1. What is Plagiarism?

2. Definition:
Plagiarism = presenting words, ideas, images, and/or sounds as your own

3. How serious is the problem?
The Center of Academic Integrity reports that 80% of college students admit to cheating at least once.
A survey by Psychological Record found that 36% of undergraduates admitted to plagiarizing written material.
Education Week conducted a survey that revealed 54% of students admitted to plagiarizing from the Internet for their class assignments.
This same survey also found that 47% of students believed their teachers sometimes chose to ignore evidence that students were cheating.

4. One major survey of high school students found that 58
One major survey of high school students found that 58.3% of high school students let someone else copy their work in 1969, but 97.5% admitted to doing so in 1989.
Who's Who Among American High School Students reported that 4 out of 5 high-achieving high school students admitted to cheating on schoolwork during a 1998 survey.
University of California-Berkley officials report cheating on campus increased 744% from 1993 to 1997.

5. Then you have probably plagiarized! Have you ever…
Included words/ideas of others and did not cite source?
Had help you wouldn’t want teacher to know about?
Changed just a few words while trying to paraphrase?
Printed or included a picture from the internet w/o citing the source?

6. Intentional vs Unintentional Brainstorm w/shoulder partner
Two types of plagiarism:
Intentional vs Unintentional
Brainstorm w/shoulder partner
In notes, list three examples of each

7. Two types of plagiarism:
Intentional
Copying a friend’s work
Buying or borrowing papers
Cutting/pasting blocks of text from electronic sources w/o citing source
Media “borrowing” graphics w/o citing source
Web publishing without permissions of creators
Unintentional
Careless paraphrasing
Poor documentation
Quoting excessively
Failure to use your own “voice”

8. Brainstorm w/shoulder partner
Excuses for plagiarism:
Brainstorm w/shoulder partner
Three excuses for plagiarizing
Write in your notes

9. (Job, big game, too much homework!)
Excuses
Everyone does it!
It’s okay if
I don’t get caught!
I was too busy to
write that paper!
(Job, big game, too much homework!)
This assignment
was BORING!
I’ve got to get
into
??? U.!
My teachers
expect
too much!
My parents
expect “A”s!

10. Why should you avoid plagiarizing?
Is your academic
reputation valuable
to you?
Copying = cheating yourself (limit own learning).
Consequences = not worth risks!
Right = give credit to authors whose ideas you use.
Citing = authority to the information you present.
Citing = your readers can locate your source.
Education = not “us vs. them” (game = learning to learn)!
Cheating = unethical behavior (character education)!

11. Real life consequences:
Damaged reputation of 2 important historians: Stephen Ambrose /Doris Kearns Goodwin
Ambrose disgraced as historian; no longer considered a reliable source
Kearns left television position /is no longer a Pulitzer Prize judge = copied 50 passages for her 1987 book The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys (Lewis)
45 students dismissed at Univ. of VA, 3 graduate degrees revoked
Midshipmen and all the service academies (West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Coast Guard Academy) =“separated” if discovered to be plagiarizing; must pay back $350,000 scholarship

12. Strategies to avoid plagiarism
Practice good research methods
Know how to quote
Know how to cite
Know when something is common knowledge
Know how to paraphrase

13. 8th Grade policy on plagiarizing:
Is it worth
the risk?
Re-do for 50% credit and parent notification for first offense
Automatic zero, parent notification, and office referral on all subsequent offense

14. “Cyber-cheating” in the digital age
Plagiarism before the Internet era: books, journals, fraternity test files, etc.
In the present day: far easier to cheat, but it’s also growing easier to detect

15. “Cyber-cheating” in the digital age
Technology has made it easier to track down and identify cases of plagiarism – you won’t get away with it.
TurnItIn.com
Subscribe by organization
Free to anyone

16. The Answer is “YES!”

17. CONCLUSION Accidental plagiarism = intentional
Plan ahead / use good research skills
Won’t be in time crunch
Won’t feel pressured to plagiarize
Learn from past mistakes
Understand = plagiarism can cost your
Reputation
Grade
HS Diploma
College Degree
Career

18. Some slides = courtesy of Springfield School District, Oreland, Pa.
Graphics= courtesy of the following: