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What is plagiarism?
- A form of cheating
- Presenting the words or ideas of someone else as if they were your own
- Intellectual theft -- using someone else’s ideas, information or expressions without giving credit to that person, OR
- Fraud -- presenting someone else’s ideas, information or expressions as your own in order to get a better grade
- Sometimes unintentional, sometimes intentional
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Can you ever use someone else’s information, thoughts or ideas in your own paper without plagiarizing?
YES. In fact, you will have to use other people’s information in order to learn about and gain understanding of the topic of your research projects. This is normal and common practice among researchers everywhere. |
The key is to give credit to the person whose work or ideas you use.
This is done by citing your source in the body of your paper and in a “works cited” list at the end of your paper. (For more information about citation, go to the “Citing Sources” page.) |
Common Knowledge
Facts that are considered to be common knowledge do not have to be cited. For example, the name of the Prime Minister of Malaysia is commonly known and does not have to be cited. |
Different forms of plagiarism
Unintentional plagiarism:
- Forgetting to cite your sources in your paper
- Citing sources incorrectly or inaccurately (didn’t keep accurate records in your notes)
- Second-language writers attempting to avoid grammatical errors by copying sentences or paragraphs without quoting or citing
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Intentional plagiarism:
- Cutting and pasting or copying sections or sentences from a source without paraphrasing or quoting and citing them
- Copying a paper from an online paper mill such as cheathouse.com (Yes, your teachers know about sites like this.)
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Consequences
- At ISKL: See pg. 29 of the HS planner/handbook
- Outside ISKL: Anything from suspension or expulsion, loss of reputation, loss of credit, inability to graduate, or loss of job or career
- For you: You cheat yourself of the opportunity to learn and practice how to make sense of information, and present it in your own way.
- This could really disadvantage you later in life!
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How to Avoid Plagiarism Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism
- Take very careful notes. Always include information about your source on the same page or card as the note (Author, title, page number)
- Begin your works cited/consulted list as soon as you start your research
- Keep track of what kind of notes you are taking. For example, identify if a note is a direct quote, a paraphrase or summary, or if it is your own thought or idea
- If this is too complicated, only use direct quotes in your notes, including the page number the quote comes from. This way, even if you decide to paraphrase in your paper, you will always know that your notes are direct quotes.
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Avoiding Intentional Plagiarism
- DON’T DO IT. If you are feeling pressured for time, don’t understand the assignment, are struggling to understand the topic or are worried about your grades PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT, LIKE YOUR TEACHER, YOUR PARENTS, YOUR COUNSELOR OR YOUR LIBRARIAN. We are all here to help you be successful in your work.
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Additional Helpful Resources:
For more in-depth information about plagiarism, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, chapter 2. It is available in the library (REF 808 GIB or at the librarian’s desk).
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From the Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Paraphrase: Write it in your own words
Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing
From Indiana University Writing Tutorial Services
Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
This contains helpful examples of acceptable and unacceptable paraphrases.
Did you know? The word plagiarism is derived from the Latin word “plagiarius” meaning “kidnapper.” |
