Plagiarism 1

Plagiarismfor Research Papers

Michael D. MartinSt. Louis Community College

STLCC-FV (2009)

Plagiarism 2

What Is Plagiarism?

plagiarize [from the Latin plagiarius, kidnapper]

“To use or pass off (the ideas or writing of another) as one’s own” (American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th ed. 2002).

STLCC-FV (2009)

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Consequences of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. Consequences can be severe, ranging from failure on an assignment to expulsion from the institution.

STLCC-FV (2009)

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Types of Plagiarism

Submitting another’s paper as one’s own, such as one bought over the Internet

Submitting one’s own paper from another course without the instructor’s knowledge

Copying and pasting text from the Web without using quotation marks or documenting the source

Quoting another’s words without using quotation marks and documenting the source

Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s opinions or statistics without documenting the source

STLCC-FV (2009)

Plagiarism 5

Some Definitions

Quotation: Writing another’s words verbatim (another’s words must be enclosed in quotation marks)

Paraphrase: Rewriting another’s words in one’s own words, usually about the same length and often imitating the other’s line of reasoning

Summary: Rewriting another’s words in one’s own words, but in a much shorter version

STLCC-FV (2009)

Plagiarism 6

When Documentation Is Not Needed

FactsCommon knowledge

Example: Information in an unsigned encyclopedia article is usually common knowledge.

STLCC-FV (2009)

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When Documentation Is Needed

OpinionsStatisticsWords or phrases coined by an anotherWords of another used to express facts

and common knowledgeWhen one is not sure whether

documentation is needed

STLCC-FV (2009)

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Common Documentation Styles

MLA (Modern Language Association): An author/page system used in liberal arts, especially in subjects related to language

APA (American Psychological Association): An author/year system used in the social sciences, such as psychology

Chicago (U of Chicago): A footnote or endnote system used in the humanities, especially in history and art

CSE (Council of Science Editors): An author/year system, similar to APA, used in the sciences

STLCC-FV (2009)