Avoid Plagiarism
WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?
Plagiarism, or using someone else's work as your own, may occur deliberately or unintentionally. Teachers and administrators may not distinguish between deliberate and accidental plagiarism. Because it is a form of academic dishonesty, there may be consequences. Avoid this by giving credit where credit is due.
This may be credit for something somebody said, wrote, emailed, drew, or implied. Google has created a plagiarism checker that works with Google Classroom, making it very easy for teachers to check turned in work for plagiarism.
When do we give credit?
The key to avoiding plagiarism is to make sure you give credit where it is due. Teachers may give specific requirements for citations in individual classes. All students should adhere to teachers’ guidelines. Below are the Purdue OWL general rules for citations.
Need to Cite:
Words or ideas presented in a magazine, book, newspaper, song, TV program, movie, website, computer program, letter, advertisement, or any other medium
Information you gain through interviewing or conversing with another person, face to face, over the phone, or in writing
When you copy the exact words or a unique phrase
When you reprint any diagrams, illustrations, charts, pictures, or other visual materials
When you reuse or repost any digital media, including images, audio, video, or other media
Bottom line, document any words, ideas, or other productions that originate somewhere outside of you.
No Need to Cite:
Writing your own lived experiences, your own observations and insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions about a subject
When you are writing up your own results obtained through lab or field experiments
When you use your own artwork, digital photographs, video, audio, etc.
When you are using "common knowledge," things like folklore, common sense observations, myths, urban legends, and historical events (but not historical documents)
When you are using generally-accepted facts (e.g., pollution is bad for the environment) including facts that are accepted within particular discourse communities (e.g., in the field of composition studies, "writing is a process" is a generally-accepted fact).
Is it "common knowledge?"
Generally speaking, you can regard something as common knowledge if you find the same information undocumented in at least five credible sources. Additionally, it might be common knowledge if you think the information you're presenting is something your readers will already know, or something that a person could easily find in general reference sources. But when in doubt, cite; if the citation turns out to be unnecessary, your teacher or editor will tell you.
Source: Purdue OWL
What about paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is taking someone else's ideas and putting those ideas in your own words. Paraphrasing is not changing a word or two in someone else’s sentence, changing the sentence structure while maintaining the original words, or changing a few words to synonyms. If you are tempted to rearrange a sentence in any of these ways, you are writing too close to the original. That’s plagiarizing, not paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing is a fine way to use another person’s ideas to support your argument as long as you attribute the material to the author and cite the source in the in-text (parenthetical) citation and the works cited. Try taking notes from your reading with the book closed. This will make it easier to put the ideas in your own words. When you are unsure if you are writing too close to the original, check with your teacher before you turn in the paper for a grade. Yes, you need to cite when you paraphrase.
Source: UNC Writing Center
How can I avoid plagiarizing?
Most students don't intend to plagiarize, but accidental/reckless plagiarism needs to be avoided as well. There are some simple steps you can take to avoid plagiarizing when you write.
1. Don't procrastinate: Good research takes time, and your sources may lead you in a different direction than you originally planned. Feeling pressed for time can lead to sloppy research habits and bad decisions. Give yourself enough time to do well on the assignment.
2. Improve your note taking: Use a code, symbol, or different colored text/highlighter to distinguish between your own thoughts or quotes you may want to use. Mark your own thoughts (write "ME" in parantheses) and words from others with a "Q" or quotation marks, followed by information that identifies the author and source ("Smith, 2012"). This organization will make it easier to build your works cited and organize your writing later. Try to write your own thoughts in your notes, and note the connections between your sources. For more tips and notetaking templates click here.
3. Thoroughly research your subject: Students often make the mistake of sitting down to create before they know the assigned subject matter well. Don't skip steps: perform your research, take thorough notes, and synthesize your ideas before you begin to write. As you learn more about a topic, you'll become more flexible with the material, and feel less shackled to whatever limited information you do have.
4. Know how to paraphrase correctly: Once you understand a concept, you should be able to explain it in your own words. Your unique explanation, along with a citation, constitutes proper paraphrasing. If you rely on the original author's words without crediting the source, you're plagiarizing.
5. Know how to cite: Students can get into trouble by not understanding how to give credit within their work. Know which style you're supposed to use for your paper and learn how to properly attribute your sources. Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) are the most commonly used citation styles at IHS.
6. Ask if you aren't sure: It's always better safe than sorry. If you aren't sure if you've paraphrased correctly or whether you need to cite your source, ask your teacher or a librarian.
More best practices for avoiding plagiarism available at Purdue OWL.
Sources: UNC Writing Center, UCLA Research Guide, Online Colleges, Purdue OWL