Plagiarism:What International Students Should Know

Kevin Moberg

Writing Center and Supplemental Instruction Coordinator

Academic Success Center

What Do You Already Know about Plagiarism?

Take this pre-test from Simon Fraser University

Introduction to Plagiarism

• All writers borrow ideas from other sources.• When writers do that, they are expected to

acknowledge from whom they borrowed their ideas.

• If they do not, it is as though they are pretending that those ideas are actually their own. That is considered to be lying.

• It is also considered to be stealing, since they are stealing the ideas from the original source.

• That is plagiarism, and it is considered grounds for punishment.

What Is “Plagiarism”?

• Stealing– Stealing ideas from the original creator– Stealing written work from the original author

• Fraud—deceit, lying– Pretending that someone else’s work is your own

– Misleading others into believing that you have created ideas or work that you have actually taken from someone else

How Does Plagiarism Occur?

• Essays/papers/compositions– Turning in another’s essay as your own– Turning in an essay in which you include others’

work as though it were your own– Turning in an essay without acknowledging that it

includes ideas taken from someone else

• Tests/examinations/quizzes– Sharing test questions or answers with another– Using resources that are not allowed (calculator,

notes, etc.)

How Do You Know Whether You Have Plagiarized?

• Ask yourself, “Would someone reading this work think that I created something that was really created by another person?”

• If the answer is “yes,” then it is plagiarism.

Why Should Plagiarism Concern You?

• Potential penalties are harsh!– Reprimand– Failing grade on the essay or exam– Failing grade in the course– Suspension or expulsion from the program– Suspension or expulsion from the university– Legal action and fees

Why Is Plagiarism a Concern at University?

1. Value of individual thought• Developing each individual’s mind/ideas—

being innovative—not plagiarizing• This contrasts with

– Valuing friendship over academic integrity (for example, “helping a friend” by providing answers on a test rather than seeing it as cheating)

– Valuing accumulating points instead of accumulating knowledge

– Honoring others by using their ideas in your writing (for example, assuming professors will know whose work you’re using without your making that clear)

Why Is Plagiarism a Concern at University?

2. Value of contributing to academic dialogue• Developing as an independent scholar means

joining the “academic conversation”• Creating ideas and offering them to others to

inspire them to create their own• What you write reflects what you learn and

think and, thus, what you have to offer other scholars (adding to the sum of knowledge)

Why Is Plagiarism a Concern at University?

3. Reliability of grades• They’re a measure of learning

– Tell professor how to adjust instruction– Tell transcript readers what you know and can do

• They reflect the quality of one’s work– Reward for your effort, time, and work—a point of

pride– Alert to areas in which more work is needed

• They indicate one’s place in the academic community

How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?

• Ask professor for his/her expectations regarding working together, citing research, etc.

• Study and practice proper citation– Keep notes during reading and research– Use MLA and APA format resources on-line– Seek advice at the Writing Center

• When working together, do cooperate but don’t co-opt– Don’t copy others’ work– Help one another, but don’t turn in identical work

How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?

• Quote– Quotations are the exact words of an author

copied directly from the source, word for word.

– Put quotations within quotation marks: “ ”– Cite the source of the information quoted

(both within the text and at the end of the essay).

Example of Quoting

The original is from a book by Joseph Smith written in 2004:

My research project revealed that 78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.

Quotation:A study by Smith (2004) showed that

“78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.”

How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?

• Paraphrase– Paraphrasing means rephrasing the words of an

author, putting his/her thoughts into your own words.– A paraphrase can be viewed as a “translation” of the

original source. When you paraphrase, you rework the source’s ideas, words, phrases, and sentence structures with your own.

– Paraphrased text is often slightly shorter than the original work.

– Cite the source of the information paraphrased (both within the text and at the end of the essay).

Example of Paraphrasing

The original is from a book by Joseph Smith written in 2004:

My research project revealed that 78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.

Paraphrase:The research of Smith (2004) shows that

a majority of men in this country are unwilling to use the Internet to purchase music.

How Do You Avoid Plagiarizing?

• Summarize– Summarizing involves putting the main

idea(s) of one or several writers into your own words, including only the main point(s).

– Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the original material.

– Cite the source of the information summarized (both within the text and at the end of the essay).

Example of Summarizing

The original is from a book by Joseph Smith written in 2004:

My research project revealed that 78% of American males are not interested in buying music on-line.

Summary:Smith (2004) and other authors have

shown in their research how reluctant American males are to use the Internet to make purchases.

Resources for You

• Visit the Writing Center in the Academic Success Center (handout)

• Consult resources available on-line at iMoberg.com– Links available include sites such as this

Academic Success Center

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