Using Sources in your Work: A Tutorial on Avoiding Plagiarism GRADE 11 & 12

Using Sources in your Work:A Tutorial on Avoiding Plagiarism

GRADE 11 & 12

NOTE:To move through this tutorial, use the

mouse to click on the arrow at the bottom right of your screen.

Agenda for This Tutorial Pretest your knowledge of plagiarism by

looking at some sample situations. Learn more about plagiarism:

• What plagiarism is and how one can avoid it• When to cite your sources• How to cite your sources

Take a quiz to verify your understanding. Pledge that you will avoid plagiarism.

Definition of Plagiarism Plagiarism is:

• To steal the words or ideas of another person

• To pass off the words or ideas of another person as one’s own

• It doesn’t matter whether the theft is intentional or accidental. Either way, it is plagiarism.

There is no acceptable excuse for plagiarism.

Plagiarism is cheating(and it will be treated as such if it is

found in your work).

Look at these real life examples…

Real Life Plagiarism Scandals

Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, was forced to step down from the Pulitzer board after she was found to have accidentally used another’s words in one of her books.

Hostetter, Janet. 6 Apr 2006. Associated Press Images. 5 Aug 2008. <http://apimages.ap.org>

Kirpatrick, David D. “Author Goodwin Resigns from Pulitzer Board.” New York Times. (1 June 2002.) 5 Aug. 2008. <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E7D7143AF932A35755C0A9649C8B63>.

Real Life Plagiarism Scandals

After being accused of rampant plagiarism in her work, tenured professor Madonna G. Constantine was fired from her position at Columbia University.

Bondafeff, Dian. 10 Oct. 2007. Associated Press Images. 5 Aug 2008. <http://apimages.ap.org>.

Santora, Marc. “Columbia Professor in Noose Case Is Fired on Plagiarism Charges.” New York Times. (24 June 2008.) 5 Aug. 2008. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/nyregion/24columbia.html?scp=1&sq=Madonna%20Constantine%20&st=cse>.

Real Life Plagiarism ScandalsAs a reporter for the New York Times, Jayson Blair plagiarized or fabricated in more than 40 stories between 2002 and 2005. He was fired from his job. The top two editors of the newspaper resigned as a result of the scandal.

“Correcting the Record.” New York Times. 11 May 2003. The New York Times. 5 Aug 2008. <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E1DB123FF932A25756C0A9659C8B63>

Image: Szymaszek, Jennifer. 12 May 2004. Associated Press Images. 5 Aug 2008. <http:// apimages.ap.org>

Real Life Plagiarism ScandalsBlair Hornstein was the valedictorian of her high school class and had earned admission to Harvard University. After articles Hornstein wrote for a local newspaper were discovered to have been plagiarized, Harvard University rescinded their acceptance. Capuzzo, Jill P. “MOORESTOWN JOURNAL; Seeing Crimson.” New York Times. (20 July 2003.) 5 Aug. 2008. <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E6D61E3CF933A15754C0A9659C8B63&scp=4&sq=Blair%20Hornstein%20&st=cse>.

“Blair Hornstein.” The Gothamist. 14 July 2003. 5 Aug. 2008. <http://gothamist.com/2003/07/14/gothamist.php>.

So, as you can see,plagiarism is a serious offense.

This presentation is part of your class work so that you know

what plagiarism is and

how you can avoid it.

You know this…don’t you?

Sure you do. Teachers have been talking (and talking, and talking) about plagiarism—and how you should avoid it.

Let’s see what you know about plagiarism. In each of the following examples, determine whether the student committed plagiarism or not.

Jack’s SituationJack has an English paper due tomorrow. He

read the book and paid attention during class, but he has no idea what to write about.

Jack logs onto the Internet “just to get some ideas about topics for his paper.”

He finds a great idea and begins writing his paper using the topic he found. He is very careful to avoid copying any text or words from the Internet article he found.

Is this plagiarism? Yes No

You must choose from the blue buttons at the bottom of the page.

Read the situation and then choose one of the options presented.

Click here to return to previous slide

You said…Jack did plagiarize.

You are right. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism.• By taking the ideas of the source

without citing them in the paper, Jack is committing plagiarism.

• Even though he put the ideas in his own words, Jack is stealing the intellectual property of the source.

You are wrong. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism.• By taking the ideas of the source without citing

them in the paper, Jack is committing plagiarism.

• Even though he put the ideas in his own words, Jack is stealing the intellectual property of the source. You are wrong. Jack’s actions constitute plagiarism.

• He could avoid plagiarism if he cites the source of the ideas in his paper.

You said…Jack did not plagiarize.

Jill’s SituationDuring history class, Jill is asked to find

some background on Fidel Castro’s rise to power.

Jill does a Google search and arrives at Wikipedia’s article on Fidel Castro. Without using quotation marks, Jill cuts and pastes several sentences from Wikipedia into her assignment.





You said…Jill did plagiarize.

You are right. Jill’s actions constitute plagiarism.• By taking the words from the Wikipedia

article, Jill is committing plagiarism.• She could avoid plagiarizing if she

quotes the article in her assignment and includes an entry describing the source in a bibliography at the end of her paper.

You are wrong. Jill’s actions constitute plagiarism.• By taking the words from the Wikipedia

article, Jill is committing plagiarism.• She could avoid plagiarizing if she

quotes the article in her assignment and includes an entry describing the source in a bibliography at the end of her paper.

You said…Jill did not plagiarize.

Gretel’s SituationGretel is a freshman who feels

overwhelmed by the high school. When her science teacher assigns a short worksheet on quarks, Gretel is confused and frustrated.

During lunch, Gretel “borrows” her friend’s paper and copies the answers onto her own paper.





You said…Gretel did plagiarize.

You are right. Gretel’s actions constitute plagiarism.• Even if Gretel’s friend gave permission

for Gretel to copy her work, it is still plagiarism.

• Gretel is guilty of plagiarism. She tried to take credit for the words and ideas of another person.

You are wrong. Gretel’s actions constitute plagiarism.• Even if Gretel’s friend gave permission

for Gretel to copy her work, it is still plagiarism.

• It is plagiarism when a student tries to take credit for the words and ideas of another person without acknowledging the original source of the work.

You said…Gretel did not plagiarize.

Hansel’s SituationHansel is a senior who has already

been accepted to college.

When his teacher assigns a paper on a subject that Hansel wrote a paper on as a sophomore, Hansel decides to turn in his old paper again.





You said…Hansel did plagiarize.

This example does not have a clear right or wrong answer. Although it may not technically be plagiarism, Hansel’s reuse of his own paper is prohibited by the rules of academic integrity.• So, if caught, Hansel would be in trouble

for his actions.

This example does not have a clear right or wrong answer. Although it may not technically be plagiarism, Hansel’s reuse of his own paper is prohibited by the rules of academic integrity.• So, if caught, Hansel would be in trouble

for his actions.

You said…Hansel did not plagiarize.

Jacob’s SituationJacob is a sophomore who is creating a

digital story using images from the internet.

Without giving the source and the name of the photographer, Jacob uses photographs found doing a Google Image search.





You said…Jacob did plagiarize.

Although this is not technically plagiarism, Jacob’s actions are wrong. The use of images or drawings created by anyone other than you requires citation of the artist’s name and the source of the image. • So, if caught, Jacob would be in trouble

for his actions.

Although this is not technically plagiarism, Jacob’s actions are wrong. The use of images or drawings created by anyone other than you requires citation of the artist’s name and the source of the image. • So, if caught, Jacob would be in trouble

for his actions.

You said…Jacob did not plagiarize.

How did you do?

Just to make sure you know what actions are plagiarism, please read the following…

Robert A. Harris, author of The Plagiarism Handbook, states that

The following actions are clearly examples of plagiarism:

Downloading and submitting a free paper from a website.

Buying and submitting a paper purchased from a paper mill.

Copying verbatim another writer’s work—either in print or online—without using quotation marks.

Harris continues his description by explaining that

The actions below are also plagiarism, although many students don’t realize it: Inadequate paraphrasing, such as merely

substituting synonyms while keeping syntax and other aspects the same

Rearranging another writer’s words or sentences

Using another’s ideas, facts, or artistic products without attribution

Using unique phrases from another writer Copying the organizational or syntactical

structure of another writer, even if you change the words used.

Wait, there’s more…According to Harris

These are also plagiarism: Cutting and pasting to create a paper from

several sources without citing those sources. Quoting less than all the words copied. Changing some words but copying whole

phrases. Paraphrasing without attribution Summarizing without attribution Faking a citation

OK, I get it…there are lots of ways to

plagiarize.

And, yes, I know that it is wrong.

But, if I am not caught,

I won’t be penalized.

So, what is the benefit of citing my sources?

Four good reasons for citing sources in your work:

• Citing reliable information gives credibility to your work.



• Cheating is unethical behavior.



• Cheating is unethical behavior.• It is only fair to give credit to the source

—otherwise, you are stealing the source’s ideas.



• Cheating is unethical behavior.• It is only fair to give credit to the source

—otherwise, you are stealing the source’s ideas.

• The consequences are severe—plagiarism is not worth the risk.

OK, fine…there are reasons to not

plagiarize.

But, I’m busy. Very busy.

And school doesn’t matter.

And the assignment is stupid.

And my teacher won’t catch me.

And other kids are doing it.

And I need a good grade.

And it is due tomorrow!

So, what am I supposed to do?

Well, first of all, you should not fall for those excuses!

They are excuses for cheating. (By the way, your teachers and principals won’t believe that they are reasonable justification for cheating, either!)

And it isn’t hard to avoid plagiarism!• Just cite the source of any ideas or words you

take from anyone else.• Then, provide a bibliography or Works Cited

page to show where the borrowed material originated.

So:

(1) What do I need to cite?

(2) How do I cite?

Read on for the answers…

What do I need to cite?

This chart will help you decide what must be cited.• It was created by

Robert A. Harris in The Plagiarism Handbook.

Did youthink of

it?

No.

Yes.

Is itcommon

knowledge?

No.

Yes.

Cite it. Do not cite it.

So—the rule is:

If you created it or thought of it,you do not need to cite the source.

If you did not create the content, you must cite the source.

Did youthink of

it?

No.

Yes.

Is itcommon

knowledge?

No.

Yes.


The one exception to that rule is for “common knowledge.”

You do not need to cite the source of an unoriginal piece of information IF:

(1) an educated person should know the information,

OR,

(2) it is a fact that could be found in an encyclopedia.

Did youthink of

it?

No.

Yes.

Is itcommon

knowledge?

No.

Yes.


So, you don’t need to cite a fact,

but you must cite the source of opinions and ideas that are not your own.

And, you must cite anytime you use the exact words of the source—even if the words are

presenting common knowledge.You must always cite the source of ANY direct quotation.

So, you don’t need to cite a fact, for example: Rand wrote Anthem.

OR Ayn Rand was born in 1905.

but you must cite the source of opinions and ideas that are not your own.

for example: Dorothy Gale believed that Anthem is an inspiring story (75). OR

According to Joe Smith, Equality 7-2521 represents the human spirit (15).

And, you must cite anytime you use the exact words of the source—even if the words are

presenting common knowledge.You must always cite the source of ANY direct quotation.

So, let’s check to see that you understand when you need to cite the source and when you don’t…

Answer the following questions and choose the correct answer.

Test Case #1Jack isn’t sure if he needs to cite the source of the information below. He found the fact online. “Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president.” What do you think? What should Jack do? Pick one of the answers below.

Cite the source.This means he will:(1) Either:

a) Surround with quotation marks, orb) Put the quotation into his own words,

changing the syntax, structure, & organization

(2) Include a lead-in giving the source’s name,

(3) Give the page number, and

(4) List the source in a bibliography

Do not cite thesource.This means that the information is a commonly reported fact. It is generally known and available from many sources.

(1) Jack should verify the information in at least two sources, then

(2) Jack will write the well-knowninformation in his own words.

You must choose one of the buttons at the bottom of the page.



You are incorrect.In this case,

citation is not necessary. Jack does not need to cite the source

of quote the information because it is general knowledge.

Because Abraham Lincoln’s status as the 16th President of the US is a fact that is verifiable in many places, Jack can use the information without citation.

You are correct!Jack does not need to cite this

information. Jack does not need to cite the source

of quote the information because it is general knowledge.

Because Abraham Lincoln’s status as the 16th President of the US is a fact that is verifiable in many places, Jack can use the information without citation.

Test Case #2In her paper on Affirmative Action, Jill found one source that explained that Affirmative Action “evens the field of play by wreaking equity on all players.”

In her paper, Jill uses the phrase “wreaking equity” but she puts all the other parts of the source into her own words. What should Jill do? Pick one of the answers below.

Cite the source.This means she will:(1) Either:

a) Surround with quotation marks, orb) Put the quotation into her own words,





Not cite the source.This means that the information is generally known and available from multiple sources.

(1) Jill should verify the information in at least two sources, then

(2) Jill will write the well-knowninformation in her own words.




You are correct!Jill must cite this information.

Jill needs to cite the source of the paraphrase because the idea belongs to the source.

Further, because Jill uses the unique phrase “wreaking equity,” she must include that phrase in quotation marks, indicating that it is a direct quotation from the source.

You are incorrect.In this case, citation is necessary.

Jill needs to cite the source of the paraphrase because the idea belongs to the source.

Further, because Jill uses the unique phrase “wreaking equity,” she must include that phrase in quotation marks, indicating that it is a direct quotation from the source.

Test Case #3Gretel found a very helpful article in an online database. She very carefully made sure that she rewrote the content of the article using her own personal style; she changed the author’s syntax and organization so that it fit seamlessly into her paper. What should Gretel do?

Cite the source.This means she will:(1) Either:

a) Surround with quotation marks, orb) Put the quotation into his own words,





Not cite the source.This means that the information is generally known and available from multiple sources.

(1) Gretel should verify the information in at least two sources, then

(2) Gretel will write the well-knowninformation in her own words.

(3) Gretel must include a bibliographic citationon her Works Consulted page.




You are correct.In this case, citation is required.

Gretel paraphrases the source’s idea and content. She must give credit to the source.

She must provide her audience with the source of the idea that she borrowed.

You are incorrect!Gretel must cite the source of this

information, even though she put it in her own words.

Gretel paraphrases the ideas of the source, so she must cite the identity of the source.

Gretel must provide her audience with the source of the material that she borrowed.

Test Case #4Jacob found a photograph online that shows the historical period he’s discussing in his paper. He wrote his own caption and placed the image on the title page. What should Jacob do?

Cite the source.This means he will:Either:

a) Put the artist’s name and source directly beneath the image, or

b) List the source in a bibliography

Not cite the source.This means that the image was something that Jacob created without manipulating other people’s works.




You are correct.In this case, citation is required.

Jacob uses somebody else’s creation; therefore, he must give credit to the source.

He must provide his readers with the artist’s name and the source of the image that he borrowed.

You are incorrect!Jacob must cite the source of this

image.

The image is not the creative property of Jacob. Therefore, he must cite the identity of the creator and the source where he found the image.

So, now you can identify what must have a citation…

Now you need to know how to use and cite a

source!

How to Cite a Source It’s easy. Just provide your audience with

the source of any ideas or words that are not your own. • First, carefully mark the beginning and end of

the source’s words or idea.• Then, provide a bibliography to show where the

borrowed material originated.

In fact, listing your sources shows your audience that you are an informed, well-researched writer!

How to Cite Direct Quotations Provide a bibliographic entry to show where the

borrowed material originated. Park, Beth L. Understanding Ayn Rand’s Anthem. Lebo

University Press: Pittsburgh, PA, 2008.

Carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s words or idea.• Use a lead-in to introduce the source• Use quotation marks to surround the words of the source• Provide the page number (or another citation) after the

closing quotation marks.

• EXAMPLE: According to literary critic Beth L. Parks, Equality 7-2521 finds

peace through “his search for the height of his own potential” (24).

How to Cite Paraphrases Provide a bibliographic entry to show where the borrowed

material originated. Park, Beth L. Understanding Ayn Rand’s Anthem. Lebo University

Press: Pittsburgh, PA, 2008.

Carefully mark the beginning and end of the source’s material.• Use a lead-in to introduce the source• Put the source’s original words into your own words:

It isn’t just about using synonyms to replace words. You must change the syntax, sentence structure, & organization of the

original. • If you find yourself just changing a word here or there, ask yourself if a

direct quotation would work. If it would work, then use a direct quotation.)• Provide the page number (or another citation) after the closing

quotation marks.

• EXAMPLE: According to literary critic Beth L. Parks, Equality 7-2521 separates

himself from the society by striving to improve the world around him (24).

It can be said in a bunch of different ways…

Mark the boundaries


Mark the boundaries

Bracket the

borrowed


Mark the boundaries

Fence the borders

Bracket the

borrowed


Mark the boundaries

Enclose the borrowed

Fence the borders

Bracket the

borrowed


Mark the boundaries

Frame theusage


Fence the borders

Bracket the

borrowed


Mark the boundaries

Frame theusage


Fence the borders

Circumscribe the usageBracket the

borrowed

But, they all mean the same thing…Provide a clear indication

of any words or ideas that are not your own.


Mark the boundaries

Frame theusage


Fence the borders

Circumscribe the usageBracket the

borrowed

Can you identify plagiarism when you see it?

Try the following four examples. On each you will see the source material and the student’s usage of that material.

Use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to choose if the example shows acceptable use or plagiarism.

Acceptable Use or Plagiarism?Example 1

Original source text: Student’s Text:

Student’s Bibliography:

Voters in Pennsylvania believed that the Republican nominee, Barbara Hafer, opposed abortion rights, but the Democratic governor, Robert Casey, favored a right to abortion. But the reverse was true, even though Democrats are more likely to be “pro-choice”. “In general” doesn’t apply to “this specific.”

No references given.

In 1990, voters in Pennsylvania were disposed to believe that the Republican nominee, Barbara Hafer, opposed abortion rights, and that the incumbent Democratic governor, Robert Casey, favored a right to abortion: the reverse was true. In general, Democrats are more likely to be “pro-choice” and Republicans “pro-life,” but not in this case. A good rule is “in general” doesn’t necessarily apply to “this specific.” Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. (73)

Acceptable Use PlagiarismCHOOSE ONE:




You said that the example showed Acceptable Use

You are incorrect. Use the arrow at the bottom of this

screen to return to the example.

Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is plagiarism.

You said that the example showed Plagiarism

You are correct! The paraphrase was inadequate and

the student did not give credit to the source of the idea by having a citation.

To adequately paraphrase, the student must change the words and the sentence structure.

Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 2

Original source: Student’s Text:


Psychologists investigated how fans interpreted a violent game between Princeton and Dartmouth and found that, although a Dartmouth player was the seriously injured only after a Princeton player was, the majority of Dartmouth fans believed Princeton started the roughness.

Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007.

In 1954, Albert Hastorf and Hadley Cantril published a classic study about how a Princeton and Dartmouth football fans saw a penalty-ridden game in which the Princeton quarterback was taken off the field with a broken nose and a mild concussion and a Dartmouth player later suffered a broken leg. They found that 86 percent of the Princeton students said that Dartmouth started the rough play, but only 36 percent of the Dartmouth students saw it that way.

Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007. (74)






You are incorrect! Use the arrow at the bottom of this


Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is plagiarism.


You are correct! This example is plagiarism because the

student neglected to include a parenthetical reference in the text of the paper.• She correctly marks the opening boundary of the

paraphrase with her phrase “Psychologists investigated…”

• However, she does not provide the closing boundary by giving a parenthetical reference to the source material: “…started the roughness” (Brooks, 74).

Acceptable Use or Plagiarism? Example 3

Original text from the source:

Student’s Text:


A psychology professor in California researched the theory that if people were provided a reason to do something, they would be more likely to do it. At a bake sale, he tried to sell cookies by asking “Would you like to buy a cookie?” and later asked “Would you like to buy a cookie? It’s for a good cause.” When he provided a reason for the sale, people were six times more like to buy a cookie – even though they didn’t know what cause was benefitting (80).

Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007.

Robert Levine, a psychology professor at California State University, Fresno, tried different pitches during a campus bake sale. Asking “Would you like to buy a cookie?” resulted in purchases by only two out of thirty passersby. But his researchers sold six times as many cookies when they asked, “Would you like to buy a cookie? It’s for a good cause.” And none even bothered to ask what the good cause was.

Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007. (80)






You are correct! The student adequately paraphrases

by changing the words and the syntax. He provides the source in his bibliography.


You are incorrect! Use the arrow at the bottom of this


Reread the example and see if you can determine why it is fair use.

So, to review… Plagiarism is a serious offense. Not

only does it carry heavy penalties, but your integrity is damaged when you plagiarize.

Plagiarism is easily avoidable—just cite the sources when you use the words or ideas of another person.

If you have any questions, see your teacher or school librarian!

Final Directions: Your teacher has a written quiz for you to

take on the subject of plagiarism. Your teacher also has a honor code sheet.

You will sign it in order to verify that you have receive this training.

You will then have your parent sign the honor code.

Your English teacher will collect these signed forms.

Sources ConsultedDeSena, Laura Hennessey. Preventing Plagiarism:

Tips and Techniques. National Council of Teachers of English: Urbana, IL, 2007.

Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism. Pyrczak Publishing: Los Angeles, 2001.

Valenza, Joyce Kasman. “What is Plagiarism? (And Why You Should Care).” Springfield High School Media Center Information Literacy Lessons. Springfield School District.

Documents

Using Sources in your Work: A Tutorial on Avoiding Plagiarism GRADE 11 & 12