Plagiarism

Giving Credit Where Credit

is Due!

-- taken from Joyce Brannon’s “Plagiarism.” PowerPoint Presentation & Joyce Valenza’s “What is Plagiarism?” (See
works cited). (Internet downloads)
Plagiarism defined:

The word
“plagiarism”
comes from the
Latin plagiarus
meaning
“kidnapper”

PoliticsNJ, The Pulblis Group, Hoboken, NJ. http://www.politicsnj.com/plagerism090903.htm.

Types of Plagiarism

1. Plagiarism of ideas occurs when the writer

presents the ideas of others as his/her own.
Information, data, interpretations, and conclusions
that come from a specific source must be
attributed to the source even if the original
“language is not used”.
Plagiarism of ideas can be avoided by including documentation of the
original source. Any standard citation style, such as MLA, APA, or
Chicago style, is valid; the writer should use the citation style that is
appropriate to the discipline in which he/she is writing.
Types of Plagiarism

2. Plagiarism of language - when the writer lifts

sentences or substantive words from the source. Writers
must use quotation marks or block quotations to indicate
that the words in the essay are exactly the same as those
in the original text, and writers must provide a citation that
correctly identifies the source. It is important that the writer
fulfill his/her responsibility to the original source by being
precise and accurate when quoting.
Plagiarism of language can be avoided either by correctly identifying a
quotation or by rewording so that the language of the original is
replaced with language that is the writer’s own.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary (http://www.m-w.com), to plagiarize
means:

“transitive senses : to steal and pass off (the ideas or

words of another) as one's own : use (another's
production) without crediting the source
intransitive senses : to commit literary theft : present
as new and original an idea or product derived
from an existing source”
The University of Louisiana at Monroe (2019)
categorizes four significant types of plagiarism,
namely:
1. Copying refers to a type of plagiarism once a writer claims
an idea from somebody else without acknowledging the
source;
2. patchwork plagiarism takes place when a writer incorporates
various sources without proper citation;
3. paraphrasing plagiarism emerges when a writer
―paraphrases or summarizes another’s work without citing
the source; and
4. unintentional plagiarism arises when a writer changes the
source of information that he/she has used in his/her paper
(University of Louisiana at Monroe, 2019).
Why is plagiarism important? Who really
cares?

Plagiarism is theft of intellectual property.

Plagiarism is cheating.
Plagiarism may result in receiving a failing grade or
zero for the assignment. Plagiarism could result in a
disciplinary referral. Students caught plagiarizing may
be denied admittance to or removal from the National
Honor Society.
Some of the things that you think you know
about plagiarism may be wrong.

It does not matter if the person whose work you have cited is
alive or dead. If it is not your own idea, you must cite your
source!

If you translate or paraphrase something, you must still give a

citation.

If you use a picture from the Internet, you must cite the source.
Two types of plagiarism:
 Intentional  Unintentional
• Copying a friend’s work • Careless paraphrasing
• Buying or borrowing • Poor documentation
papers
• Cutting and pasting
• Quoting excessively
blocks of text from • Failure to use your own
electronic sources “voice”
without documenting
• Media
“borrowing”without
documentation
• Web publishing without
permissions of creators
Excuses
Everyone does it!
It’s okay if
I don’t get caught!

This assignment
I was too busy to
was BORING! write that paper!
(Job, big game, too much homework!)
Ive got to get
into
??? U.!
My teachers
expect My parents
too much! expect “A”s!
You may have been told that if you put
something into your own words, you need
not cite. This is incorrect. The material is
still someone else ’ s idea and requires
acknowledgement.

Paraphrasing requires a citation.

 Real life consequences:

1. Sotto delivers his turno en contra speech on the

Reproductive Health bill at the Senate.
 The gist: Parts of Sotto’s two speeches on his stand on the controversial
RH bill were lifted from different online sources, drawing an online
firestorm.
 What Sotto did: While Sotto initially denied plagiarizing parts of his first
RH bill speech (saying “blogger lang iyon,” drawing even more flak), his
then-chief of staff, Atty. Hector Villacorta, admitted that they copied the
work of American blogger Sarah Pope. A day later, it was found that
Sotto’s staff writers also copied from different websites for the senator’s
second speech. But this time, Villacorta defended the senator and stressed
that “blogs are public domain.”
 What happened next: Like Sotto, Villacorta saw himself at the receiving
end of criticism, with netizens calling him “stupid” and “arrogant.”
 Real life consequences:

2. ‘It’s more fun’ in PH and Switzerland

 The gist: Just after its launch in January 2012, the Department of Tourism’s
(DOT) “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan was criticized for allegedly being a
copycat of a 1951 Swiss tourism slogan that read “It’s more fun in Switzerland.”
 What DOT did: Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez took to Twitter to react on the
issue, saying that the similarity is just a coincidence.
 What happened next: The plagiarism issue eventually died down, especially after
Swiss Ambassador to Manila Ivo Sieber expressed his support for the “It’s more fun
in the Philippines” campaign.
 Real life consequences:
2. ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ logo

 The gist: Tourism slogan “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” drew criticism a week after its launch in 2010 after its logo had a
striking similarity to Poland’s “Polska,” from the font and the colors to the use of a tree. An application where
users can make a personalized name logo with the tagline “Kay Ganda” then made the rounds on social media
sites as Filipinos made fun of the alleged plagiarism committed by the advertising agency tapped by DOT.
 What DOT did: Then-DOT Undersecretary Vicente “Enteng” Romano III, who was in charge of DOT’s planning
and promotions section, took full responsibility for the campaign and left his post. He also apologized to then-
President Benigno Aquino III, then-Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and to the public over the controversy.

 What happened next: The “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” campaign was scrapped and eventually replaced by the “It’s
more fun in the Philippines” slogan, which became an Internet hit.

Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/08/20/12/list-5-most-talked-about-plagiarism-
scandals-ph
 Is this important?
 What if:
• Your architect cheated his way through math class.
Will your new home be safe?
• Your lawyer paid for a copy of the bar exam to study.
Will the contract she wrote for you stand up in court?
• The accountant who does your taxes hired someone
to write his papers and paid a stand-in to take his
major tests? Does he know enough to complete your
tax forms properly?
(Lathrop and Foss 87)
 Do I have
to cite
everything?
Nope!

 Facts that are widely known, or

 Information or judgments considered
“common knowledge”
Do NOT have to be documented.

Hooray for
common
knowledge!
Examples of common knowledge

 Rodrigo Roa Duterte is the 16th

president of the Philippines
 The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941
If you see a fact in three or more sources,
and you are fairly certain your readers
already know this information, it is likely to
be “common knowledge.”
But when in doubt, cite!
Examples of common knowledge

Examples:
 Depression is caused by biological
factors and psychological and social
stresses. (Common knowledge in the field
of psychology)
 An ultrasound machine can be used to
treat a patient in both acute and chronic
phases of healing. (Common knowledge in
the field of physical therapy)
No need to document when:

 You are discussing your own

experiences, observations, or reactions
 Compiling the results of original
research, from science experiments, etc.
 You are using common knowledge
What’s the big deal?
You can “borrow” from
the works of others in
your own work!
Use these three strategies,

 Quoting
 Paraphrasing
 Summarizing

To blend source materials in with your own,

making sure your own voice is heard.
Quoting
Quotations are the exact words of an author, copied directly
from a source, word for word. Quotations must be cited!

Use quotations when:

 You want to add the power of an author’s words to support
your argument
 You want to disagree with an author’s argument
 You want to highlight particularly eloquent or powerful phrases
or passages
 You are comparing and contrasting specific points of view
 You want to note the important research that precedes your
own
Carol Rohrbach and Joyce Valenza
Quotations should be used sparingly. They
must be exact, word-for-word as they appear in
the original document.
Quotes require a citation in addition to the use
of quote marks.
Every quoted word needs to be cited. Even a
short phrase or single word must be quoted and
cited if it is unusual.
“pretzeled logic”
“clandestine coup”
Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Robert A.
Harris. Los Angeles, California: Pyrczak Publishers, 2002.
Quotations must be attributed to the original
author and the source that you used.
For example:
If you use the phrase, “Fourscore and twenty
years ago, our forefathers . . .” you must give
credit to Abraham Lincoln and the book in which
he is quoted.
Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address. In
Lincoln at Gettysburg: the Words that Remade
America, Garry Wills. New York: Simon and
Schuster, 1992.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means rephrasing the words of an author,
putting his/her thoughts in your own words. When you
paraphrase, you rework the source ’ s ideas, words,
phrases, and sentence structures with your own. Like
quotations, paraphrased material must be followed with in-
text documentation and cited on your Works-Cited page.

Paraphrase when:
 You plan to use information on your note cards and wish to
avoid plagiarizing
 You want to avoid overusing quotations
 You want to use your own voice to present information

Carol Rohrbach and Joyce Valenza

Examples:
Source: Unless steps are taken to provide a predictable and
stable energy supply in the face of growing demand, the
nation may be in danger of sudden power losses or even
extended blackouts, thus damaging our industrial and
information-based economies. – John Doe, 1999, p.231.
Inadequate paraphrase: Doe (1999) recommends that the
government take action to provide a predictable and stable
energy supply because of constantly growing demand.
Otherwise, we may be in danger of losing power or even
experiencing extended blackouts. These circumstances
could damage our industrial and information-based
economy. (p.231).
The inadequate paraphrase is guilty of plagiarism
even though the material is cited correctly. The
writer has used too many word-for-word phases
from the source. Also, the order of the ideas is
unchanged from the source.
Compare the following correct paraphrase:
Doe (1999) believes that we must find a more
reliable source of energy if we are to have a
dependable electricity supply. Without this, the
nation ’ s economic base may be damaged by
blackouts (p.231).
Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Robert A. Harris. Los
Angeles, California: Pyrczak Publishers, 2002.
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking
notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final
[research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final
manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter.
Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact
transcribing of source materials while taking notes. Lester,
James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.

A legitimate paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively,
failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level.
Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it
is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim
(Lester, 1976).
Example of a Paraphrase
(taken from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_quotprsum.html)
Summarizing
 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
source material. Again, it is necessary to attribute
summarized ideas to their original sources.

Summarize when:
 You want to establish background or offer an overview of a
topic
 You want to describe knowledge (from several sources)
about a topic
 You want to determine the main ideas of a single source

Carol Rohrbach and Joyce Valenza

As you take notes:
 Include any direct quotes or unique phrases in
quotation marks or mark with a big Q and
make sure the speaker’s /writer’s name is
identified.
 Make sure you note a paraphrase with the
writer’s name and mark it with a big P
 Include page numbers and source references
so you can go back and check for accuracy as
you write.
Documentation Styles
 is a standard approach to the citation of
sources that the author of a paper has
consulted, abstracted, or quoted from. It
prescribes methods for citing references
within the text, providing a list of works cited
at the end of the paper, and even formatting
headings and margins. D
Documentation Styles
 Different disciplines (or professors) require
different documentation styles:
 American Psychological Association (APA)
 Chicago/Turabian
 Modern Language Association (MLA)
 Vancouver
Which style should I use?
 The choice as to which style is appropriate for
a given paper may be determined by three
factors:
a. requirements of the particular course,
b. standard for the discipline in which you are studying,
or
c. individual preference.
Footnotes
 Footnotes are notes placed at the bottom of
the page in a piece of academic writing and
indicated in the text with superscript numbers
(or sometimes letters or other symbols).
Footnotes in APA Style
 APA footnotes are used only for providing extra information, since APA
in-text citations appear in parentheses instead.

 You can use them to provide supplemental information such as

additional examples or clarifications; do this sparingly, as APA warns
against including nonessential information. Footnotes are also used to
provide copyright attribution when it’s needed.in APA Style
Footnotes in MLA Style
 MLA footnotes are used to provide supplemental information such as
extra examples, clarifications of citation practice, or elaborations on
ideas.
 MLA in-text citations appear in parentheses, not in notes, but where a
lot of citations are needed at once, they can be placed in a footnote to
avoid cluttering the text.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What’s the difference between footnotes and endnotes?
 Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page they refer to. This
is convenient for the reader but may cause your text to look
cluttered if there are a lot of footnotes.
 Endnotes appear all together at the end of the whole text. This
may be less convenient for the reader but reduces clutter.
 Both footnotes and endnotes are used in the same way: to cite
sources or add extra information. You should usually choose
one or the other to use in your text, not both.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What footnotes are for?
 Footnotes are notes indicated in your text with numbers and
placed at the bottom of the page. They’re used to provide:
 Citations (e.g., in Chicago notes and bibliography)
 Additional information that would disrupt the flow of the main
text
 Be sparing in your use of footnotes (other than citation
footnotes), and consider whether the information you’re adding
is relevant for the reader.
WHEN IN DOUBT, USE A
CITATION!!
Sorry, you cannot use someone else’s paper,
art work, or presentation without proper citation
even if he gave you permission. (Of course,
your instructor may not want someone else’s
paper as your work even with proper citation!)
You may even have to cite yourself. If you
created a work for a previous paper or
presentation, and you are using it again, you
must cite your previous work.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
The Copyright Crash Course, by Georgia K. Harper, 2001, University
of Texas at Austin,
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/IntellectualProperty/cprtindx.htm.
This site explains copyright and fair use in easy to understand language.
Online! A reference guide to using Internet sources, by Andrew
Harnock and Eugene Kleppinger, 2003,
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/index.html. This site
includes links to many citation styles.
OWL, Online Writing Lab, Purdue University, “ Research and
Documenting Sources, ”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research. This site contains
explanations and examples of many aspects of writing a paper.
FYI -- continued

“Plagiarism Sites,” English Department, Jacksonville State

University, Alabama,
http://www.jsu.edu/depart/english/treed/plagiarism.html. A compiled
list of sites dealing with plagiarism.
“Plagiarism in the News,” Bridgewater College Online Writing
Lab, Bridgewater, Virginia,
http://www.bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/Workshops/PlagiarismCas
es.htm. A discussion of recent legal cases involving plagiarism. This
presentation has been prepared by Joyce A. Brannan, Julia Tutwiler Library, University of West
Alabama, Livingston, Alabama, 35470. 2004.

“What is Plagiarism?” Georgetown University.

http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html. Covers many
aspects of plagiarism in an often humorous manner.
Works Cited (for this PowerPoint Presentation)

Brannon, Joyce. “Plagiarism.” PowerPoint Presentation.

University of West Alabama, Livingston, AL.
http://libraryuwa.edu/Help/Plagiarism.ppt (1/30/06)

Valenza, Joyce. “What is Plagiarism?” Springfield Township High

School. Springfield, IL.
http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/plagiarism.ppt (1/30/06).