What is plagiarism?
Merriam Webster Online Dictionary defines “plagiarize” as the act of “[stealing and passing off (the ideas or words of another)] as one's own: use (another's production) without crediting the source.”
Joseph Gibaldi in The MLA Handbook for Modern Writers of Research Papers explains that plagiarism is derived from the Latin plagiarius, meaning “kidnapper.” He defines it as “the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind, and presenting it as one’s own” (66).
Turnitin.com provides the following examples of plagiarism:
q turning in someone else's work as your own
q copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
q failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
q giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
q changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
q copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not…
Note: These standards apply to words, ideas, AND images in any format.
How to Avoid Plagiarism:
1. Write out a citation (works cited or bibliography) for each source you use. Check the Library Web-Site under “Works Cited” for information on how to write a citation properly.
2. Note Taking: Read one (and only one) paragraph & set the resource down. Answer the following question: What did I read that was important? Write that information down. If you don’t remember a date or a number/statistic exactly, check it after you are finished with your notes for the paragraph.
3. Quotations: If something is that well written that to change it would weaken the information/your argument, then write it in your notes IN QUOTATION MARKS. (Note: This cannot be done for the whole assignment.) Be sure to provide an interpretation or explanation of why the quote was used.
4. Have another student check your notes against your work.
The greatest consequence of plagiarism is loss of respect & trust from your teacher & peers. Loss of self-respect
Other consequences can include:
q Failing grade on the project
q Failing grade in the class
q Expulsion from class
q Expulsion from school (College level)
q Loss of Job
Any Questions? Stop in the Library & ask.
Also Turnitin.com has the following resources that are good to reference if you have any questions: http://www.turnitin.com/research_site/e_home.html
Works Cited:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA handbook for writers of research papers. New York: The Modern Language Institute, 2004.
“Plagiarize.” Merriam-Webster OnLine. 2005. http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=plagiarize Available 4 October 2005.
“Resources: Home.” Turnitin.com. 2005. http://www.turnitin.com/research_site/e_home.html Available 4 October 2005.