strategies)for)avoiding)plagiarism) partone ... ·...

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Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism Part One: Defining Plagiarism Copyright ©Heather McWhinney, 2017 Graduate Wri;ng Help Specialist, Student Learning Services



Learning Outcomes for Part One

By the end of this presenta+on, you should be able to:

o  Recognize the importance of integrity and generosity in academic work.

o  Know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

o  Understand the importance of ci+ng.



Overview of Screencast (Part One)

1.  Do a quiz on plagiarism.

2.  Define plagiarism.

3.  Discuss reasons for ci+ng and referencing.

4.  Discuss plagiarism specifics.



Plagiarism Quiz: Has This Student Plagiarized?

The student does the following: 1.  She copies a paragraph, replacing a few words with synonyms. She

acknowledges the source in this in-‐text cita+on: (Clark, 2016).

2.  She composes a paragraph by combining her own sentences with those from various sources. She acknowledges the sources in in-‐text cita+ons that look like this: (Clark, 2016).



Plagiarism Quiz (con%nued)

3.  She composes a paragraph, which contains one sentence with four consecu+ve words from a source. She acknowledges the source in an in-‐text cita+on that looks like this: (Clark, 2016, p. 95).

4.  She composes a paragraph, which contains one sentence with four consecu+ve words from a source. She puts the words in quota+on marks and acknowledges the source in an in-‐text cita+on that looks like this: (Clark, 2016, p. 95).



Plagiarism Quiz (con%nued)

5.  She paraphrases another author’s paragraph by using a different sentence structure and pu[ng the ideas in her own words. She acknowledges the source in an in-‐text cita+on that looks like this: (Clark, 2016).

6.  She includes in her paper four paragraphs copied from a paper that she submi\ed a year earlier in another course. She does not include a cita+on.



DefiniCons of Plagiarism

University of Saskatchewan’s DefiniCon of Plagiarism

“The presenta+on of the work or idea of another in such a way as to give others the impression that it is the work or idea of the presenter. Adequate a\ribu+on is required. What is essen+al is that another person have no doubt which words or research results are the student’s and which are drawn from other sources.”

h\p://libguides.usask.ca/content.php?pid=387330&sid=4114890



DefiniCons of Plagiarism (con%nued)

University of Regina’s DefiniCon of Plagiarism

“Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which one person submits or presents the work of another person as his or her own, whether from intent to deceive, lack of understanding, or carelessness.”

h\p://www.uregina.ca/gradstudies/grad-‐calendar/policy-‐univ.html



Why Cite and Reference? o  To acknowledge that research is developed by a community.

o  To be generous towards the contribu+ons of others.

o  To be intellectually honest.

o  To provide evidence for your own claims and interpreta+ons.

o  To enable readers to compare your work to that of others.

o  To show the path you took in reaching your conclusions.



Plagiarism Specifics

You don’t need an in-‐text cita+on or a page number from the source:

o  If you use a piece of informa+on that is considered to be common knowledge.

o  If you use a specialized word or phrase that is standard in your field, even if the source uses it.



Plagiarism Specifics (con%nued)

o  Remember that it is be\er to over cite than it is to under cite.

o  It is be\er to use quota+on marks than it is to plagiarize.



Plagiarism Specifics (con%nued) How many words can you use in a row from a source without pu[ng them in quota+on marks?

o  The number of words differs from professor to professor.

o  Most would say you can use up to three consecu+ve words without using quota+on marks, but check with your professor.



Two Key Strategies

Learn two key strategies for avoiding plagiarism:

o  Paraphrasing (see Part Two)

o  Summarizing (see Part Three)



A Final Note o  Plagiarizing and saying you didn’t know that you had done it is no excuse.

Most professors will give you zero for a paper containing plagiarism.

o  There are several piece of soiware available that can check for plagiarism. Examples are Grammarly and Turni;n.



Summary o  Plagiarism is the deliberate or careless misrepresenta+on of the words or

ideas of others as one’s own.

o  It is be\er to over cite than to under cite.

o  Check with your professors to make sure you understand their expecta+ons.

o  To avoid plagiarizing, learn to cite, paraphrase and summarize.

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