Identifying Plagiarism

Academic Integrity (Avoiding Plagiarism)

Molly Collins, Instructor

Welcome Back! Today's Agenda:

1.Warm Up to Introduce First Essay Assignment

2. Review the Types of Academic Dishonesty that Occur in English Classrooms

3. Fact or Fiction: Catching Plagiarism​

4. Vocabulary and examples: MLA Internal Documentation

5.Check for Understanding: Identifying Elements of MLA Internal Documentation

6. Can You Recognize Plagiarism? Activity and Discussion ​

Open Ended

ENG 101 Warm Up: Which of the following social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, Twitter

do you think is the best for younger users? Give a brief explanation of your choice.

Open Ended

ENG 103 Warm Up: What is a word, phrase, or concept you think is constantly evolving due to generational shifts and the overall advancement of society? For example: success; happy meals (seriously!) Type your response below.

Open Ended

ENG 201: Read the Purpose, Novel Choices, and Task Sections. Type in one significant detail that stands out to you.

When Academic Dishonesty Occurs in the English classroom

Colluding: Allowing another student to copy your answers on a quiz (or unit test for 201) or participation assignment outside of stated guidelines; giving another student your draft on the same topic to use as a "guide" (outside of a peer review structure)

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Fabricating: Making up sources to put on a works cited page rather than doing research; attributing information to sources the material did not originate from; using 'white text' in a paper to increase the word count

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Plagiarizing: Using information from a source word-for-word without using MLA documentation to let the reader know it isn't your work; Using MLA documentation but simply re-ordering a sentence or substituting synonyms instead of quoting or re-writing in your own words; submitting a paper someone previously wrote for the course ​

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Multiple Choice

True or False: The percentage on the Safe Assign report (plagiarism checker) for the assignment you submitted to Blackboard represents the amount of plagiarism that your document contains.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: An instructor will not know that a student has used "white text" in an assignment unless they actually download the file, making it less likely for them to find out because they've got too much to grade.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: A student could plagiarize from a source and it not be detected on the Safe Assign report.

• True

• False

The Elements of MLA Internal Documentation

Use all three of the following when integrating source material into your writing:

Signal Phrases (Attribution Tags):

The Economic Policy Institution reiterates that...

A Proper (and concise) Quote or Paraphrase of Significant Information

"The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has not been raised in over 10 years"

The minimum wage is stagnant, as it remains at "7.25 per hour"; there has been no increase "in over 10 years"

An In-Text Citation

(​Cooper et. al) *This means that there are more than two authors for this source. ​

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The Economic Policy Institution reiterates that The minimum wage is stagnant, as it remains at "7.25 per hour"; there has been no increase "in over 10 years" (Cooper et. al).

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Other ​In-Text Citation Formats

• One author: (Author Last Name #) or (Author Last Name): (Collins 3)

• Two authors: (Author Last Name and Author Last Name #) or (Author Last Name and Author Last Name): (Collins and Smith 4)

• ​No author: ("Title of Source" #) or (Title of Source"): ("How to Cite" 3)

Multiple Choice

 

Identify the underlined portion of the following sentence.

The Princeton Review suggests that when deciding whether to take the SAT or the ACT, key factors to consider are what kinds of scholarships students with certain test scores are eligible for, whether or not calculators can be used, and the scoring scale (“SAT vs ACT”).

• Signal Phrase

• Direct Quote

• Paraphrase

• In-Text Citation

Multiple Choice

Identify the underlined portion of the following sentence:

NBC News writes that in regards to Black Friday, “Feedback from retail analysts as well as social media users suggested that the biggest crowds were at electronics stores or for would-be buyers of gaming consoles” (White).  

• Signal Phrase

• Direct Quote

• Paraphrase

• In-Text Citation

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct in-text citation for the following material:

A quote on p. 431 of an article by Nicholas Bowman and Michael Bastedo called ““What Role May Admissions Office Diversity and Practices Play in Equitable Decisions?” in the Research in Higher Education Journal.

• (Bowman 431).

• ("What Role May")

• (Bowman and Bastedo).

• (Bowman and Bastedo 431).

Open Ended

What clarification do you need on the elements of Internal MLA Documentation (Signal phrases, quotes/paraphrase, in-text citations)? If none, type "All Clear"

Open Ended

Review the TCTC Plagiarism Rubric. What questions do you have about any of the information outlined in this document? Let me know! If you have no questions, type "All Clear"

Can Your Recognize Plagiarism?

The following examples of student writing use the article "Tik Tok Threatens Professionalism in Law and Medicine" by Sara Kahn, published in the Daily Trojan, the University of Southern California's news publication. Discuss with your group to determine if they contain elements of plagiarism.

Example 1

Original: A lawyer who makes comedy-based content may send the wrong impression about the legal world and the responsibilities that accompany the career. It becomes difficult to trust a lawyer when they turn to a social media platform to make short, humorous videos about their practice and, ultimately, lose a sense of professionalism and authority. Because TikTok allows anyone to join the platform, anyone can claim to be an attorney without verification. This gives users free rein to spread misinformation and affect the younger generation’s perception of an entire profession. 

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Student ​Writing: Kahn claims that the use of Tik Tok for comedic purposes is particularly damaging to the reputation of lawyers, and in turn, young users' understanding of the legal profession. This is because there is no vetting process to prove one's professional identity and validate the information they communicate to their audience.

Example 2

Original:

​TikTok has a unique aspect that allows misinformation to spread: its audio feature. Audios have triggered the spread of misinformation on vaccines, creating an obstacle to both public health and the authority of actual medical professionals throughout the pandemic. When citizens have access to so much misinformation, it makes it more difficult for public health professionals to form a unifying and cohesive message.

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Student ​Writing:

A unique aspect of TikTok that allows for the spread of misinformation is: its audio feature. A particular obstacle to both public health and the authority of medical professionals has been when audios have triggered the spread of misinformation about vaccines. "When citizens have access to so much misinformation, it makes it more difficult for public health professionals to form a unifying and cohesive message" (Kahn).

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Example 3

Original:

​If anyone can turn to a social media app to give legal or medical advice, regardless of its veracity, then users may no longer feel as strong of a need to visit a doctor or get legal counseling. 

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Student ​Writing:

As Kahn suggests, "regardless of its veracity", social media can be dangerous in that it may discourage a user from seeking professional help because of the ease at which anyone can present themselves as a "legal or medical" authority. ​

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