What is it and Why should you care? Plagiarism, Lesson 1 What is it and Why should you care?

Instructions: As we go through the lecture on what plagiarism is, answer the questions on your packet.

Definition Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, ideas, images, sounds, or creative expression of others as your own.

You have plagiarized if . . . you have used the words and/or ideas of others, and you didn’t give them credit. you have had help you wouldn’t want your teacher to know about.

Two Types of Plagiarism Intentional Unintentional Copying a friend’s work Buying or borrowing papers Copying blocks of text from electronic sources without documenting Careless paraphrasing Poor documentation Quoting excessively

Why you shouldn’t plagiarize When you plagiarize, you cheat yourself. You limit your own learning. Education is not an “us vs. them” game! It’s about learning to learn! Plagiarism is unethical behavior. Plagiarism is LYING! People who have worked so hard to create something deserve credit for their work. The consequences are not worth the risks! What if . . . Your architect cheated his way through math class. Will your new home be safe? Your surgeon cheated his way through medical school? Do you really want him or her cutting you open?

Real Life Consequences You could lose your job. Boston Globe journalist Mike Barnicle was forced to resign for plagiarism in his columns. Jayson Blair, a reporter for the New York Times, plagiarized many articles and faked quotes in high-profile stories. He was forced to resign.

Real Life Consequences Your reputation can be permanently damaged. Vice President Joseph Biden was forced to withdraw from the 1988 Democratic Presidential nominations when it was revealed that he had failed a course in law school due to plagiarism. It was also shown that he had copied several campaign speeches, notably those of British Labor leader Neil Kinnock and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Real Life Consequences You could lose honors and privileges you hold. Doris Kearns Goodwin was forced to step down as a Pulitzer Prize judge for plagiarizing 50 passages for her 1987 book The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys.

Real Life Consequences You could be denied entrance into a college. Moorestown, New Jersey, high-school student Blair Hornstine had her admission to Harvard University revoked in July 2003 after she was found to have passed off speeches and writings by famous figures as her own writing in articles she wrote as a student journalist for a local newspaper.

Real Life Consequences You could be kicked out of school and lose degrees. After a plagiarism probe at the University of Virginia, 45 students were dismissed and 3 graduate degrees were revoked. Marks Chabedi copied nearly verbatim a doctoral thesis written by Kimberly Lanegran at the University of Florida. Chabedi was fired from a professorship at University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, and his Ph.D was revoked.

High School Consequences “0” on the assignment Parent notification Referral to administrators Suspension or dismissal from school activities--sports and extracurricular Note on student record Loss of reputation among the school community Is it worth the risk?

How to avoid plagiarism Do the Work Yourself: Take the time research, write notes, ponder the information, and write it in your own words. We’ll talk more about this later. Citation: A citation is how you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. We’ll talk more about this in a few class periods.

What to Cite You don’t Have to Cite . . . You Must Cite . . . Your own experiences, opinions, observations, or reactions. Common Knowledge (facts that are widely known) Examples The sky is blue. George Washington was the first president of the United States. Germany is in Europe. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Shakespeare was a writer. Quotation (when you use the EXACT words of an author, copied directly from a source, word for word) Paraphrasing (when you REWORD the original source) Summarizing (when give a brief overview of the entire thought, chapter, or work)