Agenda for This Tutorial

Using Sources in your Work: A Tutorial on Avoiding Plagiarism GRADES 11-12

Agenda for This Tutorial
Read about examples of plagiarism and the consequences in the real world. Learn more about plagiarism: What plagiarism is and how one can avoid it When to cite your sources How to cite your sources Take a quiz to verify your understanding. Pledge that you will avoid plagiarism.

You know this… don’t you?
Sure you do. Teachers have been talking (and talking, and talking) about plagiarism—and how you should avoid it. But, if it is so bad, why do students (and adults) do it?

Why do students plagiarize? Here are some excuses…
Why does it matter? My (pick one of the following) teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it. Everybody else does it. Why not me, too? The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put my effort into it?

Why does it matter? My (pick one of the following) teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it. Everybody else does it. Why not me, too? I didn’t know that I had to cite my sources. I didn’t understand the assignment and I needed some help. The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put my effort into it?

Why does it matter? My (pick one of the following) teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it. I didn’t have the time to do the work on my own. I had work/rehearsal/practice/etc. Everybody else does it. Why not me, too? I didn’t know that I had to cite my sources. I didn’t understand the assignment and I needed some help. I had to. I need to have good grades. The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put my effort into it?

Why does it matter? My (pick one of the following) teacher/parent/guardian doesn’t care if I do it. I didn’t have the time to do the work on my own. I had work/rehearsal/practice/etc. Everybody else does it. Why not me, too? I didn’t know that I had to cite my sources. I didn’t understand the assignment and I needed some help. I had to. I need to have good grades. The assignment was dumb/boring/too hard/too easy/etc., so why should I put my effort into it? Have you heard any of those before?

But those excuses don’t cut it… There is no acceptable excuse for plagiarism. Plagiarism is cheating (and it will be treated as such if it is found in your work). Look at these real life examples…

Real Life Plagiarism Scandals
Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, was forced to step down from the Pulitzer board after she was found to have accidentally used another’s words in one of her books. Disgraced Kirpatrick, David D. “Author Goodwin Resigns from Pulitzer Board.” New York Times. (1 June 2002.) 5 Aug < Hostetter, Janet. 6 Apr Associated Press Images. 5 Aug <

After being accused of rampant plagiarism in her work, tenured professor Madonna G. Constantine was fired from her position at Columbia University. Fired Santora, Marc. “Columbia Professor in Noose Case Is Fired on Plagiarism Charges.” New York Times. (24 June 2008.) 5 Aug < Bondafeff, Dian. 10 Oct Associated Press Images. 5 Aug <

As a reporter for the New York Times, Jayson Blair plagiarized or fabricated in more than 40 stories between 2002 and He was fired from his job. The top two editors of the newspaper resigned as a result of the scandal. Forced to give up career “Correcting the Record.” New York Times. 11 May The New York Times. 5 Aug < Image: Szymaszek, Jennifer. 12 May Associated Press Images. 5 Aug < apimages.ap.org>

Blair Hornstein was the valedictorian of her high school class and had earned admission to Harvard University. After articles Hornstein wrote for a local newspaper were discovered to have been plagiarized, Harvard University rescinded their acceptance. Harvard Admission Revoked “Blair Hornstein.” The Gothamist. 14 July Aug < Capuzzo, Jill P. “MOORESTOWN JOURNAL; Seeing Crimson.” New York Times. (20 July 2003.) 5 Aug <

So, as you can see, plagiarism is a serious offense
So, as you can see, plagiarism is a serious offense. This presentation is part of your class work so that you know what plagiarism is and how you can avoid it.

Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is: To steal the words or ideas of another person To pass off the words or ideas of another person as one’s own Further: It doesn’t matter whether the theft is intentional or accidental. Either way, it is plagiarism.

Let’s look at some hypothetical situations
Let’s look at some hypothetical situations. For each, determine if the student plagiarized or did not. Click on the arrow to move to the next page.

Jack’s Situation Is this plagiarism? Yes No
Jack has an English paper due tomorrow. He read the book and paid attention during class, but he has no idea what to write about. Jack logs onto the Internet “just to get some ideas about topics for his paper.” He finds a great idea and begins writing his paper using the topic he found. He is very careful to avoid copying any text or words from the Internet article he found. Is this plagiarism? Yes No

return to previous slide
You must choose from the blue buttons at the bottom of the page. Read the situation and then choose one of the options presented. Click here to return to previous slide

You said… Jack did plagiarize.
You are right. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism. Jack is committing plagiarism by taking the ideas of the source without citing them in the paper. Even though he put the ideas in his own words, Jack is stealing the intellectual property of the source.

You said… Jack did not plagiarize.
You are wrong. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism. Jack is committing plagiarism by taking the ideas of the source without citing them in the paper. Even though he put the ideas in his own words, Jack is stealing the intellectual property of the source. You are wrong. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism. He could avoid plagiarism if he cites the source of the ideas in his paper.

Jill’s Situation Is this plagiarism?
During history class, Jill is asked to find some background on Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Jill does a Google search and arrives at Wikipedia’s article on Fidel Castro. Without using quotation marks, Jill cuts and pastes several sentences from Wikipedia into her assignment. Is this plagiarism? Yes No

You said… Jill did plagiarize.
You are right. Jill’s actions constitute plagiarism. By taking the words from the Wikipedia article, Jill is committing plagiarism. She can avoid plagiarizing by quoting the article in her assignment and including an entry that describes the source in a bibliography at the end of her paper.

You said… Jill did not plagiarize.
You are wrong. Jill’s actions constitute plagiarism. By taking the words from the Wikipedia article, Jill is committing plagiarism. She can avoid plagiarizing by quoting the article in her assignment and including an entry that describes the source in a bibliography at the end of her paper.

Gretel’s Situation Is this plagiarism?
Gretel is a freshman who feels overwhelmed by the high school. When her science teacher assigns a short worksheet on genetics, Gretel is confused and frustrated. During lunch, Gretel “borrows” her friend’s paper and copies the answers onto her own paper. Is this plagiarism? Yes No

You said… Gretel did plagiarize.
You are right. Gretel’s actions constitute plagiarism. Even if Gretel’s friend gave permission for Gretel to copy her work, it is still plagiarism. Gretel is guilty of plagiarism. She tried to take credit for the words and ideas of another person.

You said… Gretel did not plagiarize.
You are wrong. Gretel’s actions constitute plagiarism. Even if Gretel’s friend gave permission for Gretel to copy her work, it is still plagiarism. When a student attempts to take credit for the words and ideas of another person without acknowledging the original source of the work

Think you’ve got it? Read the following…

Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is: To steal the words or ideas of another person To pass off the words or ideas of another person as one’s own It doesn’t matter whether the theft is intentional or accidental. Either way, it is plagiarism.

How to Avoid Plagiarism
Cite the source of any idea or words you take from anyone else. Carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s words or idea. Provide a bibliography to show where the borrowed material originated.

So, what is the benefit of citing my sources?
OK, I get it… there are penalties for plagiarizing because it is stealing someone else’s words or ideas. But, if I am not caught, I won’t be penalized. So, what is the benefit of citing my sources?

Four good reasons for citing sources in your work:
Citing reliable information gives credibility to your work. Cheating is unethical behavior. It is only fair to give credit to the source—otherwise, you are stealing the source’s ideas. The consequences are severe—plagiarism is not worth the risk.

You probably have two questions: (1) What do I need to cite
You probably have two questions: (1) What do I need to cite? (2) How do I cite? Read on for the answers…

What do I need to cite? Did you think of it? No. Yes. Is it common knowledge? Cite it. Do not cite it. This chart will help you decide what must be cited. It was created by Robert A. Harris in The Plagiarism Handbook.

Did you think of it? No. Yes. Is it common knowledge? Cite it. Do not cite it. So—the rule is: If you created it without any help, you do not need to cite the source. If you did not create the content, you must cite the source.

Did you think of it? No. Yes. Is it common knowledge? Cite it. Do not cite it. The one exception to that rule is for “common knowledge.” You do not need to cite the source of an unoriginal piece of information IF: (1) an educated person should know the information, OR (2) it is a fact that could be found in an encyclopedia.

So, you don’t need to cite a fact, but you must cite the source of opinions and ideas that are not your own And, you must cite anytime you use the exact words of the source—even if the words are presenting common knowledge.

So, you don’t need to cite a fact, for example: Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. OR Harper Lee was born in but you must cite the source of opinions and ideas that are not your own. for example: Dorothy Gale believes that Lord of the Flies is an inspiring story (75). OR According to Joe Smith, Piggy represents the human spirit (15). And, you must cite anytime you use the exact words of the source—even if the words are presenting common knowledge. You must always cite the source of ANY direct quotation.

Did you think of it? No. Yes. Is it common knowledge? Cite it. Do not cite it. Take one more look at this chart! If the idea and the words are yours, you do not need to cite.

So, let’s check to see that you understand when you need to cite the source and when you don’t… Answer the following questions and choose the correct answer.

Do not cite the Cite the source. source. Test Case #1
Jack isn’t sure if he needs to cite the source of the information below. He found the fact online. “Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president.” What do you think? What should Jack do? Pick one of the answers below. Cite the source. This means he will: Either: Surround with quotation marks, or Put the quotation into his own words, changing the syntax, structure, & organization Include a lead-in giving the source’s name, Give the page number, and List the source in a bibliography Do not cite the source. This means that the information is a commonly reported fact. It is generally known and available from many sources. Jack should verify the information in at least two sources, then Jack will write the well-known information in his own words.

You must choose one of the buttons at the bottom of the page. Read the situation and then choose one of the options presented. Click here to return to previous slide

You are incorrect. In this case, citation is not necessary.
Jack does not need to cite the source or quote the information because it is general knowledge. Abraham Lincoln’s status as the 16th President of the US is a fact that is verifiable in many places. Therefore, Jack can use the information without citation.

You are correct! Jack does not need to cite this information.
Jack does not need to cite the source or quote the information because it is general knowledge. Abraham Lincoln’s status as the 16th President of the US is a fact that is verifiable in many places. Therefore, Jack can use the information without citation.

What should Jill do? Pick one of the answers below.
Test Case #2 In her paper on Affirmative Action, Jill found one source that explained that Affirmative Action “evens the field of play by forcing equality among all players.” In her paper, Jill uses the phrase “forcing equality” but she puts all the other parts of the source into her own words. What should Jill do? Pick one of the answers below. Cite the source. This means she will: Either: Surround with quotation marks, or Put the quotation into her own words, changing the syntax, structure, & organization Include a lead-in giving the source’s name, Give the page number, and List the source in a bibliography Not cite the source. This means that the information is generally known and available from multiple sources. Jill should verify the information in at least two sources, then Jill will write the well-known information in his own words. (3) Jill should make a bibliographic citation for use on her Works Consulted page.

You are correct! Jill must cite this information.
Jill needs to cite the source of the paraphrase because the idea belongs to the source. Further, because Jill uses the unique phrase “forcing equality,” she must include that phrase in quotation marks, indicating that it is a direct quotation from the source.

You are incorrect. In this case, citation is necessary.
Jill needs to cite the source of the paraphrase because the idea belongs to the source. Further, because Jill uses the unique phrase “forcing equality,” she must include that phrase in quotation marks, indicating that it is a direct quotation from the source.

Test Case #3 Gretel found a very helpful article in an online database. She very carefully made sure that she rewrote the content of the article using her own personal style; she changed the author’s syntax and organization so that it fit seamlessly into her paper. What should Gretel do? Cite the source. This means she will: Either: Surround with quotation marks, or Put the quotation into his own words, changing the syntax, structure, & organization Include a lead-in giving the source’s name, Give the page number, and List the source in a bibliography Not cite the source. This means that the information is generally known and available from multiple sources. Gretel should verify the information in at least two sources, then Gretel will write the well-known information in his own words. (3) Gretel must include a bibliographic citation on her Works Consulted page.

You are correct. In this case, citation is required.
Gretel paraphrases the source’s idea and content. She must give credit to the source. She must provide her audience with the source of the idea that she borrowed.

You are incorrect! Gretel must cite the source of this information, even though she put it in her own words. Gretel paraphrases the ideas of the source, so she must cite the identity of the source. Gretel must provide her audience with the source of the material that she borrowed.

Can you identify plagiarism when you see it?
Try the following four examples. On each you will see the source material and the student’s usage of that material. Use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to choose if the example shows acceptable use or plagiarism.

Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 1
Original text from the source: Student’s Text: One reason that Lincoln was well-liked during his lifetime was that his integrity was sincere. A person’s statements and dealings with the world allows that person to be judged as honest. Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine. Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (52) Student’s Bibliography: No references given. Acceptable Use Plagiarism CHOOSE ONE:

You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are incorrect.
Use the arrow at the bottom of this screen to return to the example. Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is plagiarism.

You said that the example showed Plagiarism You are correct!
The student put the author’s idea into her own words; however, she did not give credit to the source of the idea.

Original text from the source: Student’s Text: Phillips believes that the populace’s admiration for Lincoln stems from his integrity and honesty (52). Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine. Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (52) Student’s Bibliography: Phillips, Donald T. Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. Warner Books: New York, 1992. Acceptable Use Plagiarism CHOOSE ONE:

You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are correct!
The student clearly marked the boundaries of the paraphrase: Providing the author’s name at the beginning of the paraphrase shows where Phillips’ idea starts. Providing the page number at the end of the paraphrase shows where Phillips’ idea ends. The reference on the bibliography page is accurate.

You said that the example showed Plagiarism You are incorrect!
Use the arrow at the bottom of this screen to return to the example. Reread the example and see if you can determine why this usage is acceptable.

Original text from the source: Student’s Text: Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime because he had integrity. Integrity must be sincere. Through an individual’s words, deed, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine. Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine. Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (52) Student’s Bibliography: No references given. Acceptable Use Plagiarism CHOOSE ONE:

You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are incorrect!

The student used the exact words of the source without providing any indication of their origin. A reader would believe that this passage is the work of the student.

Original text from the source: Student’s Text: During his lifetime, people admired Lincoln because his words, deeds and actions demonstrated his sincere, genuine integrity. Integrity must be sincere. That’s one reason Lincoln was so admired in his lifetime. Through an individual’s words, deeds, and actions, integrity can be judged to be genuine. Donald T. Phillips. Lincoln on Leadership. (52) Student’s Bibliography: Phillips, Donald T. Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. Warner Books: New York, 1992. Acceptable Use Plagiarism CHOOSE ONE:

You said that the example showed Acceptable Use You are incorrect!

The student changed the order of the words and the structure of the sentences; however, he did not give credit to the Phillips’ book as the source of the idea.

So, to review… Plagiarism is a serious offense. Not only does it carry heavy penalties, but your integrity is damaged when you plagiarize. Plagiarism is easily avoidable—just cite the sources when you use the words or ideas of another person. If you have any questions, see your teacher or school librarian!

Sources Consulted DeSena, Laura Hennessey. Preventing Plagiarism: Tips and Techniques. National Council of Teachers of English: Urbana, IL, 2007. Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism. Pyrczak Publishing: Los Angeles, 2001. Valenza, Joyce Kasman. “What is Plagiarism? (And Why You Should Care).” Springfield High School Media Center Information Literacy Lessons. Springfield School District.

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