Understanding Plagiarism and Copyright

What IS Plagiarism? Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s work as if it were your own. Words, images, ideas Published or unpublished Online or print Using another’s ideas without giving credit, whether you mean to (deliberately) or not (accidentally).

Examples of Plagiarism Copying and pasting information from online references into your work Submitting an assignment written in whole or in part by someone else Using another’s key words and phrases without giving credit Following the overall organization and content of another document Too close paraphrasing of a passage Not putting quote marks around quotations Giving incorrect information about a source

What Does Copyright Mean? Intellectual property is protected by copyright laws. These laws make it illegal to copy someone else’s expression of ideas (including words, music, images, video, etc.) or information without permission. Since 1989, works are now copyright protected with or without the inclusion of the © symbol.

Copyright Infringement Reproducing copyrighted material is against the law and you can be prosecuted in court. It does not matter if you alter the form or content of the original, as long as it can be shown to be substantially similar to the original.

Copyright vs. Plagiarism Copyright is a matter of permission to reproduce the material. Students mainly deal with copyright issues with clip art, photos, graphics, and music used in research projects. Citing the source of your photo does not give you permission to use the photo. Using images from our databases includes copyright permission.

Common Misunderstandings Even if you put an author’s information in your own words, it is still not your idea, and so you must give credit to the original author. Just because you didn’t mean to plagiarize, it doesn’t make it okay. It is not necessary to credit information that is common knowledge or mentioned in several sources.

What IS Common Knowledge? Facts that you find in numerous general reference sources (dictionaries, general encyclopedias) and generally known to the public. Facts considered common knowledge within that field of study will appear without documentation in several sources. When in doubt, cite your source! If you didn’t know the fact before your began your research, it is probably best to cite it.

How Can I Avoid Plagiarism? Take detailed notes in your own words. Cite your source on each note card. Ask questions! Have a teacher or librarian compare your words with your source’s. When in doubt, cite your source. Include a complete Works Cited page or form with your research paper or project. (Keeping Track of Sources Forms)

Why do we to cite our sources? To give credit to the original author for his time, money, effort spent in creating the information. It helps show your work has a factual basis. It helps others locate your sources.

Where can I get help with Citations? The UMS Media Center web page has links to 6 citation creator websites. BibMe BibMe AutoFills citations for you from urls, ISBNs and more! Son of Citation Machine From The Landmark Project, the original creators of Citation Machine. RapidCite From RapidCite.com, another popular citation creator where you can create all your citations at once and export the whole page. EasyBib Yet another free bibliography composer that is quick and easy to use. KnightCite a citation creator from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan OPEN Citation Maker from the Oregon Public Education Network You provide the correct information about your source, they format it correctly for you! Further help ONLINE! Citations Styles Index   

Consequences for Plagiarism Whether you mean to plagiarize or not, the consequences can be severe. Ignorance is never an excuse! It is considered the highest form of academic dishonesty and discredits your reputation. It is unethical fraud—involving stealing, then lying about it. Usually results in a zero for the assignment or class. Can result in suspension and expulsion. In the work place, it can result in lawsuits, fines, and loss of employment.

What Happens Here? FCPS Regulations state: “…the deliberate unauthorized use of another person’s work or talent (e.g., cheating, plagiarism) is considered a serious breach of appropriate behavior. Any grades or credit earned as a result of such action will be disallowed. In addition, any incident of such behavior will be subject to the guidelines of the disciplinary regulation…”

Bibliography Noah, Eric. "Copyright Law & Plagiarism." Learning Materials & Technology Center. 11/19/07. Waunakee Community Middle School. 28 Jan 2008 <http://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/midlschl/msb/copyright.htm>. "Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid It." Writing Tutorial Services. 27 April 2004. Indiana University Writing Tutorial Services. 28 Jan 2008 <http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml#original>. Stolley, Karl. "Is It Plagiarism Yet?." The OWLat Purdue. 09/18/2007. Purdue OWL. 28 Jan 2008 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/>. "What is Plagiarism?." Kids Health. 2008. Kids Health.org. 23 Jan 2008 <http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/plagiarism.html>. "What Is Plagiarism?." Welcome to the Learning Center. 2007. Plagiarism.org. 28 Jan 2008 <http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html>.