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 marks Giving 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  Shakespeare Online  Plagiarism dot org  WHRHS Student Handbook