WHAT IS IT? HOW DO I AVOID IT? Plagiarism

Plagiarism!!! “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.” ~Edward R. Murrow “What is uttered from the heart alone / Will win the hearts of others to your own.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What Is It? Using another’s words without giving credit Using another’s ideas without giving credit Using another’s information or research without giving credit

Types of Plagiarism You have plagiarized if you quote from another source (use another person’s exact words) and do not put quotation marks around these sentences or words. You have plagiarized if you quote from another source and use quotation marks but do not give the author credit in parentheses at the end of the passage or in a footnote at the bottom of the page. You have plagiarized if you use an idea from another source and do not give the author credit. You have plagiarized if you receive too much help from a friend, a tutor, or a parent.

Why is it wrong? Plagiarism is stealing intellectual property. Plagiarism is cheating. Plagiarism is dishonest. Plagiarism is obvious.

What are the consequences? At Austin High School: A zero for the assignment (which will often make you fail a grading period) and no alternate assignment given A telephone call home and a discipline referral The mistrust of your instructor The refusal of your instructor to write a letter of recommendation Possible ineligibility for academic or extracurricular events Disputes about whether an assignment constitutes plagiarism will be reviewed by an English Department Committee of the PLC leaders and the Chairperson.

What are the consequences? In the world beyond Austin High: Colleges have strict plagiarism policies with punishments ranging from automatic failure to expulsion. Professionals who plagiarize can be suspended, fired from their jobs, or stripped of their college degrees. Plagiarism can also result in extremely costly lawsuits.

Famous Cases of Plagiarism In the 1990s, a band named The Verve wrote a #1 song called “Bittersweet Symphony.” Played repeatedly on the radio and used in commercials for brands like Nike, the song made millions. However, The Verve members were sued for plagiarizing a Rolling Stones song. As a result of the lawsuit, 100% of the royalties (or money) from the Verve’s song went to the Rolling Stones. (Josephson, 1997)

Famous Cases of Plagiarism Fareed Zakaria, a journalist at CNN and Time magazine, was recently caught plagiarizing the work of other journalists. Though he explained his plagiarism as a mistake and apologized, he was suspended from both of his employers. He has written numerous articles and books, all of which are being reviewed for further plagiarism. CNN and Time have since lifted his suspension, but his reputation is permanently tarnished. (Coscarelli, 2012)

Famous Cases of Plagiarism Pal Schmitt, the President of Hungary, resigned after accusations that he had plagiarized his doctoral thesis. His university revealed that he had directly copied 16 pages of another author’s work. The university stripped him of his PhD, and he has resigned as President. (Karasz, 2012)

How do I avoid it? Never, under any circumstances, should you use Cliff’s Notes or any other similar study aids. Do not use outside sources for papers unless your teacher has specifically given you permission to do so. Be careful about accepting help from tutors, parents, and friends. We want your thoughts. Be careful about how you help others – it is unwise to a peer your essay. If you are in doubt, ask your instructor before you write your final drafts. We know your writing style!

How Do I Avoid It When I Am Using Other sources? Cite all sources. Put borrowed words in quotation marks. Include the author’s name in your sentence. Follow the quote, paraphrase, or fact with a citation. End your paper with a Works Cited page. Give as much information as you can. Distinguish your ideas from your source’s ideas. If you are unsure, ask your teacher for help!

Example “You yourself are participating in the evil, or you are not alive.” ~Joseph Campbell Campbell argues that every individual is “participating in the evil” (65). Campbell has argued that all living beings are part of what we call evil (65).

Give It A Try Use one of the following quotes or ideas in a sentence of your own:  “Don’t accept rides from strange men, and remember that all men are strange.” ~Robin Morgan  “Misogynist: A man who hates women as much as they hate one another.” ~H. L. Mencken

Works Cited Page List all information about publication. Begin with author’s last name. Place in alphabetical order.

Need more help? “Avoiding Plagiarism” from Purdue’s Online Writing Lab: / / Online Bibliography Maker (helps with formatting your bibliography / works cited page): Plagiarism FAQ: _faq.html _faq.html I will also add these to our class website.

Works Cited Abad-Santos, Alexander. "Fareed Zakaria Apologizes for 'Lapse';  Faces Time and CNN Suspensions." The Atlantic Wire. N.p., 10 Aug Web. 23 Aug Josephson, Isaac. "Verve Single Tops Charts But Success  Is Bittersweet." Rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone, 11 Oct Web. 23 Aug Karasz, Palko. "Hungary: President Resigns Over  Thesis." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Apr Web. 23 Aug