Citations (Parenthetical Citations)

• In-text citations are within the text.• They must be in the paragraph where the

material is being used.• It must include enough information to find

the source on the works cited page and the material in the original source.

Two Types of In-Text Citations

• Author named within the quote:At one point, Cofer writes, “Growing up in a large urban center…I suffered from what I think of as cultural schizophrenia”(175).

• Author not named within the quote:“On the other side, many Americans expressed surprise at the frequency with which French people spoke about money” (Carroll 313).

Note there is not a p for page or a comma after the name.

Other In-text forms

• Two Authors (Johnson and Smith 221)• Three of More Authors (York et al. 75)• A work with no page numbers (Miller)

Works Cited Page

Sample research paper: MLA Style. (2011). Research and Documentation Online. Retrieved August 16, 2012, from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch08_s1-0014.html

Works Cited Page

• It is a listing of all sources used.• Works Cited page is the last page of the

report.• The sources are listed in alphabetical

order by the first word of name of the entry. This should match what you used for in-text citations.

Works Cited PageMost Common Formats

• A book with one authorLast, First. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year. Media.

Example:Mumford, Lewis. The Culture of Cities. New York: Harcourt, 1938. Print.

Works Cited PageMost Common Formats

• A book with Two AuthorsLast, First, First Last. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year. Media.

Example:Francis, R. Douglas, Richard Jones, and Donald B. Smith. Destinies: Canadian History since Confederation. Toronto: Harcourt, 2000. Print.

Works Cited PageMost Common Formats

• A book with an EditorLast, First, ed. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year. Media.

Example:Bloom, Harold, ed. Shakespeare’s Baudy. Stratford-upon-Avon: Globe Press, 1996. Print.

Works Cited PageMost Common Formats

• An Article from a newspaper Last, First. “ArticleTitle.” Newspaper, Date, Edition. Media.

Example:Semenak, Susan. "Feeling Right at Home: Government Residence Eschews Traditional Rules." Montreal Gazette 28 Dec. 1995, Final Ed.: A4. Print.

A magazine listing would include the page numbers after the date. 38-40. No Edition

Works Cited PageMost Common Formats

• An Internet SiteLast, First, “Article Title.” Website Title. Sponsoring organization. Date of publication. Web. Date of access.Example:Shiva, Vandana. “Bioethics: A Third World Issue.” NativeWeb. NativeWeb, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2006.

You Quote It, You Note It!

• http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/

Resources

• Go to the library page and click on Plagiarism and Citing Sources link.

• There are many resources there to help you.