Transcript How to Avoid Plagiarism

How to Avoid Plagiarism
Christine McLaughlin, Director
Academic Success Center
Marge Lippincott, Dean of Information
Technology and Learning Resources
What is Plagiarism?

“Plagiarism is using others' ideas
and words without clearly
acknowledging the source of that
information.”
Owl, the Purdue On-line Writing Lab. Purdue University. Jan. 31, 2003.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html#Print
When Do You Cite a Source?
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When you use the author’s exact words
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When you borrow the author’s ideas
What Do You Cite?
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Do Not Cite
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
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Thesis
Topic sentences
Your examples
Personal experience
Your comments
about the research

Cite
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Anything from a
source other than
yourself
How do You
Cite Sources in a Paper?

Place a parenthesis at the end of the
sentence that contains the source
information.
 Insert the author’s last name and page
number of the information cited.
Example: (Smith 25).
In-Text Citations of
Electronic Resources
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
Avoid parenthetical references.
Use direct references in the text to the
name of the author or sponsoring
agency.
Examples:
 Known Author:
William J. Mitchell's City of Bits discusses architecture
and urban life in the context of the digital
telecommunications revolution.
A Known Sponsor:
 More companies today are using data mining to
unlock hidden value in their data. The data mining
program "Clementine," described at the SPSS Web
site, helps organizations predict market share and
detect possible fraud.
How Do You Cite Sources at
the End of the Paper?
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Attach a Works Cited page at the end of
your paper.
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List sources of information.
Use MLA documentation style.
List sources alphabetically by authors’ last
names.
Ways to Avoid Plagiarism in
Your Research Paper
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Paraphrase
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Summarize
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Quote
How to Paraphrase
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State the meaning in your own words.
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Include all relevant material.
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Be accurate.
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Sound like yourself.
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Cite the original source.
Example of Paraphrasing
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Original
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“Today, English is used by at least 750 million
people, and barely half of those speak it as a
mother tongue” (McCrum et al. 19).
Paraphrase
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In the beginning of the twenty-first century, 750
million individuals speak English and less than half
that number use it as their native language
(McCrum et al. 19).
How to Summarize
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Identify author’s name and title of work – in
your first sentence.
State the author’s main idea – in your first
sentence.
Paraphrase all major points of the work.
Present ideas in the same order as in the
original.
What to Omit and Add
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Omit your own
comments or
opinions.
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Omit any minor
details and points.
Add quotation marks if
you use a word or
phrase from the
original.
Add the author’s name
within your summary as
a reminder that you are
summarizing.
Example of Summarizing
In Daina Savage’s article “Weird Al Yankovic: No
Amish Expert,” she interviews Weird Al to reveal his
inspiration for his CD Bad Hair Day. A song on the
CD entitled “Amish Paradise” is a parody of rap artist
Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Savage discovers that
Yankovic “was content to simply use Amish
stereotypes” as the basis for his research (1-2).
When to Quote
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When you use the author’s exact words.
When the original sentence is difficult to
paraphrase.
How to Quote
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Smith writes that “---------” (25).
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Smith writes, “------------” (25).
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Smith writes about his experiences in
the desert: “-------------” (25).
Examples of Quoting
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Savage writes that “Yankovic makes no
pretense at achieving authenticity . . .” (2).
Savage writes, “Yankovic makes no pretense
at achieving authenticity . . .” (2).
Savage notes Yankovic’s lack of originality:
“Yankovic makes no pretense at achieving
authenticity . . .” (2).
Works Cited: Book
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Book: Single Author
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Author(s). Title of Book. Place of
Publication: Publisher, Year
of Publication.
Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House.
Denver: MacMurray, 1999.
Works Cited:
Magazine or Newspaper
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Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of
Source Day Month Year: pages.
Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a TooClose Call." Time 20 Nov.
2000: 70-71.
Works Cited :
Scholarly Journal
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Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of
Journal Vol (Year): pages.
Allen, Emily. "Staging Identity: Frances
Burney's Allegory of Genre."
Eighteenth-Century Studies 31
(1998): 433-51.
Works Cited:
Electronic Database
Author, Arthur A. "Title of article" (in
quotation marks). Title of full work
(underlined or in italics) volume.issue
(Date): paging or indicator of length.
Name of database (underlined or in
italics). Name of library and location.
Access date and <Full web address>.
Works Cited:
Electronic Database
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Bleich, Eric. "From International Ideas to Domestic
Policies: Educational Multiculturalism in England
and France ." Comparative Politics 31.1 (Oct.
1998): 81-90. Expanded Academic ASAP.
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT. 2 Aug. 2000
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/middlebury
_main?db=EAIM>.
Note: "Access date" should indicate the date you visited the
website. "Full web address" should be the main address or
login screen for the database. It is not necessary to put the
exact address of the article, since it is usually VERY long.
Works Cited: Internet Source
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Author, Alan A. Title of www page
(underlined or in italics). Sponsoring
institution or organization (if
professional site). Access date and
<Full web address>.
Works Cited: Internet Sources
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Example of Professional Internet Site:
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1492: An Ongoing Voyage. Library of
Congress. 21 May 1998
<http://sunsite.unc.edu/expo/1492.exhibit
/Intro.html>.
Note. "Access date" should indicate the date you
visited the website; this is important because online
information is frequently altered.
English Tutors


Call for an Appointment
1-617-928-4709
Open Daily at Hallden Center
Help with finding Information
for Research Assignments

Contact a Librarian


In person at the Reference Desk of the
Library – Library is Open Daily
On-line – Ask a Librarian


www.mountida.edu
Click on Information Technology
Works Cited
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Citing Electronic Resources - MLA. Middlebury College Library. Jan. 31,
2003. <http://www.middlebury.edu/~lib/citing.mla.html>.
Guffey, Mary Ellen. “MLA Style Electronic Format.”
Communication@Work.. Jan. 31, 2003.
<http://www.westwords.com/guffey/mla.html>.
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Owl, the Purdue On-line Writing Lab. Purdue University. Jan. 31, 2003.
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html#Print>.

Writing Tutorial Services. Indiana University. Jan. 31, 2003.
<http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html>.
Plagiarism Presentation
Sponsored by the Massachusetts
Board of Library Commissioners
LSTA Grant Project