How to Avoid Plagiarism

The History Department’s Expectations

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else’s work without proper acknowledgement of that source.

Think of plagiarism as the intellectual theft of someone else’s scholarship.

Additionally, “students should recognize that unintentional plagiarism still constitutes plagiarism. Thus is should be clear that, when a student has done reading that has influenced the student’s thinking and conclusions, he or she should be very careful to footnote anything that was borrowed” (Suffield Academy Writer’s Handbook, 10).

What is the penalty for plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the most serious academic offense that you can commit at an academic institution.

If a teacher suspects that a student has plagiarized, then the teacher will meet with the department chair.

If the department chair feels that there is a case of academic dishonesty, then the student will receive a ZERO for the assignment and will also face the Academic Committee for further review of his or her case.

Plagiarism can result in dismissal from Suffield Academy.

How do I avoid plagiarism?

Give yourself enough time to complete the assignment so that you do not panic and plagiarize. If you realize that you cannot submit the work on the due date, you are always better off talking to your teacher (and accepting a late penalty) than trying to pass off an assignment that is clearly not your own.

Do not be sloppy. When you borrow someone else’s work, you must use parenthetical references or footnotes/endnotes. Therefore, you should take meticulous notes. If you use the cut and paste function on your computer to put information into your notes, make certain that you indicate that on your notes, or you may unintentionally plagiarize.

You must have a Works Cited page or Works Consulted page. Bottom line: when in doubt, cite your source.

When must I cite my sources?

You must use parenthetical references or footnotes/endnotes under the following circumstances:

Direct quotation. This occurs when you use the exact words of a source, and this is indicated by quotation marks.

Paraphrasing. This occurs when you use the main point of someone else’s work, but you have put some of it into your own words. According to the Writer’s Handbook, when you “paraphrase a source, you do not use quotation marks (because you are not quoting the source, but rather restating its ideas by modifying its language); you do cite the source, however, using parenthetical citation or a footnote” (29).

Charts, maps, diagrams, and tables that result from someone else’s research. Your own chart, map, diagram or table that results from someone else’s research. Statistics that result from someone else’s research. Bottom line: any time you take someone else’s work, regardless of the format

(book, article, on-line source….YOU MUST HAVE A CITATION.

Example of citing a direct quotation

Actual source: Speed, agility, and quickness

training has become a popular way to train athletes. Whether they are school children on a soccer field or professionals in a training camp, they can all benefit from speed, agility, and quickness training. This method has been around for several years, but it is not used by all athletes primarily due to a lack of education regarding the drills.

A direct quotation would look like this:

According to fitness experts, “[s]peed, agility, and quickness training has become a popular way to train athletes” (Brown, Ferrigno, and Santana 2).

OR

According to fitness experts, “[s]peed, agility, and quickness training has become a popular way to train athletes.”1

-------------

1Lee E. Brown, Vance A. Ferrigno, and JaunCarlos Santana, Training for Speed, Agility, andQuickness. 180 Drills for Athletes,(Champagne, Ill: Human Kinetics, 2000), 2.

Example of citing when you paraphrase

Actual Source:Speed, agility, and quickness training has become a popular way to train athletes. Whether they are school children on a soccer field or professionals in a training camp, they can all benefit from speed, agility, and quickness training. This method has been around for several years, but it is not used by all athletes primarily due to a lack of education regarding the drills.

Paraphrasing would look like this:

Three methods that are popular way to train athletes include speed, agility, and quickness. However, many athletes, from school children to professionals, do not use these methods because they lack proper understanding or education to perform the drills (Brown, Ferrigno, and Santana 2).

What is a Works Cited Page or a Works Consulted Page?

Works Cited would include only those sources that you used (or cited) in your paper. This list should be alphabetized by the author’s last name.

Works Consulted (or a bibliography) would include all of the sources that you used, even those that you did not have in a citation. This list should be alphabetized by the author’s last name.

Your teacher will tell you which format is appropriate for each assignment.

Sample Entries for Books

When citing from a book, use this general format:

Author’s last name, first name. Book Title. Additional

information. City of publication: Publisher,

publication date.

Vianney, Mary H. A Short History of Field Hockey.

Suffield: The Suffield Bell Press, 2006.

More Sample Entries for Books

Two or more Books by the same author:

Vianney, Mary H. A Short History of Field

Hockey. Suffield: The Suffield Bell Press,

2006.

--------. A Much Longer History of Field Hockey. 5th

edition. Suffield: The Suffield Bell Press, 2007.

More Sample Entries for Books

Book by two or more authors:

Brissette, Bryan and Philip Guidrey. Success in Prep

School Football and Baseball. Suffield: Suffield Bell

Press, 2007. Book by four or more authors:

Brissette, Bryan, et al. Suffield Academy Writer’s Handbook.

Suffield: Suffield Academy, 2005. Book with an editor:

Krasseman, Beth., ed. Short but Effective Workouts. Suffield:

Suffield Bell Press, 2002.

Sample Entries for Articles in Periodicals

When citing from an article in a periodical, use this general format:

Author’s last name, first name. “Article Title.” Periodical

Title. Date: Inclusion pages.

Lowe, Andrew G. “How to Streamline Both your

Business and Your Swimming.” Sports

Illustrated. 13-20 October 2003: 3-36.

More Sample Entries for Articles in Periodicals

Unsigned article from a newspaper:

“The Joys of Playing on Turf.” The New York Times. 19 August 1994,

sec. 3: 10+. Article from a monthly or bimonthly magazine: Article from a weekly or biweekly magazine:

Pentz, Christopher. “Squash Grows in Popularity.” People Magazine.

1-7 Nov. 2004: 10-14. Editorial:

“Why Young Women Need Field Hockey.” Editorial. Washington Post.

19 December 1995: D26.

Other Print and Non Print Sources

Cartoons and Ads:Schlidge, Ronald. Cartoon. The Hartford Courant. 8 Sept. 2005: D3.Target. Advertisement. The Hartford Courant. 4 Oct. 2000: A5. Interview:Sitting Bull. Interview. By David Rockwell. 30 December 2004. Published Letters:

Cleary, Barry M. “To The Faculty.” 1 June 2000. The Letters of Barry M.

Cleary. Ed. Laurie Cleary. New York: Scribner’s, 2006. 25-27.Works of Art:

Le Witt, Sol. Horizontal Brushstrokes (more or less). 2002. Suffield

Academy.

Electronic Sources

For documents (scholarly article, speech, primary source, or archive) found on the Internet, use the following format:

Author’s first name, last. “Title of work.” Date of original work. Title of

Publication. <specific URL>. News article from an Internet site:

Author’s last name, first. “Title.” Date. <specific URL>.

Of Note: You should be discerning when using any type of source for your papers, but you should be particularly careful when using secondary sources from the Internet. You are best off using sources that are published by colleges or universities or other reputable organizations (the Smithsonian or the Library of Congress).

Suffield Databases

Annals of American History:Annals of American History:

Author’s last name, first. "Author’s last name, first. " Title." Title." Date of original workDate of original work. Annals of American History.. Annals of American History.

<specific URL>.<specific URL>. Associated Press Photos:Associated Press Photos:

““Title or Heading of File.” Title or Heading of File.” Name of Database.Name of Database. Date of File. Name of Date of File. Name of Subscription Subscription

Service. <specific URL>.Service. <specific URL>. CQ Researcher:CQ Researcher:

Author’s last name, first. “Title.” Date of original work. Author’s last name, first. “Title.” Date of original work. CQ ResearcherCQ Researcher, , volume, volume,

page numbers, from CQ Researcher online. <specific URL>.page numbers, from CQ Researcher online. <specific URL>.

Discovering Collection:Discovering Collection:

““Title or Heading File.” Title or Heading File.” Name of Database.Name of Database. Thomas Gale. <specific URL>. Thomas Gale. <specific URL>.

Suffield Databases

Encyclopedia Britannica:Encyclopedia Britannica:

““Name of article or person.” Name of article or person.” Encyclopedia Britannica.Encyclopedia Britannica. Year. Encyclopedia Britannica Year. Encyclopedia Britannica

Online School Edition. <specific URL>.Online School Edition. <specific URL>. Historical Newspapers:Historical Newspapers:

Author’s last name, first (if available). “Title of Article.” Author’s last name, first (if available). “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper.Name of Newspaper. Date: Date:

page. <specific URL>.page. <specific URL>. History Reference CenterHistory Reference Center (EBSCO Host Research Database): (EBSCO Host Research Database):

Author’s last name, first. “Title.” Author’s last name, first. “Title.” SourceSource. Date: page. <specific URL>.. Date: page. <specific URL>.

Format for Footnotes

Just to make you nuts, the format for a footnote is slightly different than that of the Works Consulted page.

When you footnote from a book, you will need the following:

Author’s first name then last name, title of work, (city of publication: publisher: date), exact page number.

Of note, the page number is critical; it allows your teacher to check your information.

Variations of Footnotes

Source with more than one author:1Bryan Brissette and Philip Guidrey, Success in Prep School Football and Baseball, (Suffield:

Suffield Bell Press, 2007), 122.

Articles in magazines and newspapers:2Carter M. Abbott, “Soccer and Lacrosse: Understanding Both Games,” Atlantic Monthly: (Sept.-Oct.

2000): 47.

Newspapers:3“The Joys of Playing on Turf,” The New York Times, 19 August 1994: sec. 3: 10+.

Electronic Sources:

4Author’s first name, last, “Title of work,” Date of original work, Title of Publication <specific URL>.

Of note: once you use a source once, then all you need is the author’s last name and page number

(or <url>).

Works Consulted

Brissette, Bryan, et al. Suffield Academy Writer’s Handbook.

Suffield: Suffield Academy, 2005.

Brown, Lee E., Vance A. Ferrigno, and Juan Carlos Santana., eds.

Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness. 180

Drills for Athletes. Champagne Ill.: Human Kinetics, 2000.

Suffield Academy Library Page.

Trimmer, Joseph F. A Guide to MLA Documentation with an

Appendix on APA Style. 7th edition. Boston: Houghton

Mifflin Company, 2006.