Cheating and plagiarism are very serious issues in college, and research suggests that rates of these forms of academic misconduct are increasing.2 In the chapter on taking exams, we explore how to approach test taking with integrity by answering questions yourself and being careful not to cheat. When it comes to writing, honest students take care to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when one person uses another person’s words or ideas and presents them as his or her own. In some cases, plagiarism is intentional. When a student takes a paper off the Internet, puts his or her own name on it, and turns it in, that’s a clear case of plagiarism. When a student knowingly copies information into a paper without putting it in quotation marks and citing the original author of the information, that’s also intentional plagiarism.
Plagiarism: When one person presents another person’s words or ideas as his or her own.
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But plagiarism isn’t always intentional. Let’s say a student copies a sentence from a source and puts it in his paper, planning to go back later to credit the author, but then forgets. Is this plagiarism? At many schools the answer would be “yes”; often, instructors don’t distinguish between intentional and unintentional plagiarism. If you do get caught plagiarizing, whether you meant to plagiarize or not, you may have to rewrite your paper. Even worse, you might automatically fail the course, have to meet with the dean of your college, or even be expelled.
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Plagiarism can have serious consequences. Examine the syllabi for your courses. Find and write down the consequences of plagiarism as listed on one of your course syllabi. List any additional consequences you can think of that aren’t shown on the syllabus you’ve selected.
We assume that since you’re in college, you value your education and will honor your values by not plagiarizing intentionally. But what’s your best defense against accidental plagiarism? Develop good research and writing habits: Find out how your instructors want you to use citations in your paper; use a style guide; and apply the following strategies.
Take notes in your own words. When reading books, articles, or original documents, avoid copying large sections of material. Instead, paraphrase these sources (see the chapter on note taking) by taking notes in your own words, and then use these notes to write your paper. Give credit to the original author by citing the source where you got the information.
Use quotation marks for direct quotations. If you use someone else’s exact words, which you should do only in moderation, always use quotation marks and cite the source from which you took the quotation.
Keep track of where your information comes from. You might use one color of ink to copy a sentence from a book and a different color for your own words. Be consistent so that you always know which notes and ideas are yours and which are others’.
When in doubt, give credit. If you aren’t sure whether you need to cite a source, err on the side of caution and include the citation to the original work.
At the end of your paper, include a bibliography or reference list. This list shows that you’ve done research and that you’re giving appropriate credit for the ideas in your paper.
Seek guidance. If you have any concerns, ask your instructor or someone from the campus writing center to review your paper before it’s due and give you some guidance on avoiding unintentional plagiarism.
ACTIVITY: Provide the class with examples and discuss whether each constitutes plagiarism. Many students unintentionally plagiarize and are not sure what plagiarism is. Invite students to ask questions and share their opinions about this topic. Discuss why plagiarism is serious and will not be tolerated.
FOR DISCUSSION: Lead a class discussion about the consequences of plagiarism outside of college. Give examples of highly respected authors and journalists who have plagiarized and have suffered damage to their reputations and livelihoods as a result. Or ask students to research the topic and bring in their own examples of high-profile plagiarism cases.
FURTHER INFORMATION: For information on how to create a proper citation for a source, visit Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab.