Make It Your Own

Make It Your Own

Avoiding Plagiarism

Dictionary Definition

According to The American Heritage Desk Dictionary, 4th ed., 2003, 643:

“Pla•gia•rize v. –rized, riz•ing. To use and pass off as one’s own (the ideas or writings of another.) [<Lat. plagiarius, kidnapper.] –pla´•gia•rism,

pla´•gia•ry n.-- pla´•gia•rist, pla•gia•riz´er n.

How To Avoid Plagiarism

• Learn exactly what plagiarism is.• Practice taking notes so that you never

mistakenly use another author’s words or ideas as your own.

• For every idea taken from another writer make a citation giving credit.

• Never use anything found on the web without the specific permission of your teacher.

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism

• Definition 1: “You took notes that did not distinguish summary and paraphrase from quotation and then you presented wording from the notes as if it were all your own.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Definition 2: “While browsing the web, you copied text and pasted it into your paper without quotation marks or without citing the source.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Definition 3: “You presented facts without saying where you found them.” MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Definition 4:

• “You repeated or paraphrased someone’s wording without acknowledgment.”MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Definition 5: “You took someone’s

unique or particularly apt phrase without acknowledgment.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Definition 6: “You paraphrased someone’s argument or presented someone’s line of thought without acknowledgment.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Definition 7: “You bought or otherwise acquired a research paper and handed in part or all of it as your own.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)

Avoiding Plagiarism

Tips Directly from MLA Handbook

MLA Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

• Tip 1: Make a “list of the writers and viewpoints you discovered in your research and us[e] this list to double-check the presentation of material in your paper.”

(MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• Tip 2: Keep “the following three categories distinct in your notes: your ideas, your summaries of other’s material, and exact wording you copy.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• “Identify… the sources of all material you borrow—exact wording, paraphrases, ideas, arguments, and facts.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)


• “Check... with your instructor when you are uncertain about your use of sources.” (MLA Handbook, 6th ed. 75)

Documents

Make It Your Own