steal this paper! a plagiarism workshop for colegio bolivar students

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A plagiarism workshop for A plagiarism workshop for Colegio Bolivar studentsColegio Bolivar students

Case StudiesCase StudiesOn the first day of classes you are

happy to discover the assigned essay is on a topic you wrote a paper on last term. You print off a new copy and hand it in on the due date with a new cover page. Is this considered dishonest?

Case StudiesCase StudiesYou are placed in groups to work on a

large project. The first time your group meets, you discuss the assignment and you each take a piece of the project to complete. After the compiled project is submitted, you are surprised to learn your group is asked to speak to the instructor about potential plagiarism in one of the sections. Can you be charged with plagiarism even if your section is properly footnoted?

Case StudiesCase StudiesYou are frustrated about not getting the

results you should during a lab experiment You notice others at your lab table are finished and cleaning up their materials. You decide to change your lab results to the expected outcome and begin to clean up your lab area. Is this considered falsification of data?

Case StudiesCase Studies

You are to include seven references in your

essay assignment. You run out of time and

add two articles to your bibliography that

you did not use to write your paper. Is this

considered dishonest?

Case StudiesCase StudiesYour friend asks to look at the paper you wrote

last year because she is taking the same course this year. She says she wants it only as a guideline to help her get started. You see her finished paper a few days later and notice she copied large sections from your paper. Could you be charged with dishonesty if the

teacher remembers your paper?

Case StudiesCase StudiesYour friend agrees to help you with your paper. She

re-writes sections of your paper and you think her

changes to your paper are excellent. She was able

to write what you were unable to clearly explain .

You hand in your paper confident of a high grade.

Is this considered academic dishonesty?

Case StudiesCase StudiesYou are stumped on an assignment while working

in a computer lab on campus. You notice two of your classmates discussing the same assignment behind you. You join them and work through the assignment together while one student types in the information on his computer. You each copy and paste the assignment onto your own disks and print off copies of the assignment to hand in to the instructor. Could this collaboration be called into question?

Definitions of Definitions of PlagiarismPlagiarism

How do you define

Plagiarism or Academic

Dishonesty?


MLA (Modern Language Association) defines plagiarism as:

"To use another person's ideas or expressions in your

writing without acknowledging the source is to plagiarize.

Plagiarism, then, constitutes intellectual theft and

often carries severe penalties, ranging from failure in a

course to expulsion from school." [taken from the MLA

Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th ed.] (bold

and underlining added)


The Colegio Bolivar Student Handbook AND Honor

Code define Plagiarism as:

“Simply put, plagiarism is improperly using

someone else’s words or ideas in your work,

“The wrongful act of taking the product of another

person’s mind and presenting it as one’s own.”

(Lindey 4) (bold and underlining added)

What counts as "other What counts as "other people's ideas"?people's ideas"?

• All words quoted directly from another source.

• All ideas paraphrased from a source

• All ideas borrowed from another source:

statistics, graphs, charts.

• All ideas or materials taken from the Internet

What doesn't count?What doesn't count?You do not have to cite sources for knowledge

that is generally known (Common Knowledge), like the dates of famous events in history or the names of past Prime ministers. Common knowledge: facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to be known by a lot of people; for 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.

What else doesn't count?What else doesn't count?

Also, within a certain field, there may be terms

which are "common knowledge" because they

are part of the knowledge shared by people in

that field, like the "language experience

approach' for educators, or the term

"Impressionism" for art enthusiasts.

What can I do to avoid What can I do to avoid Plagiarism?Plagiarism?

• Learn how to cite your sources using the

appropriate style manual.

• Using a sequence of sentences or word

language of another author's work is

considered an act of plagiarism.

• Keep careful notes and documentation as you

do your research.


• It is advisable not to "overquote" in your paper. Remember the paper should be made up of your own ideas and arguments.

• Downloading information from the Internet or any other electronic database product to include in your paper, without citing its source, is considered an act of plagiarism.

• Cite ideas from other sources when they add weight to your own argument or ideas.

• Learn how to paraphrase wisely using your own words and citing the source appropriately.


• Use quotation marks even if a footnote is provided.

• Know the difference between a bibliography and a reference list. Your reference list is where your source material cited in your paper is listed. The bibliography includes general background material which you read but did not cite in your paper.

• Paraphrasing does not mean you do not need cite the source.


• Always quote the exact words of an author and surround them in quotation marks, citing the source within the body of the text and in the reference list.

• If you are not sure whether to cite a source, cite it.

• Changing a few words of another author's work it still considered an act of plagiarism.

• Do not start your paper the night before your paper is due. This may cause you to stress out enough to "cut corners."


In Simple Terms…

Know what plagiarism is:

– Ignorance will not excuse a violation.

– Intentional plagiarism is deliberate copying or use of another's work without credit.

– Unintentional plagiarism can result from not knowing citation standards ("I thought the Internet was free!"), from sloppy research and poor note-taking, or from careless "cutting and pasting" of electronic sources.

Both intentional AND unintentional plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code

So, how do I So, how do I paraphrase?paraphrase?

Before we even get to paraphrasing, let’s be clear…• When you are using someone else's exact words, you

need to place quotations marks (". . .") around the words to show this.

• You also need to be careful not to rephrase or reorganize these words; otherwise you would be guilty of misrepresenting that author.

• If you want to leave out part of the author's sentence you can use three ellipsis points (...) to show that words have been omitted.

• Directly after the quotation, you should indicate where the information comes from, using one of the Colegio Bolivar Style Book.


Paraphrase is stating someone else's ideas in

your own words. If you think about it a little,

you will realize that it's something that we all

do, all the time. You watch the NBA finals on

TV, you tell me the story of how Malone fell

short and Jordan was a hero again, and I retell

the story to my friend in my own way.


It is not acceptable to take the original phrasing

and just rearrange a few of the original words

in order to produce a paraphrase; neither is it

acceptable to use the same sentence

structure but just rephrase a few key words.


Example One…

Original Source:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes,

and as a result they overuse quotation in the final research

paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript

should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you

should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of

source materials while taking notes. (Lester, James D. Writing

Research Papers. 2nd ed. [1976] 46-47.)


Example One…

Acceptable paraphrase:

In research papers, students often quote

excessively, failing to keep quoted material down

to a desirable level. Since the problem usually

originates during note taking, it is essential to

minimize the material recorded verbatim.


Example One…

A plagiarized version:

Students often use too many direct quotations when they

take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final

research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the

final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So

it is important to limit the amount of source material

copied while taking notes.


Example Two…

Original source: If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists (Davis 26).

Version A: The existence of a signing ape unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists (Davis, 26).

Comment: Even though the writer has cited the source, the writer has not used quotation marks around the direct quotation "the existence of a signing ape." In addition, the phrase "unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists" closely resembles the wording of the source.


Example Two…


Version B: If the presence of a sign-language-using chimp was disturbing for scientists studying language, it was also surprising to scientists studying animal behavior (Davis, 26).

Comment: Still plagiarism. Even though the writer has substituted synonyms and cited the source, the writer is plagiarizing because the source's sentence structure is unchanged.


Example Two…


Version C: According to Flora Davis, linguists and animal behaviorists were unprepared for the news that a chimp could communicate with its trainers through sign language (Davis, 26).

Comment: No plagiarism. This is an appropriate paraphrase of the original sentence.


Example Three…Original source:

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. (Williams, Joyce, Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and Crime in the 1890’s, Page 1)


Example Three…• 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 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.


Example Three…• 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?• accurately relays the information in the original• uses her own words. • lets her reader know the source of her information.


Example Three…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.

Note that if the writer had used these phrases or sentences in her own paper without putting quotation marks around them, she would be PLAGIARIZING. Using another person's phrases or sentences without putting quotation marks around them is considered plagiarism EVEN IF THE WRITER CITES IN HER OWN TEXT THE SOURCE OF THE PHRASES OR SENTENCES SHE HAS QUOTED.

So, how do I cite So, how do I cite sources?sources?

• Use the Colegio Bolivar Style Book (MLA Style). Generally, this is the author's last name and the page number of the text from which it was taken (MLA). This must be done accurately. Form and punctuation count.

• You must also include a complete list of sources (bibliography) at the end of your paper. This is not only to show your reader you have done your research, but to provide the reader with other sources in case s/he wants to read more on the subject. Again, this must be done according to established rules.

What must be cited?What must be cited?All facts, figures, statistics that are not common

knowledge

Silver prices reached a nine-year high of $7.28 an ounce on February 5, 1998. Some analysts predict it will go to $10.00 an ounce in the next two months(Fuerbringer D1).

This must be cited, as it is not general knowledge.

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776.This is common knowledge, and does not need to

be cited.

What must be cited?What must be cited?Specific theories or ideas that have been

put forth by another person

It is not the poor pronunciation of discrete vowel and consonant sounds that interferes with communication so much as the use of the wrong intonation and stress patterns (Gilbert, 1994, p. 21).

What must be cited?What must be cited?Any specific information that is NOT

general knowledge

It is estimated that death from gunfire will soon take over from car accidents as the number one cause of traumatic death in America (Davidson, 1998, p.A31).

The best policy is: when in doubt as to whether something is common knowledge or not, cite

your source.

Can't I avoid problems just by Can't I avoid problems just by listing every source in the listing every source in the

bibliography?bibliography? No, you need to integrate your

acknowledgements into what you're saying. Give the reference as soon as you've mentioned the idea you are using--don't wait till the end of the paragraph. That may mean naming authors ("X says" and "Y argues against X,") and then going on to make your own comment.

If I put the ideas into my own words, If I put the ideas into my own words, do I still have to clog up my pages do I still have to clog up my pages

with all those names and numbers?with all those names and numbers? Sorry--yes, you do. In academic papers, you

need to keep mentioning authors and pages and dates to show how your ideas are related to those of the experts. It's sensible to use your own words to save space and to help connect ideas smoothly. But whether you quote a passage directly in quotation marks, paraphrase it closely in your own words, or just summarize it rapidly, you need to identify the source then and there.

But I didn't know anything about the But I didn't know anything about the

subject until I started this paper. So do I subject until I started this paper. So do I

have to give a reference for every point I have to give a reference for every point I

make?make? You're safer to over-reference than to skimp. But you can cut

down the clutter by recognizing that some ideas are "common knowledge" in the field--that is, taken for granted by people knowledgeable about the topic. Facts easily found in reference books are considered common knowledge: the date of the Armistice for World War I, for example, or the present population of Canada. For such facts, you don't need to name a specific source, even if you learned them only when doing your research. In some classes, information covered in lectures doesn't need acknowledgement. Some interpretive ideas may also be so well accepted that they don't need referencing--that Picasso is a distinguished modernist painter, for instance, or that smoking is harmful to health. Check with your teacher if you're in doubt whether a specific point is considered common knowledge in your field.

How can I tell what's my own idea How can I tell what's my own idea

and what has come from something I and what has come from something I

read?read?Careful note-taking helps, so you know what names

and dates to attach to specific ideas. It's worthwhile to write summarizing notes in your own words, putting quotation marks around any specific wordings you might want to quote. And make a deliberate effort, as you go through your readings, to note connections among ideas, especially contrasts and disagreements, as well as jotting down questions and thoughts of your own. If you find as you write that you're following one or two sources too closely, deliberately look back in your notes for other sources that take different views--then write about why the differences exist.

They Said It So Much Better. They Said It So Much Better.

Shouldn't I Use Their Words?Shouldn't I Use Their Words?Yeah, and Michael Jordan can hit a fadeaway jump

shot better than you can, and Miles Davis could play a better blues than you do on the trumpet. Learning to write is learning to think. Sure you won't have a lot of original thoughts, very few of us do. But you will have your original way of looking at things, which is a combination of everything you have done to this point in your life. As you read others' works and ponder, argue with, distill, reconcile yourself to, or reject them, you are growing intellectually, just as you would grow physically by lifting weights or playing the piano.

Why shouldn’t I Why shouldn’t I

Plagiarize?Plagiarize?• If you plagiarize, you are cheating yourself. You

don't learn to write out your thoughts in your own words, and you don't get specific feedback geared to your individual needs and skills. Plagiarizing a paper is like sending a friend to practice tennis for you - you'll never score an ace yourself!

• Plagiarism is dishonest because it misrepresents the work of another as your own.

• Plagiarism violates the Colegio Bolivar Honor Code and can result in Suspension or Dismissal.

Why shouldn’t I Why shouldn’t I

Plagiarize?Plagiarize?• Plagiarism devalues others' original work.

Submitting a professional writer's work as yours is taking an unfair advantage over students who do their own work.

• It is wrong to take or use property (an author's work) without giving the owner the value or credit due. Further, copyright violations can result in fines or damages.

• Colegio Bolivar’s reputation affects the value of your work; student dishonesty hurts our standing and can make your diploma worth less.

What do I have to lose by cheating? It’s easy What do I have to lose by cheating? It’s easy

and sometimes I justand sometimes I just

don’t have the time to do all the work that don’t have the time to do all the work that

teachers give us…teachers give us…

• Plagiarism shows you don’t care about learning• Time management and the ability to find,

document and interpret data are critical skills in the work place and in universities. If you don’t learn these skills NOW, when will you?

• It suggests you don’t respect yourself, your classmates or your teacher

• Often, the essays and other papers available over the internet are of inferior quality

In conclusion…In conclusion…"The only difference between a scholar and a

thief is a footnote.“ (Bill Stanbury)

As Samuel Johnston once admonished a student: "I found your speech to be good and original. Unfortunately, the part that was original was not good. And the part that was good was not original."

BibliographyBibliography• "Are You Playing Games of Chance with Your Academic Career."

University of Manitoba, Canada, http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/advocacy/IntegrityQuiz4.html, June 2001, accessed July 18, 2002, modified from the brochure "A Word to the Wise from the Student Advocates", published by Advocacy and Support Services, Concordia University, September, 1998

• “Avoiding Plagiarism.” Student Judicial Affairs, University of California, Davis. http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm, June 2002, accessed July 18, 2002.

• “Avoiding Plagiarism.” Student Learning Services, Concordia University, http://cdev.concordia.ca/CnD/studentlearn/Help/handouts/WritingHO/AvoidingPlagiarism.html, May 2002, accessed July 18, 2002.

• Brennecke, Patricia. “Expository Writing for Bilingual Students,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries, http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/courses/fall2001/21f.222/plagiarism.html, May 2002, accessed July 18, 2002.

• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th ed

BibliographyBibliography• “Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It.” Indiana

University Writing Tutorial Services, http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html, February 2001, accessed July 18, 2002.

• Procter, Margaret. “How Not to Plagiarize,” University of Toronto, Canada, http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html, March 2001, accessed July 18, 2002.

• “What is Plagiarism?” Georgetown University Honor Society Council, http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html#getstuff, June 2002, accessed July 18, 2002.

• “What is Plagiarism?” Old Dominion University Libraries, http://www.lib.odu.edu/research/Plagiarism/StudentHandout.htm, August 1999, accessed July 18, 2002, adapted from the StarQuest tutorial, ethics module, by Elizabeth Hogue, http://www.lib.odu.edu/research/tutorials/starquest/ethicsmodule .

• Willliams, Sharon. “Avoiding Plagiarism,” Hamilton College, http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/AvoidingPlagiarism.html, June 2002, accessed July 18, 2002.

Case Study AnswersCase Study Answers1. Yes, it's called 'duplicate submission'. It may be difficult to

understand why you cannot submit work that is your own. However, there are reasons why this is a academically dishonest. There is the expectation when you take a course that you will do new and original work for the course requirements. A student in the course is expected to do the same amount of work as all other students. Further, if a student is to submit previously completed work a second time, that student has the unfair advantage of receiving feedback from the instructor who originally marked the paper. Adding onto previous work (yours or others) is part of scholarship, however, even a researcher must reference him/herself when mentioning their previously completed work, published or unpublished. If you are in this situation and you want to write a paper on the same topic as before, speak to your professor. Take your original paper and discuss what you might do to satisfy the course requirements, but still focus on the same topic. i.e. research a different aspect.

Case Study AnswersCase Study Answers2. Yes. When work is submitted by a group of individuals it is

expected that all will share in the responsibility of ensuring the work meets the assignment requirements and that it is appropriately referenced. Make sure all the group members read and agree with each others' sections before compiling the project and submitting it to the instructor. Keep copies of all the work you completed individually.

3. Yes. Although it may be tempting to simply write in the results that are well-known, it is wrong to falsify your lab results. You can appreciate the potential for serious consequences if a student began this practice of 'fudging' their data in first year undergraduate courses and carried it into graduate school and into research labs. The honest thing to do in this situation is to state the results you did get and offer some reasons why your experiment did not work out.

Case Study AnswersCase Study Answers4. Yes. It is called 'padding' your bibliography or reference list.

Do not include materials that you did not use or refer to in your paper.

5. Yes. You are responsible for safeguarding your own work. You might be seen as assisting your friend to plagiarize or to cheat.

6. Yes. These sections of the paper are not authored by you, but by your friend. You would be misrepresenting yourself. It is good practice to have someone proofread your paper before submitting, but it is bad practice to have someone make direct changes to your paper.

7. Yes. If the expectation was for all students to submit their own individual work. In this example the assignment was not worked on individually, it was worked on by three students. If you are having difficulties with an assignment, speak to your professor or T.A. Always keep rough drafts of your assignments to show that you did your own work.

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