1. Plagiarism: What International Students Should Know
Kevin Moberg
Writing Center and Supplemental Instruction Coordinator
Academic Success Center

2. What Do You Already Know about Plagiarism?
Take this pre-test from Simon Fraser University

3. Introduction to Plagiarism
All writers borrow ideas from other sources.
When writers do that, they are expected to acknowledge from whom they borrowed their ideas.
If they do not, it is as though they are pretending that those ideas are actually their own. That is considered to be lying.
It is also considered to be stealing, since they are stealing the ideas from the original source.
That is plagiarism, and it is considered grounds for punishment.

4. What Is “Plagiarism”? Stealing Fraud—deceit, lying
Stealing ideas from the original creator
Stealing written work from the original author
Fraud—deceit, lying
Pretending that someone else’s work is your own
Misleading others into believing that you have created ideas or work that you have actually taken from someone else

5. How Does Plagiarism Occur?
Essays/papers/compositions
Turning in another’s essay as your own
Turning in an essay in which you include others’ work as though it were your own
Turning in an essay without acknowledging that it includes ideas taken from someone else
Tests/examinations/quizzes
Sharing test questions or answers with another
Using resources that are not allowed (calculator, notes, etc.)

6. How Do You Know Whether You Have Plagiarized?
Ask yourself, “Would someone reading this work think that I created something that was really created by another person?”
If the answer is “yes,” then it is plagiarism.

7. Why Should Plagiarism Concern You?
Potential penalties are harsh!
Reprimand
Failing grade on the essay or exam
Failing grade in the course
Suspension or expulsion from the program
Suspension or expulsion from the university
Legal action and fees

8. Why Is Plagiarism a Concern at University?
Value of individual thought
Developing each individual’s mind/ideas—being innovative—not plagiarizing
This contrasts with
Valuing friendship over academic integrity (for example, “helping a friend” by providing answers on a test rather than seeing it as cheating)
Valuing accumulating points instead of accumulating knowledge
Honoring others by using their ideas in your writing (for example, assuming professors will know whose work you’re using without your making that clear)

9. Why Is Plagiarism a Concern at University?
2. Value of contributing to academic dialogue
Developing as an independent scholar means joining the “academic conversation”
Creating ideas and offering them to others to inspire them to create their own
What you write reflects what you learn and think and, thus, what you have to offer other scholars (adding to the sum of knowledge)

10. Why Is Plagiarism a Concern at University?
3. Reliability of grades
They’re a measure of learning
Tell professor how to adjust instruction
Tell transcript readers what you know and can do
They reflect the quality of one’s work
Reward for your effort, time, and work—a point of pride
Alert to areas in which more work is needed
They indicate one’s place in the academic community

11. How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?
Ask professor for his/her expectations regarding working together, citing research, etc.
Study and practice proper citation
Keep notes during reading and research
Use MLA and APA format resources on-line
Seek advice at the Writing Center
When working together, do cooperate but don’t co-opt
Don’t copy others’ work
Help one another, but don’t turn in identical work

12. How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?
Quote
Quotations are the exact words of an author copied directly from the source, word for word.
Put quotations within quotation marks: “ ”
Cite the source of the information quoted (both within the text and at the end of the essay).

13. Example of Quoting
The original is from a book by Joseph Smith written in 2004:
My research project revealed that 78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.
Quotation:
A study by Smith (2004) showed that “78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.”

14. How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?
Paraphrase
Paraphrasing means rephrasing the words of an author, putting his/her thoughts into your own words.
A paraphrase can be viewed as a “translation” of the original source. When you paraphrase, you rework the source’s ideas, words, phrases, and sentence structures with your own.
Paraphrased text is often slightly shorter than the original work.
Cite the source of the information paraphrased (both within the text and at the end of the essay).

15. Example of Paraphrasing
The original is from a book by Joseph Smith written in 2004:
My research project revealed that 78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.
Paraphrase:
The research of Smith (2004) shows that a majority of men in this country are unwilling to use the Internet to purchase music.

16. How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?
Summarize
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) of one or several writers into your own words, including only the main point(s).
Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the original material.
Cite the source of the information summarized (both within the text and at the end of the essay).

17. Example of Summarizing
The original is from a book by Joseph Smith written in 2004:
My research project revealed that 78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.
Summary:
Smith (2004) and other authors have shown in their research how reluctant American males are to use the Internet to make purchases.

18. Resources for You
Visit the Writing Center in the Academic Success Center (handout)
Consult resources available on-line at iMoberg.com
Links available include sites such as this

19. Academic Success Center
We’re here to help you!
Lower level of the Stoxen Library
Please stop by!