Plagiarism and Using Sources

Chris TuthillNewman Library

Information Literacy

The information literate student is able to:

• Determine the extent of information needed • Access the needed information effectively and efficiently • Evaluate information and its sources critically • Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base • Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose • Understand the economic, legal, and social issues

surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

• http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm

Student Expectations

• Academic Writing is Harder than they expected

• They are used to ‘copying’—many examples of this in music, movies, etc.

• They still know it’s wrong but are tempted to do it anyway

Good Use of Sources

• Educating them is key—why is it wrong?• Have students compare sources and

quotations• Show them examples of plagiarism: what

could the author have done differently?• Requiring an annotated Bibliography

Why use Citations

• Explanation of good citation practice• To build knowledge• Gives evidence of what you did• Communicates your sources• They can use bibliographies to their advantage

Other Strategies

• The Term Paper Artist• http://www.thesmartset.com/article/article10100801.aspx

• Article written by an author who worked at a term paper mill

• Discuss cases in the news to promote awareness of the issue

Library Resources

• Plagiarism Tutorial• http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/help/plagiarism/default.htm

• Write Your Own Term Paper• http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/writeyourowntermpaper/

• Your Librarians• http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/about/facultystaff.php

Other Sites and Sources

• Center for Academic Integrity• http://www.academicintegrity.org/assessment_guide/index.php

• http://plagiarism.org/• Citation and style guides• http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/styleguides