Or….How NOT to PLAGIARIZE

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

How many cases of plagiarism per year were we seeing at Centennial College School of Journalism?

How many cases of plagiarism per year were we seeing at Centennial College School of Journalism?

Final Answer?Final Answer?

A) fewer than 10 cases/semester ? B) about 100 cases ? C) 2 or 3 cases ? D) 30 to 40 cases ?

A) fewer than 10 cases/semester ? B) about 100 cases ? C) 2 or 3 cases ? D) 30 to 40 cases ?

Answer: A Answer: A

10 per semester = about 20 a year

Across many courses:Design, Observer, Radio News, Television

News, Intro to Reporting

10 per semester = about 20 a year

Across many courses:Design, Observer, Radio News, Television

News, Intro to Reporting

The University of Toronto (Scarborough) joint program students

The University of Toronto (Scarborough) joint program students

At least 8 cases 2007At least 8 cases 2007

You think only we have problems???? …You think only we have problems???? …

“Last year, more than 100 University of Ottawa students who were accused of plagiarism received various sanctions, including expulsion from the University. “

“Last year, more than 100 University of Ottawa students who were accused of plagiarism received various sanctions, including expulsion from the University. “

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Not just a problem for the j-

schools….Not just a problem for the j-

schools….Industry is having trouble too…Industry is having trouble too…

Regret the Error.comhttp://www.regrettheerror.com/2008/12/16/2008-plagiarismfabrication-round-up/

Round of up plagiarism cases in newspapers world wide

2008: 24 cases -- includingOttawa Citizen, Rogers Sportnet, CP

24, Vancouver Province, New York Times, Miami Herald…

Some 2009 cases I know about

Telegraph Journal in New Brunswick, The Globe and Mail’s Margaret Wente column..

Result?

1 Columnist had to quit 1 Commentator “pulled off the air” 1 Reporter fired. 1 Reporter’s reputation (Globe and Mail’s

Margaret Wente) put in question

One story that didn’t make the 2007 list:

Jack McAndrew: Well known PEI based journalist and columnist.

Plagiarized Got caught. Admitted it was out of laziness that he

used stuff someone sent him in an e-mail

Got a 3 month suspension from the paper the Eastern Graphic.

Ellin:Ellin:

Transparency in assignmentsTransparency in assignments

What do we hope to accomplish?

Clear up the confusion and…keep the reputation of our school’s Journalism program strong in the industry out there!

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www.whatreallyhappened.com

Bottom line

It’s theftIt misleads and threatens the foundation of trust on which the relationship between journalists and news consumers is based. (Nick Russell, Morals and the Media).Not doing it can help YOU stay employed.

NOW MAGAZINE

Two strikes you’re out.

As of Jan 2008: online, broadcast, design, magazine, photo, etc

New policy is clearer and gives examples, too.

Reasons why students do it?

Laziness

Desperation

Lack of time

Accidentally

To “screw” the teachers

To get good grades

To keep your OSAP grant

Laziness

It’s easy to get stuff on the Internet and incorporate it.

It saves time.

Lots of students are poor time managers.

Desperation/Fear

Fear of missing a deadline

Fear of missing a story

Fear of getting a bad mark

Actually missing the deadline

Accidentally

By not knowing what to do with stuff you borrow from the Internet, newspapers, colleagues, others.

Ideas can’t be plagiarized?

True?

False?

Words can be.

True.

Theodore Herzl

When I was in High School….

Attribution and Plagiarism

A classmate turned in someone’s old paper. She got an A-.

I slaved for 3 weeks, looking stuff up in the library and in Encyclopedias and handed in my paper.

I got a B-.

Cheaters always win..I thought.

My mom said:

She won’t learn anything.

You won’t stay employed long

Knowing how to cheat may get you a degree and a job, but it won’t help you keep it, if they find out you don’t possess the skills you could have learned had you done the work originally in j-school. (Robert Harris, virtualsalt.com)

Well known facts do not need attribution AKA Common Knowledge

Prime Minister Harper has 2 children, and lives at 24 Sussex Drive.

Sure it’s also probably on the PM’s website.

But you don’t need to attribute this.

But,…opinion and ideas, syntax, word choice, photos, analysis and quotes from other sources, YES!But,…opinion and ideas, syntax, word choice, photos, analysis and quotes from other sources, YES!

Eg: A story in the Toronto Star ….Eg: A story in the Toronto Star ….

Here’s the storyHere’s the story

“The inside of 24 Sussex Drive looks like it hasn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains, and now Harper’s wife, has a motorcycle collection stored in the garage,” sniffed Mimi Manners, an Ottawa socialite with ties to the former Liberal Prime Minister.

“The inside of 24 Sussex Drive looks like it hasn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains, and now Harper’s wife, has a motorcycle collection stored in the garage,” sniffed Mimi Manners, an Ottawa socialite with ties to the former Liberal Prime Minister.

Your article:

Some observers say the inside of 24 Sussex Drive looks like it hasn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains, and a motorcycle collection arranged in the back yard garage.

Is this plagairism….?Is this plagairism….?

Yes or No?Yes or No?

Plagiarism can bePlagiarism can be

Word choice Syntax Nicely written turns of phrases Quotes that YOU didn’t get on your

own

Word choice Syntax Nicely written turns of phrases Quotes that YOU didn’t get on your

own

How to avoid trouble:

How to avoid trouble:

Put the attribution in the same sentence, immediately. Don’t wait ‘till a bibliography --which we don’t use in journalism.

Put the attribution in the same sentence, immediately. Don’t wait ‘till a bibliography --which we don’t use in journalism.

Cite the source…and….”” Cite the source…and….””

According to the Toronto Star, “the inside of 24 Sussex drive…” etc.

Mimi Manners, an Ottawa-based critic, told the Toronto Star “ the inside of 24 Sussex..”

According to the Toronto Star, “the inside of 24 Sussex drive…” etc.

Mimi Manners, an Ottawa-based critic, told the Toronto Star “ the inside of 24 Sussex..”

How to avoid troubleHow to avoid trouble

Write: In an interview published in the Toronto

Star last Tuesday Mimi Manners described the Prime Ministers’ residence as “looking like it hadn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains and …a motorcycle collection stored in the garage.”

Write: In an interview published in the Toronto

Star last Tuesday Mimi Manners described the Prime Ministers’ residence as “looking like it hadn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains and …a motorcycle collection stored in the garage.”

If you are quoting verbatim…

If you are quoting verbatim…

Eg: Author Patti Tasko says in her book the Canadian Press Style Guide that journalists should “never misrepresent themselves as a mourner” when covering a funeral.

Eg: Author Patti Tasko says in her book the Canadian Press Style Guide that journalists should “never misrepresent themselves as a mourner” when covering a funeral.

Same rule applies to Info from a company/government/websiteAccording to the band Mattafix’s

website “the album blends the typical Mattafix sound with a new outlook provided by the incredible experiences of their last two years.”

Or….Paraphrase…..

According to the Toronto Star, some socialites in Ottawa are critical of the décor inside 24 Sussex Drive, and of how the Prime Minister’s wife has stored her motorcycle in the garage.

For broadcasting

• If you want to use her direct quote Write: Manners told the Star, quote, “it hadn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains and …a motorcycle collection stored in the garage”. Unquote.

So how to avoid trouble?

Change the entire citation…

Don’t cut and paste into your story, planning to remove the stuff later on. Deadlines come quickly and you might forget to.Don’t look at the original news article or source after your initial research. Write from memory.Write it entirely in your own words AS IF YOU WERE TELLING A FRIEND, MOM etc.

Other no-nos…..to avoid:

• “Borrowing” a copyrighted digital photo or image from the Internet for a story illustration, without attribution. Clip Art and royalty free images are OK with permission from the teacher.

• Adding copyrighted music or sound or images to a television project that you “borrowed” from an external source, without proper attribution or courtesy, etc. Garage Band loops and sounds are OK and CLIP ART is OK with permission from the teacher.

• Using a well-crafted turn of phrase from another source, in your

own Observer story, without proper attribution.

How to avoid trouble part 2

1) Write it from memory..don’t cut and paste.

2) Check your version against the original one to make sure words are different, structure is different.

3)Make sure you use a different FONT if you do cut and paste from somewhere into your own document so you can later tell it’s not your work!

How to Avoid Trouble -- A recap!Use quotation marks when taking

direct quotations from anywhere. Better to be too careful.

Always attribute, right in the same sentence, except facts that can be found in 5 other places…the sky is blue. The parade begins at 4 p.m. .

Centennial J-School pledge form

We encourage you to sign the student pledge for honesty and truth telling in journalism school.

After reading the Centennial College Journalism Academic Honesty policies form, please sign and date the pledge form and return it to me.

Centennial J-School pledge formWe encourage you to sign the student

pledge for honesty and truth telling in journalism school.

After reading the Centennial College Journalism Academic Honesty policies form, please sign and date the pledge form and return it to me.

PLEDGE

Test

Test for you !Do this quiz on how well you have

learned how to recognize plagiarism.

Note: it’s not specific to journalismhttp://education.indiana

.edu/~frick/plagiarism/item1.html

PlagiarismPlagiarism

Latin : Plagiaries = to plunderPlagium = kidnapping

Latin : Plagiaries = to plunderPlagium = kidnapping

Thank you!Thank you!