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Plagiarism & Citation - Referencing Conventions PDF
Plagiarism & Citation - Referencing Conventions PDF
SEMESTER 1, 2018-2019
LECTURE NOTES 2
(WEEK 3 – WEEK 4)
Topics:
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism refers to an act where you take ideas, words or data from a source without
giving full acknowledgement to the author. In academic work, ideas, words or data
are seen as private property belonging to the person who first thought or wrote them.
Published text, such as books and journals as well as unpublished text, such as
lectures, thesis or students’ essays must be acknowledged. The necessity to
acknowledge others’ ideas applies not only to text, but also to other work, such as
graphs, illustrations and resources downloaded from websites.
Plagiarism is seen as a kind of theft and is considered as an academic crime. It is
easily detected by lecturers with the use of text-matching software like Turnitin. When
plagiarism is identified, students may risk failing the assignment, course or even be
expelled from the university, depending on the seriousness of the occurrence.
Therefore, it is important for all students to understand the meaning of plagiarism and
learn how to prevent it.
There are two types of plagiarism: intentional and unintentional. Intentional
plagiarism occurs when writers or researchers purposely use someone else's words
or ideas and claim them as their own. For example, the writer copies an essay or an
article from the Internet, online source, or electronic database without quoting or
giving credit to the original author. Meanwhile, unintentional plagiarism occurs when
writers and researchers use the words or ideas of others but fail to quote or give credit,
most probably because they do not know how. For further reading on intentional and
unintentional plagiarism, visit the following website.
http://holyfamily.libguides.com/c.php?g=610218&p=4236572
Thus, avoiding plagiarism is not simply a matter of providing references or changing
enough words. It is about employing the academic skills to ensure your writing
adheres to the academic convention. You will learn these academic skills in the
following topics.
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EXERCISE 1
Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. The first step to avoid plagiarism is to
identify the acts which are considered plagiarism. Work with a partner to evaluate the
following acts and decide if plagiarism occurs.
Acts Plagiarism
Yes/No
1. Copying a paragraph but changing a few words and giving a
citation.
2. Cutting and pasting a short article from a website, with no citation.
3. Taking two paragraphs from a classmate’s essay, without
citation.
4. Taking a graph from a textbook, giving the source.
5. Taking a quotation from a source, giving a citation but not using
quotation marks.
6. Using something that you think of as general knowledge, e.g.
large areas of rainforest have been cut down in recent years.
7. Using a paragraph from an essay you wrote and had marked the
previous semester, without citation.
8. Using the results of your own research. E.g. from a survey,
without citation.
9. Discussing an essay topic with a group of classmates and using
some of their work in your own work.
10. Giving a citation for some information but mis-spelling the
author’s name.
Although plagiarism is essentially the copying of someone else’s work, it is not always
easy to define. This exercise shows that plagiarism can be unintentional or accidental.
For example, in act (10), when the author’s name is misspelt, it is technically plagiarism
but really an act of carelessness. In act (9), your lecturer may have encouraged you
to discuss in groups and then write an essay on your own, in which case it will not be
considered plagiarism. Self-plagiarism is also theoretically possible, as in act (7). It
can be difficult to decide what is general or common knowledge as in act (6), but you
can always try asking your instructor.
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EXERCISE 2
Compare the five paragraphs below which consist of the same ideas from the following
paragraph. Decide which paragraphs are plagiarised and which are not.
Railway Manias
In 1830 there were a few dozen miles of railways in the entire world, mainly
consisting of the line from Liverpool to Manchester. By 1840 there were over 4,500
miles and by 1850 over 23,500 miles. Most of them were projected in a few bursts
of speculative frenzy known as the ‘railway manias’ of 1835-1837 and especially in
1844-1847. Most of them were built in large part with British capital, British iron and
machines. These investment booms appeared irrational because only few railways
were much more profitable to the investor than other forms of enterprise. Most
yielded quite modest profits and many none at all. In 1855, the average interest on
capital sunk in the British railways was a mere 3.7 per cent.
Paragraphs Acceptable/
Plagiarised
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3. “In 1830 there were a few dozen miles of railways in the entire
world, mainly consisting of the line from Liverpool to
Manchester. By 1840 there were over 4,500 miles and by 1850
over 23,500 miles. Most of them were projected in a few bursts
of speculative frenzy known as the ‘railway manias’ of 1835-
1837 and especially in 1844-1847” (Hobsbawm, 1995, p.45).
Selecting Sources
Depending on the types of academic writing and disciplines, you will need to select
and use different types of sources to support the points you are making in your writing.
When you select sources to be included in your writing, the sources should not only
be relevant, but also be credible.
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EXERCISE 3
Which of the following types of sources are academically acceptable and credible for
inclusion in your writing?
Evaluating sources
Once you have selected the sources to be included in your writing, you need to check
whether the sources are reliable. You may use the following list as a guide.
4. What is
2. Check the 3. Check the the purpose 7. Check the
1. Check the 5. Check the 6. Check the
reputation of reputation of of the quality of the
date content language
the author the publisher publication presentation
or website?
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b. Citing and Referencing Sources
When the words or ideas you are using are taken from another source, you have to
acknowledge them in the form of citation and referencing. There are several reasons
as to why this is necessary:
I. in-text citations
II. a reference list
In-Text Citations
An in- text citation is a reference incorporated within the body of an academic text. The
exact format of an in-text citation will depend on the style you need to use, for example,
APA. APA style of in-text citation consists of the following:
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Citing your sources within the sentence (Author-centred)
Example:
Bellafonte (1992) argues that genetic factors play a role in people’s need to take risks.
• name of author and year of publication is written at the end of a direct quotation
or paraphrase
• this method is used if you wish to emphasise the information you have
paraphrased or quoted from an author (Idea-centred)
Example:
Extreme sports provide only a short-term superficial sense of satisfaction (Bellafonte,
1992).
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Citation Situations
1. Direct Quotations
Occasionally you may want to quote the exact words of another author. You quote
directly when:
The danger of using too many direct quotations in your writing is that at the end, your
work contains nothing more than other people’s idea. It is important to have your own
opinion and ideas in your writing. Therefore, use direct quotations sparingly and only
if necessary.
Citing within the Souza (1997) writes that “these spiralling human demands for
sentence: resources are beginning to outgrow the earth’s natural
resources” (p. 31).
Citing at the end of “These spiralling human demands for resources are beginning
the sentence: to outgrow the earth’s natural resources” (Souza, 1997, p. 31).
If a source is written by two or more authors, you will need to use slightly different
citation formats.
Source with two • List the authors in the order they appear in the source.
authors: • Use the word "and" between the authors' names within the text
and use the ampersand (&) when using the end-of-sentence
citation.
Citing within the Blackburn and Little (2005) note that exposure to second-hand
sentence: smoke can increase the risk of lung cancer by 30 percent.
Citing at the end of Exposure to second-hand smoke can increase the risk of lung
the sentence: cancer by 30 percent (Blackburn & Little, 2005).
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Source with three • List the authors in the order they appear in the source.
to five authors: • Use the word "and" between the authors' names within the text
and use the ampersand (&) when using the end-of-sentence
citation.
• In subsequent citations, only use the first author's last name
followed by "et al."
Citing within the Kapline, South and Findel (2003) discover that dark chocolate
sentence: contains four times more antioxidants than green tea.
Citing at the end of Dark chocolate contains four times more antioxidants than
the sentence: green tea (Kapline, South & Findel, 2003).
Subsequent Eating chocolate may also help lowering the risk for both
citation: stroke and heart disease (Kapline et al., 2003).
Source with six or Include only the surname of the first author followed by "et al."
more authors:
Citing within the Hancock et al. (2001) found that participants in an online task-
sentence: focused discussion of limited duration tended to make fewer
judgements about the personalities of their partners.
3. Unknown Author
Sometimes the author’s name is not given. In this case, you will need to use the
title of the source instead.
• Use the source title in place of the author with quotation marks
• Include the year
• Use the full title in the first citation. In later citations, use only the first two to
four words of the title
Citing within the “Choosing Your Friends Wisely: Developing Lasting Friendship”
sentence: (2004) describes three common mistakes that occur in new
relationships.
Citing at the end of There are three common mistakes that occur in new
the sentence: relationships (“Choosing Your Friends Wisely: Developing
Lasting Friendship”, 2004).
Citing within the The World Wildlife Federation (2015) reported in Kivalo and
sentence: elsewhere in Madagascar, trees are the number one source of
fuel for cooking and warmth and also the main source of
building material.
Citing at the end of In Kivalo and elsewhere in Madagascar, trees are the number
the sentence: one source of fuel for cooking and warmth and also the main
source of building material (World Wildlife Federation, 2015).
Subsequent The WWF (2015) explained that the mangroves are being cut
citation: to build houses and cook food at a rate faster than new trees
can grow.
Petterson (n.d.) claims that the chances of adopted children to develop normally is
highly
Two dependant
sources on same
by the the attitude
authorof their parents.
Citing within the Petterson (n.d.) claims that the chances of adopted children to
sentence: develop normally is highly dependant on the attitude of their
parents.
Citing at the end of The chances of adopted children to develop normally is highly
the sentence: dependant on the attitude of their parents (Petterson, n.d.).
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6. Information taken from more than one source
This applies when you are making comments such as “Several studies found” or
“Many researchers have found that”.
If you have referred to a number of studies from the same author(s) that have
suggested the same thing, arrange the citations chronologically, according to earliest
date of publication.
Same author(s): Several studies (Adams, 2003; 2005) also found that remedial
courses prepared students for subsequent college work.
Additionally, if the information is taken from more than one source published by
different authors:
Different author(s): Other studies (Adams, 2005; Brothen, 2003) found that
remedial courses prepared students for subsequent college
work.
7. Indirect Source
Often sources include paraphrases and quotes from experts on the topic. You may
want to use this information that is included in the source but comes from someone
other than the author.
• Include background information about the person whose idea you are using
• Use an end of sentence format
• Write “cited in” and then the last name of the author(s) of your source
Joan Sinker, a San Francisco psychologist, argues that increasing wealth does not
result in greater happiness (cited in Hamblen, 2001).
In the example above, Hamblen wrote the article, and in her article, she included a
quote from the psychologist Joan Sinker. If you want to use Sinker’s idea this is how
you cite her information.
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EXERCISE 4
Write in-text citations in APA style using the information below.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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3. Author : Unknown
Title : Social media use and the fear of missing out
Paraphrase : The fear of missing out can also cause alcohol abuse among
college students and lead to risky behaviour. This fear also
affects people’s emotional state and threatens their safety.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
c. Subsequent citation:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
b. Subsequent citation:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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5. Study 1 : David N. Boote and Penny Beile, 2004
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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3. REPORTING VERBS
Including verbs in your citation, such as “Jackson wrote” or “Copeland found,” often
helps you integrate source material smoothly. This citation technique also helps to
prove that you are actively engaged with your source material. Unfortunately, during
the process of writing, it is easy to use the same few verbs repeatedly, such as “Jones
said” and “Smith stated”.
Before selecting a verb, it is vital that you carefully read the source and clearly
understand the author’s claim(s). When you have chosen a verb, ask yourself whether
the verb is really what the author intended. You must make sure that you report others’
work accurately. Below are tables of useful reporting verbs that you might use in
citations.
The APA style emphasises the use of the simple present tense, simple past tense
or present perfect tense when you are discussing an author’s ideas or writing.
• Harrison evaluates…
• White demonstrated…
• Lee has suggested…
There are certain conventions to follow when citing someone’s work. Words, like
“says”, “tells”, “asks” are normally used in oral conversation, and are not appropriate
in formal academic writing. The following table illustrates some appropriate words to
use for reporting the work of others.
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When you mention a published work for the first time, you can use the following basic
patterns:
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EXERCISE 5
Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate reporting verb from the box.
3. Alan (2007) _____________ the users of special purpose reports as "users who
have specialised needs and who possess the authority to obtain information to
meet those needs".
4. Armstrong (2004) _____________ that historical cost accounting has "passed its
use-by date".
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EXERCISE 6
Write citations within the sentence or at the end of the sentence using the information
below. Use suitable reporting verbs when necessary.
Citation:
Citation:
Citation :
Citation:
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5. Authors: Gary Schwartz, Linda Russek, Lonnie Nelson,
Christopher Barentsen, Marks Kamman and Joan
Weasly
Citation:
Citation:
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4. REFERENCE LIST
Documenting your sources includes both citing sources and providing a reference list.
The list of your references is the second of the two-part documentation process. The
format of information in the reference list corresponds to the in-text citations within
your paper.
In-text citation: Harper (2001) writes that later-born children are more likely to
pursue non-traditional careers.
Reference list Harper, E. (2001). Birth order and adult personality. New
entry: York: Collins Publication.
To cite names of Asian authors such as Malay, Chinese and Indian or as an alternative
source of reference, please refer to the University of Malaya Library guide:
https://umlib.um.edu.my/publications/APA-Guide.pdf
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EXERCISE 7
Write references for the following sources in APA style.
a. Source Journal
Title The chief marketing officer matters!
Author Frank Germann, Peter Ebbes, & Rajdeep Grewal
Date of publication 2015
Journal title Journal of Marketing
Issue 79(3)
Page number 1-22
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b.
Source Book
Title Statistics without maths for psychology: Using SPSS
for Windows
Author Christine P. Dancey and John Reidy
Date of publication May 2011
Edition Third
Publisher Harlow, England: Pearson/Prentice Hall
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
c. Source Webpage
Title Information and resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon,
Lung, Prostate, Skin
Author American Cancer Society
Date of publication No date provided
Website http://www.cancer.org/
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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d. Source Journal
Title Remembering differently: Use of memory strategies
among net-generation ESL learners
Author Mardziah Hayati Abdullah, Faiz Sathi Abdullah and
Tan Bee Hoon
Date of publication 2011
Journal title Educational Research and Reviews
Issue 6 (4)
Page number 350-357
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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EXERCISE 8
Write a reference list in APA style by compiling all the references in Exercise 7.
Arrange them in alphabetical order.
References
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