BBL 3403

RESEARCH METHODS IN LITERATURE

DR. IDA BAIZURA BAHARSLIDE B

Citing Sources and

Avoiding Plagiarism

Citing Sources

Why do you need to cite?

• Give credit for the work you have built on in your arguments

• Get credit for the work you have done yourself

*cite – make reference to

Citing Sources

You must cite your source:

• When you quote from someone’s work• When you paraphrase someone’s work• When you use or refer to published data• When you follow someone’s research method• When you use any idea from someone’s work

(Turabian, 2007)

Citing SourcesYou don’t need to cite:

• General reference resources, such as a dictionary or encyclopaedia

• Common knowledge or facts (this does not mean you can copy

from texts word-for-word).• Your own arguments and original ideas (but you must ask for permission to

use part/all of previously submitted material)

Citing SourcesA reference consists of:

• In-text citation (parenthetical citation) +• Full entry in the list of works cited.

You must give both parts of the reference to avoid the charge of plagiarism!

Citing SourcesEcocriticism has been glossed as “the study of the relationship

between literature and the physical environment” and has been

hailed as a recent branch of literary studies that takes “an earth-

centered approach to the study of texts” (Garrard 1).

………….

Works Cited

Garrard, Greg. Ecocriticism. London: Routledge, 2004. Print.

In-text citation and its corresponding entry in the list of works cited

Citing SourcesAcademic research papers may be written in

different formats depending on the type of paper being written.

Commonly used styles are: • MLA (Modern Language Association)

- used in literature, arts and the humanities

• APA (American Psychological Association) - used in social sciences, such as psychology and education

• Chicago – commonly used by individuals in the humanities

Citing Sources* MLA 7th Edition Format

Citing SourcesWorks Cited =  the title of your list of

citations when using the MLA format.

References =  the title of your list of citations when using the APA format .

* Works Cited, References = only list items you have actually cited in your paper

Bibliography = list all of the material you have consulted in preparing your essay, whether or not you have actually cited the work

Citing SourcesMLA regulates:

• Document Format

• In-text citations

• Works Cited

MLA: Document Format

Double-space everythingUse 12 pt. Times New Roman font (or similar font) Leave only one space after punctuationSet all margins to 1 inch on all sidesIndent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch

MLA: In-text Citations1. The source is introduced by a signal

phrase that names its author. Wordsworth states that Romantic poetry was

marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263).

2. The material being cited is followed by a page number in parentheses.

Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).

MLA: In-text Citations

More examples:

Human beings have been described by Kenneth

Burke as “symbol-using animals” (3).

Human beings have been described as “symbol-

using animals” (Burke 3).

MLA: In-text Citations

Smith, Yang, and Moore argue that tougher gun

control is not needed in the United States (76).

The authors state “Tighter gun control in the

United States erodes Second Amendment

rights” (Smith, Yang, and Moore 76).

MLA: In-text Citations

When you want to cite, quote, summarize or paraphrase.

MLA: In-text CitationsA Quotation:• Identical to the original—word for word.• The most specific of the three techniques, but

should be used the least.• Should never stand by itself as a complete

sentence (known as a “floating quote”). e.g. “Romantic poetry is characterized by the spontaneous

overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263). X• Requires a parenthetical citation—otherwise, it’s

plagiarism.

MLA: In-text CitationsShort quotation:According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express

“profound aspects of personality” (184).Long quotation:Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes

him throughout her narration: They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or

even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house (Bronte 78).

MLA: In-text CitationsA Summary:• A general restatement of the main idea of

a passage.• The most general of the three techniques.• Requires that you clearly understand the

original passage so you do not distort its meaning.

• Uses your own original wording and sentence structure—otherwise, it’s plagiarism.

• Is much shorter in length than the original.• Requires a parenthetical citation—

otherwise, it’s plagiarism.

MLA: In-text Citations Original passage:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.

Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 14th ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. Print.

A summary: Students should take just a few notes in direct

quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 48).

MLA: In-text CitationsA Paraphrase:A precise restatement of a short passage—

usually no more than a sentence or two. More specific than summary, but more general

than a quotation.Requires that you clearly understand the

original passage so you do not distort its meaning.

Uses your own original wording and sentence structure—otherwise, it’s plagiarism.

Is usually very close to the same length as the original passage.

Requires a parenthetical citation—otherwise, it’s plagiarism.

MLA: In-text CitationsOriginal passage: Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking

notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.

Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 14th ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. Print.

A paraphrase:In research papers students often quote excessively,

failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester 48).

MLA: Works CitedBasic format:

Book

Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of

Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Medium of Publication.

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967. Print.

MLA: Works CitedArticle in Scholarly JournalAuthor(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume.

Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication.

Duvall, John N. “The (Super)Marketplace of Images:

Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's

White Noise.” Arizona Quarterly 50.3 (1994): 127-

53. Print.

MLA: Works CitedWeb SourceEditor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Article

Name.” Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), Date of last update. Medium of publication. Date of access.

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.

Plagiarism

Three different acts considered as plagiarism:

1. Failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas

2. Failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks

3. Failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words

(Hacker, 2009)

Avoiding Plagiarism

• Give credit where it is due/Cite your sources

• Learn to quote and paraphrase your sources properly

• Map out your argument and then bring in sources to support it

Test yourself!Which is the plagiarized version? Original Source Material: Theories differ from philosophies

and models of teaching. A philosophy is a value system, whereas a theory seeks to explain real-world events and can be certified through scientific investigation. 

Source: Gredler, Michael. Learning and instruction: Theory into practice . 4th ed.. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2001. Print. Theories and philosophies are different from each other because theories seek to explain real-world events and can be certified through scientific investigation.

Theories and philosophies are different from each other because, according to  Gredler, theories seek “to explain real-world events and can be certified through scientific investigation” (23).

.

A B

Test yourself!Is there plagiarism here? Original Source Material:  Good writing has an aliveness

that keeps the reader reading from one paragraph to the next, and it's not a question of gimmicks to "personalize” the author. It’s a question of using the English language in a way that will achieve the greatest strength and the least clutter.

Source:  Zinsser, William. On Writing Well. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. Print.

An important quality of good writing is "aliveness" (Zinsser 6). To achieve aliveness, a writer must avoid gimmicks and instead use the English language to achieve great strength and a minimal amount of clutter. 

.

Test yourself!Is there plagiarism here? Original Source Material:  I first went down the Colorado

River in the Grand Canyon in May of 1976, just after writing a book on the Green River, during which time I had studiously avoided running the Colorado River because I didn't want to lose focus, didn't want to be over-whelmed by this massive canyon, this overpowering river. When that book was over- and published, I wanted to complete my time of river running with the ultimate: the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, sure that I would write no more river books, do no more river trips, and this rowing trip would be the grand finale (so to speak).

Source:  Zwinger, Ann H. The Grand Canyon: Intimate Views. Harvard: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.

Though writer Ann Zwinger devoted much of her adult life to studying and writing about rivers, she carefully avoided the Colorado River for many years. Zwinger didn't want to be overcome by this magnificent river. Instead, she wanted to save the Colorado River until the end of her career as a river runner, believing that it "would be the grand finale“ (ix).

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