WHAT IS IT?WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?HOW CAN I AVOID IT?

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?

Plagiarism

Definition

In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original material without acknowledging its source. Published texts

Print Online Manuscripts

Other students

Does intention matter??

Intentional: Submitting someone else’s text as your own Attempting to blur the line between one’s own ideas

or words and those borrowed from another source

Unintentional: Carelessly or inadequately citing ideas and words

borrowed from another source

Causes of Plagiarism

FEAR! Fear of failure Fear of taking risks

Poor time management skills “I didn’t realize this paper would take this long! I

knew I had three weeks to write it, but I thought it’d be okay to start it today even though it’s due tomorrow. Now it’s not! I guess I have to plagiarize… Was that Jonas Brothers concert last weekend really worth this?”

Causes of Plagiarism (cont.)

Student views the course, assignment, conventions of academic documentation, or consequences as UNIMPORTANT “Ehh, I know it’s ‘wrong,’ but who cares?!”

Lack of knowledge Student does not know how to properly integrate

another’s ideas and document sources of those ideas in their own text.

Student does not know how to take careful and fully documented notes during research.

Types of Plagiarism

Turning in someone else's work as your own “Thanks, Sara!”

Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit “Thanks, Martin Luther King, Jr.!”

Failing to put a quotation in quotation marksGiving incorrect information about the source

of a quotation “The Declaration of Independence was written by

Benjamin Franklin, right?”

Types of Plagiarism

Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit Literary Mad Libs!

Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not Tip: Provide twice as much analysis for a quotation as

the length of the quotation. Ex. If your quotation is 2 sentences long, provide at least

4 sentences of analysis for it.

What do I need to know?

Do I have to cite sources for every fact I use? Unique individual research vs. common knowledge

facts Ex. The Droeshout Portrait of William Shakespeare was

created by Martin Droeshout, an English engraver. It is on the cover of the First Folio and is one of the only images Shakespeare himself approved as genuine.

Ex. William Shakespeare was a playwright during the Elizabethan era.

Does it matter how much was copied? Is it illegal to only steal one car?

What do I need to know? (cont.)

If I change the words, do I still have to cite the source? Quoting vs. paraphrasing – Both need citations!!

If I write something somebody else already wrote, but I didn't know they wrote it, is that still plagiarism? How close to the original is it? Were you at all

influenced by another text?

Consequences of Plagiarism

Colleges and universities Zero Tolerance Policy

Failure for assignment Failure for the course Expulsion from the school

Legal punishments If involving money, prizes, or job placement

Fines between $100 and $50,000 Up to one year in jail

WHRHS Consequences of Plagiarism

First Reported occurrence: The teacher will determine and document the cheating incident. The teacher will assign a grade of zero to the student’s work. The teacher will provide copies of the documentation to the department supervisor, to the guidance counselor, and to administration. The parent/guardian will be contacted to schedule a formal conference so that the student may be heard with the teacher, department supervisor, counselor, and parent/guardian present. After this conference, additional appropriate action may be warranted.

WHRHS Consequences (cont.)

Additional Reported Occurrences: The teacher will determine and document the cheating incident and assign a grade of zero. The teacher will provide copies of the documentation to the department supervisor, to the guidance counselor, and to administration. The guidance counselor will contact the parent for a formal conference. The administration will determine the appropriate course of action.

Sources

Council of Writing Program Administrators http://www.wpacouncil.org/node/9

Shakespeare Online http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq

Plagiarism dot org http://www.plagiarism.org/index.html

WHRHS Student Handbook