learningguide_avoidingplagiarism

8/13/2019 learningGuide_avoidingPlagiarism

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/learningguideavoidingplagiarism 1/19

WRITING CENTRE

L E A R N I N G G U I D E

Avoiding Plagiarism You have probably already heard the terms ‘plagiarism’or ‘academic dishonesty’ in your lectures or coursematerials. In your previous studies you may not have hadexperience with these concepts. However, when studyingat the tertiary level, this is an important issue. “Academichonesty is an essential component o teaching, learningand research and is undamental to the very nature ouniversities ! All academic dishonesty is unacceptable !including ! plagiarism" #$niversity o Adelaide %&'&(.

)hat is plagiarism*Plagiarism is a concept that is important in referencing within academic writing. At the University ofAdelaide it has been defined as “presenting work that is not your own in any format, withoutappropriate attribution or reference to the original source” (University of Adelaide !"!, # ." a i$.%ometimes this is done deliberately where the student intentionally copies another&s work withoutacknowledgement. 'his is called academic dishonesty.

any times, however, plagiarism can be the result of genuine misunderstanding when new studentsare still learning “the scholarly academic conventions for evidence)based, academic writingassociated with the disciplines *they+ are studying, including appropriate citing and referencing”(University of Adelaide !"!, # " d$.

ecturers realise that learning how to reference appropriately is a developmental process where youwill improve through e-perience and feedback. owever, they do e-pect you to begin referencing

from the first assignment and to consciously work on avoiding plagiarism in your writing. /f youplagiarise in an assignment because of a misunderstanding, the university will direct you toresources that will help you learn about plagiarism and referencing, but it will also make a record ofwhat has happened and you can lose marks for the assignment or be re0uired to resubmit it(University of Adelaide !"!, # .1." a$.

+ypes o plagiarism%pecific e-amples of plagiarism from the University of Adelaide&s Academic onesty policy include2

a$ paraphrasing or copying work that is not your own, without due acknowledgement by way ofreference to the original work

b$ adopting the ideas of others, or the structure of an e-isting analysis, without dueacknowledgement by way of reference to the original source.

3ther forms of academic dishonesty that are related to plagiarism are collusion and cheating, whichinclude2

a$ submitting work which is the same as, or substantially similar to, another student4s piece of workfor the same assessment task

b$ submitting a piece of work written or answered for you by another person or which you havecopied from another person

c$ submitting the same or substantially similar or substantially the same piece of work for assessmentin two different courses, e-cept in accordance with approved study and assessment schemes.

(University of Adelaide !"!, # ." a ii 5 iii, b iii, c iii 5 iv$

Avoiding plagiarism

WRITING CENTRELevel 3 East, Hub Central, North Terrace campus, The University o !"elai"e #! $%%$ !ustralia

T& '() * *3)3 $++) E& -ritin.centre/a"elai"e0e"u0au W& ---0a"elai"e0e"u0au1-ritin.centre1



'he first step to avoiding plagiarism is to understand the essential characteristics of tertiary studyand academic writing. 6hen you are writing at tertiary level, you place yourself into a researchtradition. 'his means you acknowledge that at least some aspects of what you are writing abouthave been dealt with before (c7owan !!8$.

/n the case of essays, you must analyse the 0uestion or topic that has been set, and respond to it. 9our response is usually e-pected to be an 4argument4 or personal point of view, using informationfrom the literature (sources$ to support that point of view: or you may want to contradict certainpoints of view found in the literature (again, supporting your criti0ue by reference to authors whose

views are similar to your own$.

As an academic writer you should analyse not only what is said in the literature, but also how it issaid./f you find certain phrases and sentence structures that are used often by different authors, you canassume that you can use them too, but make sure you use them to e-press your own point of view.

Another way to avoid plagiarism is by consistently and accurately using some form of referencingsystem. 'here are many types of referencing systems including the author)date or arvard system:APA (American Psychological Association$: the number system (as used in ;ngineering$: and thefootnoting system. %chools and disciplines have preferred options regarding which referencingsystem to use. /t is best to ask your school and check for specific guidelines.

<egardless of which referencing system you use, you will need to acknowledge the source of all your

material in assignments, including direct 0uotes, paraphrased and summarised material. =arioustools are available to university lecturers to detect plagiarism by electronic means. 3ne availablethrough the University is Turnitin, which can be used to identify any te-t that has been taken fromelectronic sources, including the /nternet, making it possible to detect cheating. 6ith the permissionof lecturers, students can use this tool. /nformation on how to access this tool is available on theUniversity website at http2>>www.adelaide.edu.au>clpd>plagiarism>students>turnitin>.

araphrasing and summarisingParaphrasing is when you take the essence of what another writer has said and write this by usingsome of the commonly used language ?chunks& that make it clear you are re)telling someone else&sideas. 9ou must, of course, still acknowledge where the original ideas came from by adding areference. /t is not sufficient to simply change one or two words.

6hen summarising, you pick out the main points of a passage, section or chapter. Again, you shouldaim to write these by using the language of the discipline in which you are studying, clearlyindicating by the use of inverted commas (0uotation marks$ where there is a direct 0uote. ake surethat every 0uotation is copied e-actly from the original. aving a clear and careful note makingsystem will also help you to avoid plagiarism.

2 earning 7uide @ !"" 'he University of Adelaide

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/plagiarism/students/turnitin/

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/plagiarism/students/turnitin/



)hen do I not have to ac-nowledge my sources*%tudents often worry that they will be e-pected to reference or acknowledge absolutely everythingthey write in their assignments. 'hey are concerned that this indicates they have no originalthoughts or views on the material.

As mentioned above, academic writing at a tertiary level involves constantly working with materialwritten by e-perts in the field, synthesising their ideas and analysing the arguments beingpresented. 'hese all re0uire careful referencing. 9our originality lies in the choices you make and theway you analyse and present them.

/n each discipline area, however, there are e-amples of common knowledge material that do notneed to be referenced. ;-amples include various mathematical and scientific formulae, medicalterms, and general concepts in law that are used regularly without reference to the original author.As you become more familiar with your discipline area and read more widely you will begin to noticewhat is considered common knowledge in your discipline and what needs to be referenced.

xamples o writing to avoid plagiarismOriginal text 'he bo- below contains a passage with information that a student wants to incorporate into his orher own writing2

The chun2 o tet 2no-n as the para.raph is a series o sentences, all o -hich relate to a particular point you -antto ma2e0 This means that some para.raphs are very lon. an" others are very short0 4ara.raphs are usually more

than one sentence althou.h a one5sentence para.raph can be electriyin.0 It is more common to have our or ive

sentences bunche" to.ether aroun" one i"ea, an" it is consi"ere" courteous or the -riter to try an" vary the len.th

o those ive sentences to assist un"erstan"in. an" prevent rea"er ati.ue 67o 8 Wil2inson )993, p0*:0

Paraphrasing example 1 'his bo- contains one e-ample of the student attempting to incorporate the above ideas2

! para.raph is a series o sentences that relate to a certain point you -ish to ma2e0 #ome para.raphs -ill be lon.

an" others are short0 They are usually more than one sentence lon. an" more commonly have our or ive sentencesin them0 To be a courteous -riter it is important to vary the len.th o the sentence to assist the rea"er to un"erstan"

an" to prevent rea"er ati.ue0

'his writing is an e-ample of plagiarism, because there is no indication where the material has comefrom. 'he wording is also very similar to the original with only a few words changed. A lot of phrasesand words have been directly copied from the original with no acknowledgement.

Paraphrasing example 2 'his bo- contains another attempt to incorporate information from the original passage2

!ccor"in. to 7o an" Wil2inson 6)993: a para.raph is a series o sentences that relate to a certain point you -ish to

ma2e0 #ome para.raphs -ill be lon. an" others are short0 They are usually more than one sentence lon. an" morecommonly have our or ive sentences in them0 To be a courteous -riter it is important to vary the len.th o the

sentence to assist the rea"er to un"erstan" an" to prevent rea"er ati.ue 67o 8 Wil2inson )993:0

Although the writer has attempted to reference here, there is still a considerable amount ofplagiarism. 'he words used are very similar to the original. /t is not sufficient to simply change aword here or there. 6hen paraphrasing or summarising a passage you must ensure that you arewriting the material in your own combination of words and indicate clearly any sentences or parts ofsentences you are copying.

Paraphrasing example 3 'his bo- contains a more successful attempt to incorporate the ideas without plagiarising2

!ccor"in. to 7o an" Wil2inson 6)993:, para.raphs are "evelope" aroun" a central concept, incorporatin. a number

o lin2e" sentences0 They su..est that the number o sentences in each para.raph can "ier rom one to many, an"

earning 7uide @ !"" 'he University of Adelaide 3



that sentences shoul" be o varyin. len.ths ;to assist un"erstan"in. an" prevent rea"er ati.ue< 67o 8 Wil2inson

)993, p0*:0

'his writing acknowledges where the ideas came from and the student has used their own wordcombinations. 'he student has clearly indicated where there is a direct 0uote from the original te-tby using inverted commas and including the page number of the original te-t.

/eerence list or bibliography 'he final step for avoiding plagiarism is to include a reference list or bibliography at the end of eachpiece of assessment, listing all of the sources you have referred to in your assignment. /n order to dothis you will need to have all of the bibliographic details (author, date, title ofbook>article>ournal>website, publisher etc.$ of each source you have used. 'he e-act format for thislist will vary from course to course, so you will need to check what is e-pected for each course.

$niversity olicies• Academic onesty and Assessment 3bligations for Boursework %tudents Policy and

Academic Cishonesty Procedures ) http2>>www.adelaide.edu.au>policies>1!>

• Assessment for Boursework Programs Policy ) http2>>www.adelaide.edu.au>policies>D!!>

• <esponsible Bonduct of <esearch Policy ) http2>>www.adelaide.edu.au>policies>EF>

/eerences

Go-, 5 6ilkinson, "EE1, English essentials, acmillan ;ducation Australia, elbourne.

c7owan, U !!1, ?Plagiarism detection and prevention2 pedagogical implications for lectures of firstyear students&, in C Hulty 5 H eyers (eds$, 7th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher EducationConference proceedings, IU', Jrisbane, pp. ")D.

c7owan, U !!8, ?Plagiarism detection and prevention2 are we putting the cart before the horseK&,inA Jrew 5 B Asmar (eds$, Higher education for a changing world: proceedings of the 2! HER"#$conference, %ydney, pp. LD)E1.

University of Adelaide !"!, $cademic honest% and assessment o&ligations for coursewor' students

polic% ( academic dishonest% procedures, viewed "! Manuary !"",Nhttp2>>www.adelaide.edu.au>policies>1!>O.

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

Avoiding Plagiarism

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to understand what it is. Then take steps to avoid committing either accidental or intentionalplagiarism. Before we define plagiarism, however, there are three other terms that we need to define—quotation, paraphrase,andsummary .

Quotation: A quotation must use the eact words of the source. !f the quotation is relatively short "usually fewer than # lines or$% words&, those words must be enclosed in quotation marks. 'or instance,

• As (teven (trang points out, )*ontrary to some popular notions, most writers do not have full+blown ideas popping out

of their heads like Athena "$-&.

• otice that the quotation is introduced ")As (teven (trang points out&, that the eact words are enclosed in quotation

marks, and that the page number is given "using, in this case, the /0A style&.

• At the end of the paper, there would be a bibliographical entry that would give the author, the title of the source, the

publisher, date of publication, etc.&0onger quotations are given in block quotations "see the quotations from 1d 2hite and 3ohn 1dlund later on in this entry&.


http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230/










Paraphrase: To paraphrase is to put the ideas in a passage into our own words, usually following the order in which the ideaswere presented in the original. All ma3or ideas are included. 4sually a paraphrase is a bit shorter than the original, but whenterms or concepts have to be defined, a paraphrase might actually be longer. Any paraphrase requires the same kind of citationas an eact quotation.

There are only three good reasons for paraphrasing:

5. Translating technical material into simpler language for a lay audience

6. 7araphrasing because a professor has eplicitly requested that you do so#. )Translating a poem into simpler language so that we can understand where the ambiguities lie "and this type of

paraphrase rarely makes it into our papers&Summary: A summary puts the ma3or idea"s& of a passage into our own words and significantly shortens it. 8nce again, youmust attribute the ideas to the original source.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the use of someone else9s ideas or language without acknowledging that they were not created by you. Thisdefinition applies to ideas, words and unusual structures regardless of where you find them—in a book, on a webpage, in anemail. 2henever you include another persons information or wording in a document, you must acknowledge the source andinclude a citation that will tell your readers where you obtained it—otherwise you are guilty of plagiarism.

7lagiarism is sometimes seen as intellectual th!t++plagiarism.

A""idntal Plagiarism

Accidental plagiarism usually occurs because we do not understand the cultural conventions of academic writing and citation.!n most western countries, and certainly in the 4nited (tates, there is a very real sense that writers own their ideas and thewords they use to epress those ideas. As ;ohn <. 1dlund eplains in )2hat !s =7lagiarism9 and 2hy >o 7eople >o !t?:There are two important factors that must be understood in order to understand American concepts of plagiarism. First, in theEnglish-speaking world, people believe that ideas and written expressions of ideas can be owned . 2hen an authorwrites down a particular set of words and phrases epressing a specific idea, this author in effect owns those words and thatidea. Therefore to use these words without giving the author credit is to steal them. This is very different, for eample, from the*hinese idea that words and ideas belong to the culture and the society and should be shared by all individuals "/yers55&. Second, Americans believe that writing is a visible, concrete demonstration of a writers knowledge, insight, and

academic skill . Thus, to represent another persons writing as your own is to misrepresent your own accomplishments. This isa type of fraud or deception. @!talics and boldface addedhttp:www.calstatela.educenterswriteCcnplagiarism.htm "5$ ;an.6%%$&.!ultural !onfusion: !n other words, there are many cultural differences in the way people use the ideas and language ofothers. !n the 4nited (tates, plagiarism is a serious offense. (o, in spite of what your own home culture says and feels about theuse of others9 ideas, the old advice—)when in <ome, do as the <omans do—applies to the use of sources—)when in the4nited (tates "and several other western countries&, cite sources.

And i! you ar in dou#t$ al%ays as& your 'ro!ssor$ your (AS$ or th l"turrs in th Writing and )ommuni"ation)ntr !or guidan"*

"ifficult !oncepts: !n addition to cultural confusion, at times we slide into plagiarism when we are dealing with concepts thatwe simply do not understand, and it seems that the best way to convey those ideas to our readers is simply to use the words of

the original author. !f we quote those words and cite the source, we have taken a significant step in avoiding plagiarism. But,unless we actively engage with the ideas themselves "e.g., paraphrasing them in our own words after the quotation,summariDing them, or, better still, arguing or supporting them with our own ideas and evidence&, we have not successfullymastered those ideas "but at least we have not committed plagiarism&.

#otched Paraphrasing$ 7araphrasing is the process of turning a source passage into our own words. !t is another way that wecan unintentionally slip into plagiarism because we end up using large chunks of phrasing from the original or using the ideaswithout proper citation.

!n any event, vn i! th 'lagiarism is unintntional$ th "ons+un"s "an still # vry 'ain!ul*

)ons+un"s o! Plagiari,ing

7lagiarism in the academic world can lead to everything from failure for the course to epulsion from the college or university.


http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/write_cn/plagiarism.htm%20(14





7lagiarism in the professional world can lead to, at the very least, profound embarrassment and loss of reputation and, often, toloss of employment. 'amous cases of plagiarism include the historian (tephen Ambrose "accusations about si of his bookshave been made, most famously about The Wild Blue& and historian >oris Eearns Foodwin "who ended up asking the publisherto destroy all unsold copies of The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys&. (uch plagiarism is often accidental, but its consequences arethe same as for intentional plagiarism.

Avoid Plagiari,ing #y )iting Sour"s

There are five basic rules regarding the use of information in professional and in academic writing:

5. !f you use the language of your source, you must quote it eactly, enclose it in quotation marks, and cite the source.

6. !f you use ideas or information that are not common knowledge, you must cite the source.

#. !f you didn9t invent it, cite the source.

$. 4nless your professor eplicitly tells you to paraphrase, don9t paraphrase.

8. Whn in dou#t$ "it th sour". >oing so can only enhance your readers sense of your honesty.

Rasons to Avoid Intntional Plagiarism

There are numerous reasons why people plagiariDe "e.g., not having enough time to think about and write the paper, wanting to

get a better grade, feeling that the course is irrelevant to their career plans and hence not worth their time or effort, insecurityabout their own writing ability, struggles with a second language&.

But there are better reasons for not plagiariDing.

5. !f you do have writing problems, identifying them early will give you plenty of opportunity to improve your skills "e.g.,working closely with the lecturers in the 2riting and *ommunication *enter&.

6. Gou will engage with the ideas and thus deepen your own critical thinking and writing skills.

#. Gou will add authority to what you write by citing sources.

$. Gou will learn to question all ideas. (imply using the ideas of others prevents us from questioning or 3udging ideas, andthis approach can lead to a willingness to accept ideas without question "a profoundly dangerous thing to do in anyprofession or society&.

H. 2ithout struggling to understand, interpret, and argue with ideas, your own ideas never develop fully, and you will tendto see issues superficially "again, a profoundly dangerous thing in any profession and in any society&.

I. Gou will learn to voice your own ideas.

J. Gou will avoid the penalties of plagiarism if you get caught.Advantags to )iting Sour"s

5. Gou allow your readers to locate the sources of your information in case they want to pursue it in their own research. After all, in the academic and professional worlds, your research becomes part of the ongoing intellectual conversationabout ideas. 2e all stand on the shoulders of earlier researchers, and we all hope that others will stand upon our shouldersin the future.

5. An obvious illustration of this standing+on+the+shoulders+of+others is found in technical and scientific writing.7rocedures and methods sections of technical and scientific articles and laboratory reports provide readers with

information sufficient to replicate both the method and data described in the document. That information is provided notonly so that our results can be verified but also so that others might refine our methods or build upon them to makeeven more discoveries.

6. 'or documents in any field, quotations provide evidence for our assertions and ideas for us to argue against.*itations show our willingness to have our interpretations of those other works verified.

#. 'or longer papers in other fields, literature reviews provide the intellectual contet for understanding ourcontribution to that ongoing conversation about ideas.

. Gour ethos "your credibility& is profoundly enhanced when you cite your sources. >oing so proves that you are well

informed about the topic and that your work can be trusted to be accurate. >oing so also proves that you are honest.

#. As pointed out by scholar 1d 2hite,)1very writer has his or her own intellectual identity, though most ideas inevitably come from outside sources. A responsible useof sources recogniDes that identity and distinguishes clearly between what you think and what the sources think. !t is no sin toaccept another person9s ideaK. But you must interpose yourself between the sources and your writing, thus making other

peoples9 ideas your own through a process of critical scrutiny.—1d 2hite and 0ynn Bloom "qtd. in an email from 1d 2hite,citing the book he and Bloom edited, Inquiry , 7rentice Lall, 5MM#, p. $$H&.

(y's o! Plagiarism




5. Turning in someone else9s work as your own—e.g., a friend9s paper, a paper from a fraternity collection, a papercopied from the 2eb, or a paper purchased from one of those online paper mills.

5. !t9s crucial to remember that having permission to use something or having purchased something does notmake it your creation.

. 'or instance, ! own my car. ! bought it and it is now fully paid for. But ! would be lying if ! said ! made my car.

The same is true for a paper purchased or borrowed from someone.

6. *reating the patch+quilt or )pastiche paper—cobbling together paragraphs and ideas taken from different sources.

5. Although )research was required to find the paragraphs and ideas, our active engagement with those ideas is

missing6. !f sources are cited, then what we have is )research notes rather than our own paper.

#. !f the sources are not cited, then plagiarism and fraud are in the writer9s claim that the words, phrasings, andideas are hisher own.

$. 1d 2hite9s quotation above eplains the difference between a research paper and a patch+quilt paper"although he does not use those terms&.

L82 T8 AN8!> 70AF!A<!(/

Northwestern's "Principles Regarding Academic Integrity" defines plagiarism as "submitting material that in part

or whole is not entirely one's own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source."

Plagiarism can occur in many forms besides writing: art music computer code mathematics and scientific

work can also be plagiari!ed. his document pays special attention to plagiarism in writing but it is important

to understand that unauthori!ed collaboration in a math or science assignment is also plagiarism.

In all academic work and especially when writing papers we are building upon the insights and words of

others. A conscientious writer always distinguishes clearly between what has been learned from others and

what he or she is personally contributing to the reader's understanding. o a#oid plagiarism it is important to

understand how to attribute words and ideas you use to their proper source.

Fuidelines for 7roper Attribution

$#eryone in the uni#ersity needs to pay attention to the issue of proper attribution. All of us%%faculty andstudents together%%draw from a #ast pool of te&ts ideas and findings that humans ha#e accumulated o#er

thousands of years we could not think to any producti#e end without it. $#en the sudden insights that appear

at first glance to arri#e out of nowhere come enmeshed in other people's thinking. (hat we call originality is

actually the inno#ati#e combining amending or e&tending of material from that pool.

)ence each of us must learn how to declare intellectual debts. Proper attribution acknowledges those debts

responsibly usefully and respectfully. An attribution is responsible when it comes at a location and in a fashion

that lea#es readers in no doubt about whom you are thanking for what. It is useful when it enables readers to

find your source readily for themsel#es. *ou help them along the way +ust as that same source helped you

along yours. o make sure that our attributions are useful we double%check them whene#er we can. ,uite

literally it is a habit that pays. -olleagues in e#ery field appreciate the e&tra care. Nothing stalls a career faster

than sloppy unreliable work.

inally an attribution is respectful when it e&presses our appreciation for something done well enough to

warrant our borrowing it. (e should take pride in the intellectual company we keep. It speaks well of us that

we ha#e chosen to use the work of intelligent interesting people and we can take genuine pleasure in +oining

our name with theirs.

A Note about Attributions or Citationshe two most commonly used attribution systems/0odern 1anguage Assocation 201A3 and American

Psychological Association 2APA3%% consist of two parts: 2a3 a reference or works cited list at the end of the

document gi#ing precise information about how to find a source and 2b3 parenthetical citations immediately

following the material you are citing. Professors and disciplines may #ary as to the preferred style fordocumenting ideas opinions and facts but all methods insist upon absolute clarity as to the source and re4uire

that all direct 4uotations be followed by a citation. he best solution is to ask which method your instructors

prefer. he reference desk of N5's library has manuals a#ailable but form is not as important as substance.




It is sometimes difficult to +udge what needs to be documented. 6enerally knowledge which is common to all

of us or ideas which ha#e been in the public domain and are found in a number of sources do not need to be

cited. 1ikewise facts that are accepted by most authorities also do not re4uire a citation. 6rey areas howe#er

e&ist and sometimes it is difficult to be sure how to proceed. 0any people wrongly assume that if they find

material on the web that material is in the public domain and does not need to be cited. )owe#er the same

guidelines apply to all sources you use in your work: electronic or print signed or unsigned. If you are in doubt

err on the side of o#er%documentation.

he following passages come from a number of sources including undergraduate essays. hey are all

appropriately documented using 0odern 1anguage Association 201A3 style and each represents a different kind

of problem that you will be facing in your own written work.

A. !amples o" #aterials $hi%h &a'e Been Appropriately Cited 5. Ouoted /aterial and 4nusual 8pinion or Enowledge

Source: 7i#elo 8ackie. 9he 0ystery of Nancy rew.; Ms. <.< 2=>>?3: @%@@. Print.

he teenage detecti#e who was once a symbol of spunky female independence has slowly been replaced by an

image of prolonged childhood currently e#ol#ing toward a Barbie doll detecti#e. . . . $#ery few pages bring

reminders of Nancy's looks her clothing her effect on other people. . . . he first entry in this series carries a

description of Nancy: "he tight +eans looked great on her long slim legs and the green sweater complemented

her strawberry%blonde hair."

Use and Adaptation of the Material:

Nancy rew has become a "Barbie doll" #ersion of her old self. Che has become superficial and o#erly

concerned with her looks. Che is described in the new series as wearing "tight +eans DthatE looked great on her

long slim legs; 24td. in 7i#elo @@3. Che has traded her wits and independent spirit for a great body and killer

looks 27i#elo @%@@3.

Explanation:

he writer has paraphrased most of the material. Che disco#ered that the paraphrased ideas are unusual 2not

found in other sources3. herefore she placed a citation at the end of the entire passage. In addition the writerborrowed a 4uotation from the Nancy rew series that she found in the article. he writer has placed 4uotation

marks around that borrowed material and placed a 94uoted in; citation immediately after the 4uotation.

6. !nterpretation

Source: 1ehmberg Ctanford. The Peoples of the British Isles: A New History . 7ol. I. New *ork: (adsworth

=>>?. Print.

Page >: Fne recent theory ad#anced by the physicist 6erald )awkins holds that Ctonehenge was actually an

obser#atory used to predict the mo#ement of stars as well as eclipses of the sun and moon. Cuch a structure

would ha#e been of great #alue to an agricultural people since it would enable them to mark the changing

seasons accurately and it would ha#e conferred seemingly supernatural powers on the religious leaders who

knew how to interpret its alignments.


If Ctonehenge were an astronomical obser#atory which could predict the coming of spring summer and fall

this knowledge would ha#e gi#en tremendous power to the priestly leaders of an agricultural community

21ehmberg >3.

Explanation:

he writer has appropriately cited this material since the writer is in debt to someone else for the analysis e#en

though the writer has not used any direct 4uotations.

#. 7araphrased /aterialSource: Fsborne Richard ed. How to Grow Annuals. ?nd ed. 0enlo Park: 1ane =>@G. Print.

Page ?G: As a recent authority has pointed out for a dependable long%blooming swatch of soft blue in your

garden ageratum is a fine choice. rom early summer until frost ageratum is continuously co#ered with

clustered heads of fine silky fringed flowers in dusty shades of la#ender%blue la#ender%pink or white. he




popular dwarf #arieties grow in mounds si& to twel#e inches high and twel#e inches across they make fine

container plants. 1arger types grow up to three feet tall. Ageratum makes an e&cellent edging.


*ou can depend on ageratum if you want some soft blue in your garden. It blooms through the summer and the

flowers soft small and fringed come in #arious shades of la#ender. he small #arieties which grow in mounds

are #ery popular especially when planted in containers. here are also larger #arieties. Ageratum is good as a

border plant 2Fsborne ?G3.

Explanation:

he writer has done a good +ob of paraphrasing what could be considered common knowledge 2a#ailable in a

number of sources3 but because the structure and progression of detail is someone else's the writer has

acknowledged the source. his the writer can do at the end of the paragraph since he or she has not used the

author's words.

$. 4sing 8ther Authors 1amples

Source: Begley Charon. "he Pu!!le of 6enius." Newsweek ?H 8une =>><: G. Print.

he creati#e geniuses of art and science work obsessi#ely. . . . Bach wrote a cantata e#ery week e#en when

he was sick or e&hausted.

Source: )ot! Robert. 9he )eady heories on -ontours of $instein's 6enius.; Wall Street Journal ?JJ> 0ay

?? late ed: A>. Print.

Although he published <JJ scientific papers $instein couldn't easily describe the way his mind worked.

Use and Adaptation of the Material

If there is a single unifying characteristic about geniuses it is that they produce. Bach wrote a cantata e#ery

week 2Begley KJ3. $instein drafted o#er <JJ papers 2)ot! A>3.

Explanation:

Instead of finding original e&amples the writer has used other authorsL e&ample to back up what the writer had

to say therefore the writer cited the sources where he found the e&amples.

H. 4sing 8ther Authors *harts and FraphsSource: echnorati. State of the Bloosphere !""#. echnorati =< Fctober ?JJ>. (eb. ?J No#ember ?JJ>


As blogging has e#ol#ed so has its credibility as a communication medium. In its sur#ey for its !""# State of

the Bloosphere $eport echnorati asked a statistically #alid representati#e sample of bloggers world wide

about the credibility of the blogging world. he results suggest blogging is becoming more credible as a source

of information 2see igure =3.




igure =: Perceptions of Blogs and raditional 0edia. Cource: echnorati ?JJH.

Explanation:Instead of creating an original chart or graph the writer has used one from an outside source to support what

the writer has to say therefore the graph has been cited both in the te&tual introduction and also in the

caption. If the writer had created an original chart some of the facts might need citations 2see e&ample 7III3.

(. )sing Class NotesSource: 0cMay 0ary. : 90essages in 0odern 0usic.; Northwestern 5ni#ersity. $#anston I1. =J 0ar. ?J=J.

1ecture.

A. Born in 5CA%%Cpringsteen's @th most popular album

a. Recorded with songs on Nebraska album%%therefore also about hardship

=. Nebraska about losers and killers

b. About America today%%7ietnam nostalgia unemployment deterioration of familyc. Fpening song%%many people missed the 7ietnam message about how badly #ets were treated.

class notes%%0essages in 0odern 0usic AJK

Professor 0ary 0cMay%%0arch =J ?J=J


As Professor 0cMay has pointed out many of the songs in Born in the %SA 2Cpringsteen's se#enth and most

popular album3 including the title song were recorded with the songs on Ne&raska. -onse4uentlyBorn in the

%SA is also about people who come to reali!e that life turns out harder and more hurtful than what they might

ha#e e&pected. )owe#er while Ne&raska deals with losers and killers Born in the %SA deals more locally with

the crumbling of American society%%its treatment of returning 7ietnam #eterans its need to dwell on past

glories its unemployment and treatment of the unemployed and the loss of family roots. his is apparent from

the opening song of the album "Born in the 5CA" in which Cpringsteen sings from the perspecti#e of a 7ietnam

7eteran.

Explanation:

By mentioning Professor 0cMayLs name in the te&t itself the writer has acknowledged that these ideas 2which

are not commonly held or the writer has not in#estigated to find out if they are commonly held3 come from a

lecture. In this instance because there is no page number to cite no parenthetical citation is necessary. A

reader can go to the entry for 0cMay in the (orks -ited list to find all the necessary specific information about

the source.

J. >ebatable 'acts

Source: -raig 6ordon A. 'urope Sin(e )#)*. New *ork: ryden =>@G. Print.Page <@J: In the campaigns of =>=K Russian casualties ha#e been conser#ati#ely estimated at more than ?

million.




Source: Cta#rianos 1eften.C. The Worl+ Sin(e )*"". New *ork: Prentice )all =>. Print.

Page G<H: By the end of the summer Dof =>=KE in addition to military casualties totaling ?KJJJJJ men Russia

had lost =K percent of her territories. . . .

Response to the Material

$stimates of the number of deaths in Russia during =>=K range from o#er two million 2-raig <@J3 to two and a

half million 2Cta#rianos G<H3.

Explanation:

he writer found different facts in different sources therefore the "facts" needed to be documented.

-. 4nusual 'acts

Source: $nroth%-ugell -hristina 1yle . 0ockros and Robert A. 1insenmeier. 9Biomedical $ngineering at

Northwestern =>>%=>>>.; P ile. Northwestern %ni,ersity Bio-e+i(al 'nineerin. Northwestern 5ni#ersity

G Cept. ?JJ=. (eb. < August ?J=J.

he ma+ority of the biomedical engineering faculty from #arious departments in ech belie#ed that if the

program at Northwestern was to maintain the worldwide reputation for e&cellence it had achie#ed and make

further progress during the ensuing years then the curriculum had to continue to include 4uantitati#e biology

courses on the $#anston -ampus. Fne compelling reason for ad#ocating the reintroduction of such biology

courses on the $#anston campus was that by the early =>@J's appro&imately GJ of first year undergraduatesin the engineering school were enrolling in the Interdisciplinary Biomedical $ngineering Program.


or decades biomedical engineering has been one the most popular engineering ma+ors at Northwestern. In

fact in the =>@JLs roughly GJ of incoming engineering undergraduates entered the Interdisciplinary

Biomedical $ngineering Program 2$nroth%-ugell 0ockros and 1insenmeier <3

Explanation:

he writer found this fact in only one source and wants his reader to know where to find it.

B. !amples o" Plagiarismailure to acknowledge the sources from which we borrow ideas e&amples words and the progression of

thought constitutes plagiarism.

)ere are some e&amples:

5. >irect 7lagiarism

Source Material

rom: $kman Paul (allace 7. riesen and Phoebe $llsworth. '-otion in the Hu-an a(e: Gui+elines for

$esear(h an+ an Interation of in+ins. New *ork: Pergamon =>@?. Print.

Page =: he human face in repose and in mo#ement at the moment of death as in life in silence and in

speech when alone and with others when seen or sensed from within in actuality or as represented in art or

recorded by the camera is a commanding complicated and at times confusing source of information. he face

is commanding because of its #ery #isibility and omnipresence. (hile sounds and speech are intermittent the

face e#en in repose can be informati#e. And e&cept by #eils or masks the face cannot be hidden from #iew.

here is no facial maneu#er e4ui#alent to putting one's hands in one's pockets. urther the face is the location

for sensory inputs life%necessary intake and communicati#e output. he face is the site for the sense receptors

of taste smell sight and hearing the intake organs for food water and air and the output location for

speech. he face is also commanding because of its role in early de#elopment it is prior to language in the

communication between parent and child.

Misuse of source

2italici!ed passages indicate direct plagiarism3:

0any e&perts agree that the hu-an fa(e whether in repose or in -o,e-ent/ is a (o--an+in/ (o-pli(ate+/

an+ so-eti-es (onfusin sour(e of infor-ation. The fa(e is (o--an+in &e(ause it0s ,isi&le an+

o-nipresent. Although soun+s an+ spee(h -ay &e inter-ittent/ the fa(e e,en in repose may gi#e




information. An+/ e1(ept &y ,eils or -asks/ the fa(e (annot &e hi++en. Also/ the fa(e is the lo(ation for sensory

inputs/ life2supportin intake/ and communication.

Comment

he plagiari!ed passage is an almost #erbatim copy of the original source. he writer has compressed the

author's opinions into fewer sentences by omitting se#eral phrases and sentences. But this compression does

not disguise the writer's reliance on this te&t for the concepts he passes off as his own. he writer tries to

disguise his indebtedness by beginning with the phrase "0any e&perts agree that. . . . " his reference to

"many e&perts" makes it appear that the writer was somehow acknowledging the work of scholars "too

numerous to mention." he plagiari!ed passage makes se#eral subtle changes in language 2e.g. it changes

"#isibility and omnipresence" to "it's #isible and omnipresent"3. he writer has made the language seem more

informal in keeping with his own writing style. )e ignores any embellishments or additional information gi#en in

the source%passage. )e contents himself with borrowing the sentence about how only masks and #eils can hide

the face without using the follow%up elaboration about there not being a "facial e4ui#alent to putting one's

hands in one's pockets." )e also reduces the source's list of the face's di#erse acti#ities at the end of the

paragraph.

)ad the writer enclosed the borrowed material in 4uotation marks and credited the authors of

the'-otions book with a parenthetical citation this would ha#e been a legitimate use of a source.

6. The /osaic

Source Material

rom: ishman 8oshua. 3anuae in So(io(ultural 4hane. Ctanford: Ctanford 5ni#ersity Press =>@?. Print.

Page @: In a relati#ely open and fluid society there will be few characteristics of lower%class speech that are

not also present 2albeit to a lesser e&tent3 in the speech of the working and lower middle classes. (hether we

look to phonological features such as those e&amined by 1abo# or to morphological units such as those

reported by ischer 2=>KH3 2ischer studied the #ariation between %in' and %ing for the present participle

ending i.e. runnin' #s. running and found that the former reali!ation was more common when children were

talking to each other than when they were talking to him more common among boys than girls and more

common among "typical boys" than among "model boys"3 we find not a clear%cut clea#age between the socialclasses but a difference in rate of reali!ation of particular #ariants of particular #ariables for particular conte&ts.

$#en the widely publici!ed distinction between the "restricted code" of lower%class speakers and the "elaborate

code" of middle%class speakers 2Bernstein =>G =>3 is of this type since Bernstein includes the cocktail

party and the religious ser#ice among the social situations in which restricted codes are reali!ed. hus e#en in

the somewhat more stratified British setting the middle class is found to share some of the features of what is

considered to be "typically" lower%class speech. Fb#iously then "typicality" if it has any meaning at all in

relati#ely open societies must refer largely to repertoire range rather than to uni4ue features of the repertoire.

Misuse of source

2italici!ed passages indicate direct plagiarism3:

In a relati,ely flui+ so(iety many characteristics of lower%class speech will also be found among the working and

lower middle classes. 1abo# and ischer's studies show that there is not a (lear2(ut (lea,ae &etween so(ial

(lasses &ut only a +ifferen(e in the fre4uency of certain speech modes. All classes share certain speech

patterns. he difference among classes would only be apparent by the fre4uency with which speech e&pressions

or patterns appeared. By this standard then Bernstein's distinction between the "restricted code" of the lower%

class speakers and the "elaborated code" of middle%class speakers is useful only up to a point since Bernstein

mentions cocktail parties and religious ser#ices as e&amples of "restricted speech" groupings. "ypicality" refers

-ore to spee(h 5rane5 than to parti(ular spee(h features.

Comment

(hile this passage contains relati#ely few direct borrowings from the original source all its ideas and opinions

are lifted from it. he writer hides her dependency on the source by translating its academic terms into more

credible language for a no#ice in sociology. or e&ample the plagiarist steers clear of sophisticated terms like

"phonological features" "morphological units" and "repertoire range." )owe#er her substitutions are in

themsel#es clues to her plagiarism since they o#er%generali!e the source's meaning. he writer seems to

acknowledge secondary sources when she refers to 1abo#'s and ischer's studies but she ob#iously has no




first%hand knowledge of their research. If she had consulted these studies she should ha#e cited them directly

and included them in the (orks -ited list rather than pretending that both she and her audience would be

completely familiar with them. Che intertwines her own opinions with the source and forms a confused

plagiari!ed mass.

he writer should ha#e acknowledged her indebtedness to her source by eliminating borrowed phrases and

crediting her paragraph as a paraphrase of the original material. Che could also ha#e put 4uotation marks

around the borrowed phrases and cited them appropriately: 9As ishman e&plains phonological studies by

1abo# and ischer show that 9there is not a clear%cut clea#age between social classes but only a difference; in

the fre4uency of certain speech modes 2ishman @3.

#. 7araphrase

Source : The Sun Also $ises &y 'rnest He-inway. -liffs Notes n.d. (eb. G August ?J=J.

)$ IC-IP1IN$ F )$ -F$ )$RF

If the old traditional #alues are no good anymore if they will not ser#e man what #alues then will ser#e manO

)emingway re+ects things of abstract 4ualities courage loyalty honesty bra#ery. hese are all +ust words.

(hat )emingway would prefer to ha#e are concrete things. or )emingway a man can be courageous in battle

on uesday morning at =J o'clock. But this does not mean that he will be courageous on (ednesday morning at

> o'clock. A single act of courage does not mean that a man is by nature courageous. Fr a man who has beencourageous in war might not be courageous in some ci#il affair or in some other human endea#or. (hat

)emingway is searching for are absolute #alues which will be the same which will be constant at e#ery

moment of e#ery day and e#ery day of e#ery week.

5ltimately therefore for )emingway the only #alue that will ser#e man is an innate faculty of self%discipline.

his is a #alue that grows out of man's essential being in his inner nature. If a man has discipline to face one

thing on one day he will still possess that same degree of discipline on another day and in another situation.

hus rancis 0acomber in the short story "he Chort )appy 1ife of rancis 0acomber" has faced a charging

animal and once he has had the resolution to stand and confront this charging beast he has de#eloped within

himself a discipline that will ser#e him in all situations. his control can function in almost any way in a

)emingway work.

Misuse of source:

)emingway tries to disco#er the #alues in life that will best ser#e man. Cince )emingway has re+ected

traditional #alues he himself establishes a kind of "code" for his heroes. his code is better seen than spoken

of. he )emingway hero doesn't speak of abstract 4ualities like courage and honesty. )e li#es them. But this

li#ing of #alues entails continual performance the )emingway hero is always ha#ing his #alues put to the test.

)ow can the hero be up to this continual testO )emingway stresses the faculty of self%discipline as the

backbone of all other #irtues. Celf%discipline places man's good 4ualities on a continuum. he dramatic change

in rancis 0acomber in "he Chort )appy 1ife of rancis 0acomber" stems more from his new%found self%

control than from any accidental combination of traits.

Comment

his illustrates plagiarism since the writer used the notion of the ")emingway code hero" presented in -liffs

Notes as the sole basis for his own essay. )e has absorbed his source's concepts re%phrased them and

perhaps made them simpler. But there is a one%to%one relationship between the de#elopment of ideas in the

-liffs Notes and the plagiaristLs rendition.

he first two sentences of the plagiarist's are directly borrowed from his source the remaining sentences are

more artfully disguised. he worst feature of this idea%copying is that it seems to be the end product of a close

reading of )emingway's "Chort )appy 1ife" the writer makes it appear that his comments are based on this

short story.

he writing here would be acceptable if he had written the same paraphrase with the proper acknowledgementof his source.




$. !nsufficient Acknowledgement

Source: 1a#en Peter. $enaissan(e Italy: )6762)*86. New *ork: -apricorn =>G. Print.

he tenacious particularism of the Italian state ga#e rise to a wide #ariety of constitutional solutions and class

structures throughout Italy. $#en con4uered territories and those swallowed up by bigger neighboring powers

often managed to retain much of their internal organi!ation as it had been. If power changed hands the

instruments and forms of power usually remained the same. Cince the economic needs of such territories did

not suddenly alter with a change of go#ernment or master those classes which had been important before thechange tended to continue to be important afterwards as well. Fnly when the nature of the change was

economic and social might there ha#e been a re#ersal in the relationships of classes but e#en in this there was

no sudden re#olution in the structure of classes.

Misuse of source:

In his comprehensi#e study $enaissan(e Italy Peter 1a#en discusses the peculiar organi!ation of Renaissance

city%states: 9he tenacious particularism of the Italian states ga#e rise to a wide #ariety of constitutional

solutions and class structures throughout Italy. $#en con4uered territories and those swallowed up by bigger

neighboring powers often managed to retain much of their internal organi!ation as it had been;2=<J3. his

means that if power changed hands the instruments and forms of power usually remained the same. Cince the

economic needs of such territories did not suddenly alter with a change of go#ernment or master those classes

which had been important before the change tended to continue to be important afterwards as well. Fnly when

the nature of the change was economic and social might there ha#e been a re#ersal in the relationships of

classes but e#en in this there was no sudden re#olution in the structure of classes.

Comment

his half%crediting of a source is a common form of plagiarism. It stems either from a desire to credit one's

source and copy it too or from ignorance as to where to footnote. he general rule is to footnote after rather

than before your resource material. In this case the plagiarist credits historian Peter 1a#en with two 4uoted

sentences and then continues using the author without gi#ing acknowledgement. he writer disguises the direct

plagiarism as a paraphrase by using the falsely%e&planatory phrase "his means that ..." in the third sentence.

his e&ample of plagiarism is especially reprehensible because the writer seemingly acknowledges his source%%

but not enough.

his guide was prepared with contributions from many people including members of the 5ndergraduate

-ouncil. 0ark Cheldon Assistant ean for Academic Integrity in (-AC assisted with the organi!ation of the

document and worked with Barbara Chwom of the (-AC (riting Program to update the material. he section

on attribution was written by 8ean Cmith of the (-AC (riting Program with help from Bob (iebe of the

)istory epartment. -ontributors include Matrina -ucueco 2Cpeech '>3 Ryan 6arino 2-AC '>H3 Ccott 6oldstein

2ech '>3 and 8ean Cmith and $llen (right of the (riting Program. he e&amples of plagiarism and comments

are based upon Sour(es: Their %se an+ A(knowle+e-ent 2published by artmouth -ollege3.

or more on plagiarism see -harles 1ipson 9oin Honest Work in 4ollee. How to Prepare 4itations/ A,oi+

Plaiaris-/ an+ a(hie,e $eal A(a+e-i( Su((ess 25ni#. of -hicago Press ?JJG3.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Q PR$7IF5C N$S T

It's not enough to know why plagiarism is taken so seriously in the academic world or to know how to recogni!e it.

*ou also need to know how to a#oid it. he simplest cases of plagiarism to a#oid are the intentional ones: If you copy


http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page342056






a paper from a classmate buy a paper from the Internet copy whole passages from a book article or (eb site

without citing the author you are plagiari!ing. )ere's the best ad#ice you'll e#er recei#e about a#oiding intentional

plagiarism: If you're tempted to borrow someone else's ideas or plagiari!e in any way because you're pressed for

time ner#ous about how you're doing in a class or confused about the assignment +on0t +o it. he problems you

think you're sol#ing by plagiari!ing are really minor compared to the problems you will create for yourself by

plagiari!ing. In e#ery case the conse4uences of plagiarism are much more serious than the conse4uences of turning

in a paper late or turning in a paper you're not satisfied to ha#e written.

"...the consequences of plagiarism are much more

serious than the consequences of turning in a paper late..."

he conse4uences of accidental plagiarism are e4ually daunting and should be a#oided at all costs. (hether or not

you intended to plagiari!e you will still be held responsible. As a member of an intellectual community you are

e&pected to respect the ideas of others in the same way that you would respect any other property that didn't belong

to you and this is true whether you plagiari!e on purpose or by accident. he best way to make sure you don't

plagiari!e due to confusion or carelessness is to 1) understand what you're doin when you write a

paper and !) follow a method that is systematic and careful as you do your research . In other words if you

ha#e a clear sense of what 4uestion you're trying to answer and what knowledge you're building on and if you keep

careful clear notes along the way it's much easier to use sources effecti#ely and responsibly and most of all to write

a successful paper. If you ha#e 4uestions about plagiarism at any point in your research or writing process ask. It's

always better to ask 4uestions than it is to wait for an instructor to respond to work that you ha#e turned in for a

grade. Fnce you ha#e turned in your final work you will be held responsible for misuse of sources.

With these principles in mind, here are some guidelines for conducting research responsibly:

• "eep trac# of your sources$ print electronic sources

(hile it's easy enough to keep a stack of books or +ournal articles on your desk where you can easily refer back to

them it's +ust as important to keep track of electronic sources. (hen you sa#e a P of a +ournal article make

sure you put it into a folder on your computer where you'll be able to find it. (hen you consult a (eb site log the

(eb address in a separate document from the paper you're writing so that you'll be able to return to the (eb site

and cite it correctly. *ou should also print the rele#ant pages from any (eb sites you use making sure you note

the complete 5R1 and the date on which you printed the material. Because electronic sources aren't stable and

(eb pages can be deleted without notice beware of directing your readers to sources that might ha#e

disappeared. -heck when the (eb site you're using was last updated and update the 5R1s as you work and once

again right before you submit your essay. If an electronic source disappears before you submit your work you will

need to decide whether or not to keep the source in your paper. If you ha#e printed the source and can turn it in

with your paper you should do so. If you ha#e not printed the source you should consult your instructor about

whether or not to use that source in your paper.

he library has se#eral helpful resources for managing your sources including Ref(orks.

• "eep sources in correct context

(hene#er you consult a source you should make sure you understand the conte&t both of the ideas within a

source and of the source itself. *ou should also be careful to consider the conte&t in which a source was written.


https://www-refworks-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/Refworks/login.asp?WNCLang=false

https://www-refworks-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/Refworks/login.asp?WNCLang=false



or e&ample a book of essays published by an organi!ation with a political bias might not present an issue with

ade4uate comple&ity for your pro+ect.

he 4uestion of conte&t can be more complicated when you're working with Internet sources than with print

sources because you may see one (eb page as separate from an entire (eb site and use or interpret that page

without fully understanding or representing its conte&t. or e&ample a definition of "communism" taken from a

(eb site with a particular political agenda might pro#ide one interpretation of the meaning of the word/but if you

neglect to mention the conte&t for that definition you might use it as though it's unbiased when it isn't. 1ikewise

some Internet searches will take you to a 5R1 that's +ust one (eb page within a larger (eb site be sure to

in#estigate and take notes on the conte&t of the information you're citing.

• %lan ahead

Research can often turn out to be more time%consuming that you anticipate. Budget enough time to search for

sources to take notes and to think about how to use the sources in your essay. 0oments of carelessness are

more common when you lea#e your essay until the last minute and are tired or stressed. )onest mistakes can

lead to charges of plagiarism +ust as dishonesty can be careful when note%taking and when incorporating ideas

and language from electronic sources so you always know what language and ideas are yours and what belongs to

a source.

• &on't cut and paste: ile and la(el your sources

Ne#er cut and paste information from an electronic source straight into your own essay and ne#er type #erbatim

sentences from a print source straight into your essay. Instead open a separate document on your computer for

each source so you can file research information carefully. (hen you type or cut and paste into that document

make sure to include the full citation information for the print source or the full 5R1 and the date you copied the

page2s3. or (eb sources make sure to cite the page from which you're taking information which may not

necessarily be the home page of the site you're using. 5se logical and precise names for the files you create and

add citation information and dates. his allows you to retrie#e the files easily deters you from accidentally

deleting files and helps you keep a log of the order in which your research was conducted. It's a good idea to add

a note to each file that describes how you might use the information in that file. Remember: you're entering a

con#ersation with your sources and accurate file names and notes can help you understand and engage that

con#ersation. And of course always remember to back up your files.

• "eep your own writin and your sources separate

(ork with either the printed copy of your source2s3 or 2in the case of online sources3 the copy you pasted into a

separate document/not the online #ersion/as you draft your essay. his precaution not only decreases the risk

of plagiarism but also enables you to annotate your sources in #arious ways that will help you understand and use

them most effecti#ely in your essay.

• "eep your notes and your draft separate




Be careful to keep your research notes separate from your actual draft at all stages of your writing process. his

will ensure that you don't cut language from a source and paste it into your paper without proper attribution. If

you work from your notes you're more likely to keep track of the boundaries between your own ideas and those

in a source.

• %araphrase carefully in your notes$ ac#nowlede yoursources explicitly when paraphrasin

(hen you want to paraphrase material it's a good idea first to paste the actual 4uotation into your notes 2not

directly into your draft3 and then to paraphrase it 2still in your notes3. Putting the information in your own words

will help you make sure that you'#e thought about what the source is saying and that you ha#e a good reason for

using it in your paper. Remember to use some form of notation in your notes to indicate what you'#e paraphrased

and mention the author's name within the material you paraphrase. *ou should also include all citation

information in your notes.

(hen you decide to use paraphrased material in your essay make sure that you a#oid gradually rewording the

paraphrased material from draft to draft until you lose sight of the fact that it's still a paraphrase. Also a#oid

e&cessi#e paraphrasing in which your essay simply strings together a series of paraphrases. (hen the ideas taken

from your sources start to blend in decepti#ely with your own thinking you will ha#e a more difficult time

maintaining the boundaries between your ideas and those drawn from sources. inally whene#er you paraphrase

make sure you indicate at each logical progression that the ideas are taken from an authored source.

• Aoid readin a classmate's paper for inspiration*

If you're in a course that re4uires peer re#iew or workshops of student drafts you are going to read your

classmates' work and discuss it. his is a producti#e way of e&changing ideas and getting feedback on your work.

If you find in the course of this work that you wish to use someone else's idea at some point in your paper 2you

should ne#er use someone else's idea as your thesis but there may be times when a classmate's idea would work

as a counterargument or other point in your paper3 you must credit that person the same way you would credit

any other source. Fn the other hand if you find yourself reading someone else's paper because you're stuck on

an assignment and don't know how to proceed you may end up creating a problem for yourself because you

might unconsciously copy that person's ideas. (hen you're stuck make an appointment with your instructor or go

to the (riting -enter for ad#ice on how to de#elop your own ideas.

• &on't sae your citations for later

Ne#er paraphrase or 4uote from a source without immediately adding a citation. *ou should add citations in your

notes in your response papers in your drafts and in your re#isions. (ithout them it's too easy to lose track of

where you got a 4uotation or an idea and to end up inad#ertently taking credit for material that's not your own.

• +uote your sources properly

Always use 4uotation marks for directly 4uoted material e#en for short phrases and key terms.




• "eep a source trail

As you write and re#ise your essay make sure that you keep track of your sources in your notes and in each

successi#e draft of your essay. *ou should begin this process early e#en before you start writing your draft. $#en

after you'#e handed in your essay keep all of your research notes and drafts. *ou ought to be able to reconstruct

the path you took from your sources to your notes and from your notes to your drafts and re#ision. hese careful

records and clear boundaries between your writing and your sources will help you a#oid plagiarism. And if you are

called upon to e&plain your process to your instructor you'll be able to retrace the path you took when thinking

researching and writing from the essay you submitted back through your drafts and to your sources.

Harvard Plagiarism Policy

Q PR$7IF5C N$S T

Harvard University

Plagiarism and Collaboration

The College recognizes that the open exchange of ideas plays a vital role in the academic endeavor, as often it is only through discussion

with others that one is fully able to process information or to crystallize an elusive concept. Therefore, students generally are

encouraged to engage in conversations with their teachers and classmates about their courses, their research, and even their

assignments. These kinds of discussions and debates in some ways represent the essence of life in an academic community. And yet, it is

important for all scholars to acknowledge clearly when they have relied upon or incorporated the work of others. To ensure the proper

use of sources while at the same time recognizing and preserving the importance of the academic dialogue, the Faculty of Arts and

ciences adopted the following policy!

"t is expected that all homework assignments, pro#ects, lab reports, papers, theses, and examinations and any other work submitted for

academic credit will be the student$s own. tudents should always take great care to distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from

information derived from sources. The term %sources& includes not only primary and secondary material published in print or online,

but also information and opinions gained directly from other people. 'uotations must be placed properly within (uotation marks and

must be cited fully. "n addition, all paraphrased material must be acknowledged completely. )henever ideas or facts are derived from a

student$s reading and research or from a student$s own writings, the sources must be indicated *see also %ubmission of the ame )ork

to +ore Than ne Course& below.-

tudents must also comply with the policy on collaboration established for each course, as set forth in the course syllabus or on the

course website. olicies vary among the many fields and disciplines in the College, and may even vary for particular assignments within

a course. /nless otherwise stated on the syllabus or website, when collaboration is permitted within a course students must

acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted work0 however, students need not acknowledge discussion with others of

general approaches to the assignment or assistance with proofreading. "f the syllabus or website does not include a policy on

collaboration, students may assume that collaboration in the completion of assignments is permitted. Collaboration in the completion of

examinations is always prohibited.

The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student. tudents are expected to be familiar with the

1arvard 2uide to /sing ources. tudents who are in any doubt about the preparation of academic work should consult their instructor

and 3esident 4ean before the work is prepared or submitted.



http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup108986


http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup108986



tudents who, for whatever reason, submit work either not their own or without clear attribution to its sources will be sub#ect to

disciplinary action, up to and including re(uirement to withdraw from the College. tudents who have been found responsible for any

violation of these standards will not be permitted to submit a ' evaluation of the course in which the infraction occurred.

Submission of the Same Work to More Than One Course

"t is the expectation of every course that all work submitted for a course or for any other academic purpose will have been done solely

for that course or for that purpose. "f the same or similar work is to be submitted to any other course or used for any other academic

purpose within the College, the prior written permission of the instructor must be obtained. "f the same or similar work is to be

submitted to more than one course or used for more than one academic purpose within the College during the same term, the prior

written permission of all instructors involved must be obtained. A student who submits the same or similar work to more than one

course or for more than one academic purpose within the College without such prior permission is sub#ect to disciplinary action, up to

and including re(uirement to withdraw from the College.

tudents are urged to consult their 3esident 4ean or the instructors involved with (uestions concerning this important matter *see also

%lagiarism and Collaboration& above-.

Tutoring Schools and Term Paper Companies

"n keeping with the principle that all material submitted to a course should be the student$s own work, any undergraduate who makes

use of the services of a commercial tutoring school or term paper company is liable to disciplinary action. tudents who sell lecture or

reading notes, papers, or translations, or who are employed by a tutoring school or term paper company, are similarly liable and may be

sub#ect to disciplinary action, up to and including re(uirement to withdraw from the College. "f a student wishes to accept compensation

for private tutoring in 1arvard courses, prior written permission of the 4ean of the College is re(uired.

Official orms and Petitions

tudents should understand that providing false or misleading information or signing any other person$s name or initials on a study

card, lan of tudy, change5of5course petition, registration form, or on any other official form or petition will make them sub#ect to

disciplinary action, up to and including re(uirement to withdraw.

/f you re0uire more assistance with Avoiding Plagiarism, please contact the 6riting Bentre on L1"1 8DD".

=isit the 6riting Bentre website for additional resources2 www.adelaide.edu.au>writingcentre>

Principal Authors2 elene ipp 5 Ursula c7owan !!8 <evised2 Conna =eliaris !!L, aureen 7oldfinch !""

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/all/

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/all/

learningguide_avoidingplagiarism

Documents