Plagiarism: 
What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It

From
<http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html>
(Text relating specifically to Indiana University and the navigation of the website has been deleted)

What is Plagiarism and Why is it Important?

In college courses, we are continually engaged with other people's ideas: we read them in texts, hear them in lecture, discuss them in class, and incorporate them into our own writing. As a result, it is very important that we give credit where it is due. Plagiarism is using others' ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information.
How Can Students Avoid Plagiarism?
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use
•	another person's idea, opinion, or theory; 
•	any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings--any pieces of information--that are not common knowledge; 
•	quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words; or 
•	paraphrase of another person's spoken or written words. 

How to Recognize Unacceptable and Acceptable Paraphrases

Here's the ORIGINAL text, from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.:

The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the population were the three great developments of late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger, steam-powered factories became a feature of the American landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants. With industry came urbanization the growth of large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the Bordens lived) which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade.

Here's an UNACCEPTABLE paraphrase that is plagiarism:

The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large wave of immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall River where the Bordens lived which turned into centers of commerce and trade as well as production.

What makes this passage plagiarism?

The preceding passage is considered plagiarism for two reasons:
•	the writer has only changed around a few words and phrases, or changed the order of the original's sentences. 
•	the writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or facts. 

If you do either or both of these things, you are plagiarizing.

NOTE: This paragraph is also problematic because it changes the sense of several sentences (for example, "steam-driven companies" in sentence two misses the original's emphasis on factories).

Here's an ACCEPTABLE paraphrase:

Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered production had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a result, populations grew, and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of these manufacturing and commercial centers (Williams 1).

Why is this passage acceptable?
This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:
•	accurately relays the information in the original
uses her own words. 
•	lets her reader know the source of her information. 

Here's an example of quotation and paraphrase used together, which is also ACCEPTABLE:

Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. As steam-powered production shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, the demand for workers "transformed farm hands into factory workers," and created jobs for immigrants. In turn, growing populations increased the size of urban areas. Fall River was one of these manufacturing hubs that were also "centers of commerce and trade" (Williams 1)

Why is this passage acceptable?
This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:
•	records the information in the original passage accurately. 
•	gives credit for the ideas in this passage. 
•	indicated which part is taken directly from her source by putting the passage in quotation marks and citing the page number. 

Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism

1. Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text especially when taking notes.
2. Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a few words. 
Instead, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully; cover up the text with your hand, or close the text so you can't see any of it (and so aren't tempted to use the text as a "guide"). Write out the idea in your own words without peeking.
3. Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not accidentally used the same phrases or words, and that the information is accurate.

Terms You Need to Know (or What is Common Knowledge?)
Common knowledge: facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to be known by a lot of people.
Example: John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1960.
This is generally known information. You do not need to document this fact.

However, you must document facts that are not generally known and ideas that interpret facts.
Example: According the American Family Leave Coalition's new book, Family Issues and Congress, President Bush's relationship with Congress has hindered family leave legislation (6).
The idea that "Bush's relationship with Congress has hindered family leave legislation" is not a fact but an interpretation; consequently, you need to cite your source.

Quotation: using someone's words. When you quote, place the passage you are using in quotation marks, and document the source according to a standard documentation style. 

The following example uses the Modern Language Association's style:
Example: According to Peter S. Pritchard in USA Today, "Public schools need reform but they're irreplaceable in teaching all the nation's young" (14).
Paraphrase: using someone's ideas, but putting them in your own words. This is probably the skill you will use most when incorporating sources into your writing. Although you use your own words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source of the information.
Produced by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

INTENTIONAL AND UNINTENTIONAL PLAGIARISM

Integrity  Students are expected to do their own work.  While a teacher may occasionally encourage group participation in a project, students should do their own work on class assignments, tests, and exams.  Cheating will not be tolerated.  Cheating will be reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the student will receive an "F" for the assignment or exam, fail the course, and/or be dismissed from school.

A major goal for students is to learn to communicate effectively through writing.  The use of ideas researched from other writers and giving proper credit for those ideas are major and sometimes confusing skills.  Professors offer students help in learning how to identify adequately the sources of information.  When plagiarism (copying or using the work of other writers without adequate recognition) does occur, the professor may assign an "F" for the assignment and/or course.  The professor will notify the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the problem.

			--Dallas Christian College 2001-2002 Student Handbook, sec. 2.4

What Constitutes Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another without giving adequate credit to the source.  It can take the form of the intentional verbatim copying of another's work and passing it off as one's own.  However, most plagiarism is somewhat unintentional and is based on misconceptions concerning the nature of plagiarism.  The following constitute plagiarism:

 1.  Verbatim copying of a printed text without indicating one is quoting and/or not
      using an accepted form to document the source

 2.  Copying text from an on-line encyclopedia, book, etc. without indicating one is
      quoting and/or not using an accepted form to document the source

 3.  Copying and pasting text from a website without indicating one is quoting and/or not
      using an accepted form to document the source

 4.  Rewriting something "in one's own words," but failing to use an accepted form to
      document the source

 5.  Modifying a text by substituting an occasional synonym or changing the order of the
      original text, but failing to indicate those sections of the text that are quotations
      and/or not using an accepted form to document the source

 6.  Submitting work done in previous class to fulfill requirements in a current class
      without first obtaining permission to do so from both the current and past instructors

 7.  Submitting work compiled in a "study group" without the prior explicitly expressed
      permission of the professor

MOST COMMON "UNINTENTIONAL PLAGIARISM" ERRORS 

  Quoting a source word for word, indicating the source, but not putting quotation marks
    around the quoted passage

 Summarizing or paraphrasing a source, but not using a parenthetical note, endnote, or
   footnote to document the source

 Making simple changes to an otherwise quoted text, but not placing quotation marks
   around those portions of the text that direct quotes
	The general rule of thumb is that any sequence of four or more words taken
	directly from the source should be placed within quotation marks.
 
ONLINE HELP FOR THE PERPLEXED

<http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~mspears/plagiarism.html>

Michael Spears, a high school teacher in Michigan, developed this site.  It describes plagiarism, assists one in learning about proper paraphrasing and summarizing, discusses forms of documentation, and links to other helpful sites.   

<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html>

Purdue University's OWL (Online Writing Lab) offers instruction, examples, and exercises on correct and effective quotation, paraphrasing, and summarizing. 

<http://www.mla.org>

The FAQ page answers many questions about proper form.

COMMON DOCUMENTATION FORM ERRORS

 The name in a parenthetical note should correspond with a name under which the
work is listed in the bibliography.  In other words, the name in the parenthetical note should match something on the left margin of the bibliography.

 In MLA style parenthetical notes, no comma, "p.," or "pg." appears between the author name and page number.

Correct	Incorrect	Incorrect	
(Smith 96)	(Smith, 96)	(Smith p. 96)	

 Use Ham and Snyder form 1.1.1 to list study notes or study Bible book introductions in the bibliography.  List under the name of the author of the note or introduction available from the front matter of the Bible.  Parenthetical notes also should use this author's  name.

	Example

Morris, Leon.  Introduction to John.  The NIV Study Bible.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
1985.

(Morris 1588)

 Use Ham and Snyder form 1.13 for unsigned dictionary articles.  Since there are no authors for these dictionary articles, parenthetical notes should use the article title (in quotation marks) in place of an author name.

	Example

"Light." Dictionary of Biblical Imagery.  Eds. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper
Longman III.  Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1997.

("Light" 509)

 Use scripture references in parenthetical notes, and not the Bible page number, when citing  biblical passages as your source.

	Example

(Matthew 6:33)

 Commentaries in edited commentary sets like the Expositor's Bible Commentary or
the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary should appear under the name of the actual
author of the comments, not the general editor(s) of the set.  Names of authors will be
available in the front matter or table of contents.  Use Ham and Snyder forms 1.12 and 1.13.

	Example

Carson, D. A.  Matthew.  Expositor's Bible Commentary.  Vol. 8.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1981.  1-599.

(Carson 323)

 Use Ham and Snyder form 1.8 to cite an essay contained within a collection of essays.  The work will be listed under the name of the essay / chapter author, not the name of the editor.

	Example

Rush, Myron.  "A Biblical Perspective on Evaluating Performance."  Almost Every Answer for
	Practically Any Teacher!: The 7 Laws of the Learner.  Ed. Bruce H. Wilkinson.  Sisters,
OR: Multnomah, 1992.  207-210.

(Rush 208)

 

DOCUMENTING YOUR ANSWERS

Learning to use proper documentation to give appropriate credit to the sources for your answers is an essential skill.  Students who fail to give appropriate credit to their sources or who represent the words of their sources as their own words are guilty of plagiarism.  In order to avoid plagiarism, students in this course are required to document their sources for answers both on weekly assignments and on the final examination.  In doing so, observe the following guidelines:

 Use Clay Ham and Cara Snyder, “A Student’s Guide to the MLA Handbook” for the
correct forms to use in bibliography entries and for correct parenthetical note style.

 Although it might seem pointless to document sources for homework since the questions come from specific textbook readings, the use of parenthetical notes and a bibliography to document your sources is (if nothing else) good practice for those times when you will need to document sources unknown to the reader.   Documenting your homework answers also fulfills the ethical demand of giving the proper credit to those who deserve it.

 It is alright to quote from textbooks when answering a question, but present any quotations as quotations -–complete with quotation marks.

 The general rule of thumb is that one should enclose in quotation marks any sequence of four or more words taken directly from a source in the form it appears in the source.  The only real exception is when an author states something that is common or general knowledge such as: There are seventeen books included in the Major and Minor Prophets.

 The name in a parenthetical note should correspond with a name under which you have listed a work in your bibliography.

 Use Ham and Snyder form 1.1.1 to list study notes or study Bible book introductions in the bibliography.  List under the name of the author of the note or introduction available from the front matter of the Bible.  Parenthetical notes also should use this author's  name.

 Use Ham and Snyder form 1.13 for the unsigned dictionary articles in the NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible.  Since there is no author for these dictionary articles, parenthetical notes should use the article title (in quotation marks) in place of an author name.

 Use scripture references in parenthetical notes (not Bible page number) when citing  biblical passages as your source.