PlagiarismPlagiarism

What It Is and How to Avoid ItWhat It Is and How to Avoid It

Plagiarism isPlagiarism is

““the presentation of someone else’s the presentation of someone else’s ideas or words as your own” (Fowler, ideas or words as your own” (Fowler, Aaron, and Okoomian 630).Aaron, and Okoomian 630).

To avoid plagiarizing, you To avoid plagiarizing, you mustmust

Give credit to the original writer, speaker, Give credit to the original writer, speaker, or thinker both in the text of your essay or thinker both in the text of your essay and on your works cited page.and on your works cited page.

Here’s an example of how Here’s an example of how to give credit within the to give credit within the text of your essay:text of your essay:

Literary critic Theodore Ziolkowski writes Literary critic Theodore Ziolkowski writes that societies attracted by the Prometheus that societies attracted by the Prometheus myth “see themselves as engaged in a myth “see themselves as engaged in a heroic struggle against social and political heroic struggle against social and political oppression, whether against feudal lords, oppression, whether against feudal lords, East German despots, or modern East German despots, or modern capitalists” (190).capitalists” (190). Parenthetical

citation

Identify your source.

And here’s how we give And here’s how we give credit at the end of our credit at the end of our work.work.

Works CitedWorks Cited

Ziolkowski, Theodore. Ziolkowski, Theodore. The Sin of The Sin of Knowledge: Ancient Themes and Knowledge: Ancient Themes and Modern VariationsModern Variations. Princeton: Princeton . Princeton: Princeton UP, 2000. Print. UP, 2000. Print.

The full bibliographical

citation enables readers to find your source.

They work together . . . They work together . . .

Literary critic Theodore Literary critic Theodore Ziolkowski writes that Ziolkowski writes that societies attracted by the societies attracted by the Prometheus myth “see Prometheus myth “see themselves as engaged themselves as engaged in a heroic struggle in a heroic struggle against social and against social and political oppression, political oppression, whether against feudal whether against feudal lords, East German lords, East German despots, or modern despots, or modern capitalists” (190). capitalists” (190).

Ziolkowski, Theodore. Ziolkowski, Theodore. The The Sin of Knowledge: Sin of Knowledge: Ancient Themes and Ancient Themes and Modern VariationsModern Variations. . Princeton: Princeton Princeton: Princeton UP, 2000. Print. UP, 2000. Print.

The in-text reference must

match the works

bibliographical reference.

You need both!You need both!

The in-text citation and the works cited The in-text citation and the works cited page at the end of your paper work page at the end of your paper work together to provide all the information a together to provide all the information a reader would need to find that specific reader would need to find that specific idea or quote in its original source.idea or quote in its original source.

All you have to do is give All you have to do is give credit . . . credit . . .

And you may use the ideas and words of And you may use the ideas and words of other people to prove, support, advance, other people to prove, support, advance, explain, and embellish your own ideas.explain, and embellish your own ideas.

This simple process of This simple process of citing sources . . . citing sources . . .

Enables scholars to share ideas and Enables scholars to share ideas and build on each other’s ideas to advance build on each other’s ideas to advance knowledge. knowledge.

Opens learning up to everyone. You Opens learning up to everyone. You don’t have to pay a copyright fee every don’t have to pay a copyright fee every time you use someone else’s words and time you use someone else’s words and ideas. ideas.

The general rule:The general rule:

Cite your source whenever you use Cite your source whenever you use another person’s words or ideas.another person’s words or ideas.

Here are some specific Here are some specific examples of things you examples of things you must cite:must cite:

Exact words and sentence structure from a source  Exact words and sentence structure from a source  A paraphrase or a summaryA paraphrase or a summary An idea you gained from research but put completely in An idea you gained from research but put completely in

your own wordsyour own words Words and ideas from your textbookWords and ideas from your textbook A phrase from an article the whole class is writing A phrase from an article the whole class is writing

about   about   Statistics from a research study   Statistics from a research study   Statistics or information from a government website  Statistics or information from a government website   A picture or chart from the internetA picture or chart from the internet A quote from an internet source that does not identify A quote from an internet source that does not identify

an authoran author

These mistakes in citing These mistakes in citing sources are considered sources are considered plagiarism:plagiarism:

Buying a paper from an Internet site and turning it in as your own work.   Buying a paper from an Internet site and turning it in as your own work.   Turning in a paper that someone else has written.   Turning in a paper that someone else has written.   Copying a paragraph from an internet site.   Copying a paragraph from an internet site.   Using an idea and/or words you got from a speech or television program without Using an idea and/or words you got from a speech or television program without

citing the source in the text of your paper or including that source on your works citing the source in the text of your paper or including that source on your works cited page.   cited page.  

Combining ideas from a few websites into your own sentences/paragraphs without Combining ideas from a few websites into your own sentences/paragraphs without giving proper, documented credit to the real sources.   giving proper, documented credit to the real sources.  

Copying the abstract to an article obtained on NC Live into your annotated Copying the abstract to an article obtained on NC Live into your annotated bibliography.   bibliography.  

Using statistics from a government website without citing the source.   Using statistics from a government website without citing the source.   Using ideas from a website without citing the source.  Using ideas from a website without citing the source.   Putting a quote into your own words by changing every third word and then citing Putting a quote into your own words by changing every third word and then citing

the source. the source. Using a quote in your essay without quotation marks around it, even if you cite it in Using a quote in your essay without quotation marks around it, even if you cite it in

parentheses and/or include the source on the works cited page. parentheses and/or include the source on the works cited page. Using translation software to translate a passage in a foreign language course.Using translation software to translate a passage in a foreign language course.

How to avoid plagiarizingHow to avoid plagiarizing

Stay away from websites that sell papers.   Stay away from websites that sell papers.   Document sources found on the World Wide Document sources found on the World Wide

Web as carefully as you would print sources.   Web as carefully as you would print sources.   Change the color or font of passages you add Change the color or font of passages you add

electronically to your essay so that you electronically to your essay so that you remember to cite them.   remember to cite them.  

Ask your instructor or someone who is an Ask your instructor or someone who is an expert in the field for help if you are uncertain expert in the field for help if you are uncertain about whether an idea is common knowledge about whether an idea is common knowledge or not. or not.

Durham Tech’s Academic Durham Tech’s Academic Honesty PolicyHonesty Policy

Durham Technical Community College demands complete academic integrity Durham Technical Community College demands complete academic integrity from each student. Academic dishonesty is the participation or collaboration in from each student. Academic dishonesty is the participation or collaboration in specific prohibited forms of conduct. Participation or collaboration may be active specific prohibited forms of conduct. Participation or collaboration may be active (such as submitting a term paper which includes plagiarized work) or passive (such as submitting a term paper which includes plagiarized work) or passive (such as receiving a copy of a test before class).(such as receiving a copy of a test before class).

Academic dishonesty includes the following:Academic dishonesty includes the following:

Registering for a course not approved by a student advisor; Registering for a course not approved by a student advisor; Unauthorized copying, collaboration, or use of notes, books, or other materials Unauthorized copying, collaboration, or use of notes, books, or other materials

on examinations or other academic exercises; on examinations or other academic exercises; Plagiarism, which is defined as the intentional representation of another Plagiarism, which is defined as the intentional representation of another

person’s work, words, thoughts, or ideas, including material from the internet, as person’s work, words, thoughts, or ideas, including material from the internet, as one’s own; one’s own;

Unauthorized possession of any academic material, such as tests, research Unauthorized possession of any academic material, such as tests, research papers, assignments, or similar materials; or papers, assignments, or similar materials; or

Furnishing false information with the intent to deceive members of the college Furnishing false information with the intent to deceive members of the college faculty or administration who are acting in the exercise of their official duties. faculty or administration who are acting in the exercise of their official duties.

Consequences of Violation Consequences of Violation of the Academic Honesty of the Academic Honesty PolicyPolicy

1.1. For a first offense, the student will receive a For a first offense, the student will receive a zero on the plagiarized assignment. zero on the plagiarized assignment.

2.2. For a second offense, the will receive an F in For a second offense, the will receive an F in the class and will be expelled from the class. the class and will be expelled from the class.

3.3. For a third offense, the student will receive a For a third offense, the student will receive a grade of F and be expelled from that class. grade of F and be expelled from that class. With a written recommendation from the chief With a written recommendation from the chief instructional officer, the president of the instructional officer, the president of the college may suspend the student for a college may suspend the student for a minimum of one year. This suspension will be minimum of one year. This suspension will be documented on the student’s transcript. documented on the student’s transcript.

Works CitedWorks Cited

Fowler, H. Ramsey, Jane E. Aaron, and Fowler, H. Ramsey, Jane E. Aaron, and Janice Okoomian. Janice Okoomian. The Little Brown The Little Brown HandbookHandbook. 10. 10thth ed. New York: ed. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2007. Print.Pearson-Longman, 2007. Print.