Did you write this? An ACC Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism Ben Shirley, Sociology Instructor Alexandra DeSiato, English Instructor  

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is intentionally or unintentionally using words, images, or ideas from another person, website, article, book, or any other source (published or unpublished), and passing them off as your own in a paper, speech, oral report, exam, quiz, project, or other assignment. All borrowed phrases, sentences, and ideas must be attributed to any source(s) consulted.

Types of plagiarism There are different types of plagiarism. All of them are unethical and all of them are instances of academic dishonesty.

Types of plagiarism Global plagiarism - stealing, buying, or using an entire assignment or essay that you did not write and submitting it as your own.

Example of Global Plagiarism

Types of plagiarism Cut-and-paste plagiarism or patchwork plagiarism - the inclusion of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs into an assignment or essay, WITHOUT attributing the words used to the source(s) consulted. Anytime phrases or passages from a source are used in any assignment, the passages should be in quotation marks and should be attributed to a source, generally in the form of a citation.

Example of patchwork (cut and paste) plagiarism Here is the original source, a passage from a website biography of Bruce Springsteen: Springsteen's recordings have included both commercially accessible rock albums and more somber folk-oriented works. His most successful studio albums, Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A., showcase a talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life; he has sold more than 65 million albums in the United States and 120 million worldwide, and he has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award. Here is an example of plagiarism appearing in a student essay: Bruce Springsteen's recordings include commercially accessible rock albums and more folk-oriented works. Springsteen’s most successful studio albums are Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A. He has sold over 65 million albums in the United States and 120 million worldwide.

Example of patchwork (cut and paste) plagiarism Why is this plagiarism? In this example, the student used exact phrases from the website and did not put those phrases in quotes! Additionally, the student did not attribute the information to the source used.

Example of patchwork (cut and paste) plagiarism Here’s an example of a student using the same quote and integrating the source material without plagiarizing: Bruce Springsteen's recordings include “commercially accessible rock albums and more” serious “folk-oriented works” (Springsteen Bio Page). Most people seem to enjoy Springsteen because he speaks to some basic American viewpoint. Springsteen’s “most successful studio albums are Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A.” (Springsteen Bio Page). Those albums contain some of his most well-known songs, like “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” and “Thunder Road.” This famous musician has sold over “65 million albums in the United States and 120 million worldwide” (Springsteen Bio Page).

Types of plagiarism Careless plagiarism - when phrases, words, or ideas from a source consulted are carelessly included in an assignment or essay and are not attributed to a source or placed in quotation marks. 

Examples of careless plagiarism Original source: The website Population Website Bureau (www.pbr.org). “In 1950, the world had 2.5 billion people; and in 2005, the world had 6.5 billion people. By 2050, this number could rise to more than 9 billion.” Plagiarism: More people than ever are living on Earth. By the year 2050, there could be as many as 9 billion people. Already there are over 6.5 billion people. Why is this plagiarism? The student clearly took the information from a website. Even though the student changed the sentence structure and the phrases, the idea was not the students, so he/she needed to give credit to the source.

How to Avoid Careless Plagiarism: Paraphrasing Correctly Students may think they are “paraphrasing,” but in order to paraphrase correctly, they must change ALL words used or put quotation marks around any phrases or sentences that are the same.

Avoiding Careless Plagiarism Helpful Hints for Students: Try this rule of thumb: anytime you take 3 or more words from a source and use that phrase in your paper, make sure you place quotation marks around that phrase and credit the source by including a citation. Anytime you use an idea that is not yours, but change all the words and phrasing from the source, (this is called paraphrasing), remember that you still must credit the source, but you may omit quotation marks.

When You Write, Remember Plagiarism is stealing. You are stealing someone else’s words, images, or ideas. Plagiarism has consequences. The consequences may be as severe as failing the class. ________________________________

Take No Chances Consult your instructor if you have questions. Meet with a Consultant in the Writing Center. He/she can help you with documentation for research papers. Make sure your writing is your own and properly documented! You are personally responsible.

Acknowledgements With appreciation to ACC Instructors Alexandra DeSiato and Ben Shirley, authors of “Did You Write This? A Faculty Guide to Defining and Dealing with Plagiarism.” Their original was adapted, with permission, to this version for student use.