Plagiarism Review

Plagiarism:

A Quick Review

Mrs. Morin

Digital Learning Coach

& School Librarian

Multiple Select

Select all of the examples of plagiarism.

• Citing the source, but forgetting to use quotation marks.

• Citing everything correctly, but using very little of your own thoughts.

• Reusing part or all of an old assignment you created.

• Accidentally citing the wrong source.

Academic Honesty Violations @Oakmont:

Any reported violation will be recorded on the student’s discipline record. Parent notification is required. Sanctions for violation of the Academic Honesty Policy may result in a zero grade for the assignment in question, and/or discussions involving the student, teacher, guidance counselor, parents and administration. Serious or multiple offenses may result in loss of credit and/or course failure along with administrative disciplinary action up to and including suspension.

Ignorance is NOT a defense.

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It is YOUR responsibility to understand what is and is not acceptable.

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Don't take any chances with YOUR reputation.

4 Common Types of Plagiarism

(+1 bonus)

Direct or Verbatim

• Word-for-word, copy & paste

• No quotations

• No credit given

Lazy Paraphrasing

• Minor changes only

• Even if some of the words are different - the IDEAS are the same

• NOTE: This includes using an online generator to help change the text

Accidental

• Forget to use quotation marks

• Mix up sources

• Don't fully understand what needs to be cited

• Usually a result of not being organized or focused

• STILL PLAGIARISM

Self-plagiarism

• Using all or part of a project you created for a different assignment or teacher

• You already got credit for the work. Trying to use it again is dishonest and "double dipping"

• You have grown academically since you completed that old assignment - don't limit yourself.

BONUS: Mosaic/Patchwork

• Only a collection of others' ideas

• Very little to NO original thought

• IF everything is properly cited, this one probably won't get you in trouble until college, but you should always try to make YOUR OWN voice and ideas the most important. Quote others' as a way to support and provide evidence for your own ideas.

Some forms of plagiarism are obvious:

• Copying all or part of a paper written by someone else, whether you change it or not

• Paying or bribing someone to write a paper for you

• Copying portions of a source without quotation marks or citations

• Using online programs or text generators to create portions of your writing

Others are more subtle, but still plagiarism:

• Reading a classmate's paper and using his or her ideas

• Having a parent or friend edit or rewrite your paper, making the changes for you

• Writing a paper as a group without the teacher’s permission, even if each person makes changes

• Turning in a paper, or re-using sections of a paper, you wrote for another class without the teacher’s permission

Quiz Time

Multiple Choice

Which of the following can be done to avoid plagiarism?

(only select ONE answer)

• Paraphrasing

  or putting one's ideas in your own words AND citing

• Summarizing

  a long passage in your own words AND citing the original

• Directly quoting

  what another says AND including quotation marks as well as an in-text citation

• ALL of these

  are acceptable ways to include others' ideas in your assignment without plagiarizing

Multiple Select

Reasons to paraphrase include:

(you may select more than one answer)

• changing the organization of ideas for EMPHASIS

• SIMPLIFYING the material

• stating the EXACT words of the original

• CLARIFYING the material

Multiple Choice

To properly use a direct quote in your paper,

you need to include which of the following?

(only select ONE answer)

• a full citation on the works cited page

• signal sentence or phrase, quotation marks, in-text citation, and a full citation

• quotation marks plus either an in-text citation OR a full citation

• an in-text citation only

Multiple Choice

Is this plagiarism?

Having someone look over your paper and discussing how to improve it.

• Yes, this is plagiarism

• No, this is NOT plagiarism

Multiple Choice

True or False: Buying a paper on the internet is a kind of plagiarism.

• True.

  Doing this is still trying to pass off someone else's ideas and work as your own.

• False.

  If you paid for it, you should own the information.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following does NOT require credit or documentation?

(only select ONE answer)

• Information you gain through interviewing or conversing with another person, face to face, over the phone, or in writing

• Writing your own lived experiences, your own observations and insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions about a subject

• When you copy the exact words, or a unique phrase, used by someone else

• When you reprint, or insert, any diagrams, illustrations, charts, pictures, or other visual materials

Is it plagiarism?

Following is an original passage followed by 6 samples of student writing. Make sure you pay attention to the words, writing style, AND the punctuation used by the students.

Which examples are plagiarism and which are acceptable? 

Multiple Select

Original Passage:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

Student Draft #1:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

• Plagiarism

• Plagiarism

Obvious plagiarism.

The original source is reproduced word-for-word with no quotation marks or in-text citation. 

Multiple Choice

Original Passage:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

Student Draft #2:

A zombie bite, although the most obvious means of infection, is by no means the only one. Humans have been contaminated by wiping their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splashed by its remains after an explosion.

• Plagiarism

• Not plagiarism

Still plagiarism.

The writer has replaced five words with synonyms, but the text is still obviously the original. This is an example of lazy paraphrasing.

Multiple Choice

Original Passage:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

Student Draft #3:

While being bitten is the most recognizable means of transference, there are other ways for victims to be infected, including brushing their open wounds against a zombie’s or being splattered by its remains in a blast.

• Plagiarism

• Not plagiarism

Still plagiarism.

This one may seem a little less obvious but some of the phrases are taken directly from the original. They either need quotation marks or to be rephrased. What's more, the structure of the sentence still mirrors the original.

Multiple Choice

Original Passage:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

Student Draft #4:

Contrary to popular belief, being bitten by a zombie is not the only way for infection to spread: contact between open sores and even body parts scattered by explosions have also been known to transmit the zombie disease.

• Plagiarism

• Not plagiarism

Still plagiarism.

This is an adequate paraphrase, but one thing is missing: a citation for the source. Without an in-text citation, the reader would assume these were your own original ideas. Thus, plagiarism. 

Multiple Choice

Original Passage:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

Student Draft #5:

Contrary to popular belief, being bitten by a zombie is not the only way for infection to spread: contact between open sores and even body parts scattered by explosions have also been known to transmit the zombie disease (Brooks 4).

• Plagiarism

• Not plagiarism

YAY! Not plagiarism!

This student paraphrased the information AND included an in-text citation. Nice job! 

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NOTE: The in-text citation MUST have a corresponding entry in the Works Cited page, like this: 

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^{Brooks, Max. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. Three Rivers}

^{Press, 2003.}

Multiple Choice

Original Passage:

A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion.

Student Draft #6:

Human beings can be infected by zombies not only by being bitten, but also by "brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or being splattered by its remains after an explosion" (Brooks 4).

• Plagiarism

• Not plagiarism

WOOT! Also, not plagiarism.

It is also acceptable to paraphrase and quote in the same sentence, especially if you find the language particularly interesting. 

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NOTE: The in-text use of the source MUST have a corresponding entry in the Works Cited page, like this: 

^

^{Brooks, Max. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. Three Rivers}

^{Press, 2003.}

Multiple Select

Finally -

If you aren't sure if you might be plagiarizing, or ever feel overwhelmed by an assignment, what can you do?

(you may select more than one answer)

• Talk to your teacher

• Talk to your school librarian

• When in doubt, always cite!

• Use a research management system, such as NoodleTools