Introduction to PLAGIARISM

Adapted from Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1999.

PLAGIARISM

The Latin word plagirarius (“kidnapper”)

“the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind and presenting it as one’s own” (Alexander Lindley, Plagiarism and Originality [New York: Harper, 1952] 2)

PLAGIARISM

Example 1: Suppose you want to use the material in the following paragraph which appears on p. 625 of an essay by Wendy Martin in the book Columbia Literary History of the United States,

Some of Dickson’s most powerful Some of Dickson’s most powerful poems express her family held poems express her family held conviction that life cannot be fully conviction that life cannot be fully comprehended without an comprehended without an understanding of death.understanding of death.

PLAGIARISM

PLAGIARISM has been committed if you write the following sentence without any documentation

Emily Dickson strongly believed that Emily Dickson strongly believed that we cannot understand life fully unless we cannot understand life fully unless we also comprehend death. we also comprehend death.

PLAGIARISM

As Wendy Martin suggested, Emily As Wendy Martin suggested, Emily Dickson strongly believed that we Dickson strongly believed that we cannot understand life fully unless we cannot understand life fully unless we also comprehend death. (625)also comprehend death. (625)

PLAGIARISM

In the above example, the source is indicated by the name of the author (mentioned in the sentence) and a page reference (in parentheses).

PLAGIARISM

The name of the author refers to the reader to the corresponding entry in the work-cited list appearing at the end of the paper.

Martin, Wendy. “Emily Dickson.” Martin, Wendy. “Emily Dickson.” Columbia Literary History of the Columbia Literary History of the United States. Emory Elliott, gen. ed. United States. Emory Elliott, gen. ed. New York: Columbia UP, 1988. 609 - New York: Columbia UP, 1988. 609 - 2626

PLAGIARISM

Example 2: (Source) Everyone uses the word language

and everybody these days talks about culture […]. “Languaculture” is a reminder, I hope, of the necessary connection between its two parts […]. (Michael Agar, Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation [New York: Morrow, 1994] 60)

PLAGIARISM

At the intersection of language and At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that we might culture lies a concept that we might call “languaculture.”call “languaculture.”

PLAGIARISM

Reason: a specific term “languaculture” is borrowed without acknowledgement!

Plagiarism could have been avoided by inserting suitable parenthetical documentation; for instance,

At the intersection of language and At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that Michael culture lies a concept that Michael Agar has called “languaculture.” (60)Agar has called “languaculture.” (60)

PLAGIARISM

At the intersection of language and At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that Michael culture lies a concept that Michael Agar has called “languaculture.” (60)Agar has called “languaculture.” (60)

PLAGIARISM

The author’s name (Michael Agar) full description of the work in the work-cited list at the end of the paper

Agar, Michael. Agar, Michael. Language Shock: Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Understanding the Culture of ConversationConversation. New York: Morrow. . New York: Morrow. 1994.1994.

The parenthetical documentation (60) location of the borrowed material in the work

PLAGIARISM Example 3: (Source) Until now the human race has undergone two

great waves of change, each one largely obliterating earlier cultures or civilizations and replacing them with ways of life inconceivable to those who came before. The First Wave of Change – the agricultural revolution – took thousands of years to play itself out. The Second Wave – the rise of industrial civilization – took a mere hundred years. Today history is even more accelerative, and it is likely that the Third Wave will sweep across history and complete itself in a few decades. (Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave [1980; New York: Bantam, 1981] 10)

PLAGIARISM

There have been two revolutionary periods There have been two revolutionary periods of change in history: the agricultural of change in history: the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution. The revolution and the industrial revolution. The agricultural revolution determined the agricultural revolution determined the course of history for thousands of years; course of history for thousands of years; and the industrial civilization lasted about a and the industrial civilization lasted about a century. We are now on the threshold of a century. We are now on the threshold of a new period of revolutionary change, but this new period of revolutionary change, but this one may last for only a few decades.one may last for only a few decades.

PLAGIARISM

Reason: the writer presented another’s idea WITHOUT giving credit!!

PLAGIARISM

According to Alvin TofflerAccording to Alvin Toffler, There have been , There have been two revolutionary periods of change in two revolutionary periods of change in history: the agricultural revolution and the history: the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution. The agricultural industrial revolution. The agricultural revolution determined the course of history revolution determined the course of history for thousands of years; and the industrial for thousands of years; and the industrial civilization lasted about a century. We are civilization lasted about a century. We are now on the threshold of a new period of now on the threshold of a new period of revolutionary change, but this one may last revolutionary change, but this one may last for only a few decades. for only a few decades. (10)(10)

PLAGIARISM

The author’s name (Alvin Toffler) full description of the work in the work-cited list at the end of the paper

Toffler, Alvin. Toffler, Alvin. The Third WaveThe Third Wave. 1980 . 1980 New York: Bantam, 1981.New York: Bantam, 1981.

The parenthetical documentation (10) location of the borrowed material in the work

PLAGIARISM

More details about copyright and other legal issues related to publishing can be found in Chapter 2 of the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (New York: MLA, 1998).

PLAGIARISM

Online references and exercises: http://ec.hku.hk/plagiarism/ (written by HKU

lecturer, contains good explanations of how to reference)

www.indiana.edu.hk/~istd/practice3.html (including 10 pages of exercises)

http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/interactive-plagiarismtest.html (contains one exercise on recognizing plagiarism)

References

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1999. 30 - 34.