• Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism

     

    What is it?

    • com defines plagiarism as “an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author.”
    • “Using information that doesn't belong to you and passing it off as your own” (Brandt 39).

     What does it look like?

    • Submitting a ready-made paper from a website.
    • Submitting any work done by someone else as your own.
    • Copy and pasting bits and pieces of different sources to create a “new document.”
    • Incorporating someone else’s ideas or text into your own without properly giving credit.
    • Omitting quotation marks and/or in-text citations to a quote.
    • Not properly citing paraphrases, quotes, pictures, graphs, or music, etc. in a research project.

    Ways to avoid it:

    • Take good notes as you do your research. Make special notations for any possible use of quotes, the paraphrasing of others’ ideas, graphs, pictures, etc. Collect the citation entry information from the source(s).
    • Plan ahead. Having enough time to do your work is the best defense against plagiarism.
    • Use your own words.
    • Properly use all quotations and paraphrases. Use in-text citations and collect all of the information needed for the Works Cited or References page.
    • Always include a list of resources often called, “Works Cited” for a research project.

     What happens if I plagiarize?

    • You will be in violation of the DVHS Policy on Academic Dishonesty/Cheating:
      • Academic dishonesty includes copying someone else’s homework, class work, quizzes, or tests. It also includes plagiarism which is borrowing someone else’s words, facts, statistics, and/or ideas without giving that person or source credit. It is expected that each student does his or her own work. Students who engage in academic dishonesty will receive a zero on his or her work, parent/guardian notification, along with the following: a. First offense - one (1) detention b. Second offense - one (1) day in-school suspension c. Third offense - three (3) days out- of- school suspension
    • Teachers may have additional classroom policies and consequences.
    • How will my teacher know?
      • Teachers generally know the ability and writing style of students.
      • Many teachers use online tools to check submitted work for potential plagiarism.
      • Teachers remember or keep track of work submitted by students in previous years. Do not take a risk by submitting a friend or relative’s work!

    Where can I learn more?

    • Ask your teacher or librarian if you have questions.
    • Visit the website for The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University for guidance on MLA and APA citation formats.

    Sources:

    Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture. Cornell University Press, 2010.

    Brandt., D. Scott. “Copyright's (Not So) Little Cousin, Plagiarism. (Techman’s Techpage.)” Computers in Libraries, vol. 22, 5, 5 May 2002, pp. 39+. Gale OneFile: Business,

    www.link.gale.com/apps/doc/A85903461/GPS?u=pl2110&sid=GPS&xid=876bda3c.

    Darr, Terry. Combating Plagiarism: A Hands-on Guide for Librarians, Teachers, and Students. Libraries Unlimited, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2019.

    Johnson, Doug. Learning Right from Wrong in the Digital Age: An Ethics Guide for Parents, Teachers, Librarians, and Others Who Care About Computer-Using Young People. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth, 2003.

    Plagiarism. 2020, www.dictionary.com/browse/plagiarism.

    Purdue Writing Lab. “Research and Citation Resources // Purdue Writing Lab.” Purdue Writing Lab, 2020, www.owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/resources.html.