Avoiding Plagiarism:

and other writing tips…*

BUS 302
The Gateway Experience

*: Adapted from the University of Alberta in Canada

What Is Plagiarism?
 Use of another’s work without giving credit

 “Intentionally or knowingly representing the

words, ideas, or work of another as one’s
own in any academic exercise” (CSUN 2010-
2012 Catalog, Appendix E)
 Discussion Question
 Why should we be concerned about
it?
 Because…
 If you plagiarize, you are cheating yourself.
You don’t learn to write out your thoughts in your own words,
and you don’t get specific feedback geared to your individual
needs and skills.
Plagiarizing a paper is like sending a friend to basketball
practice for you – you’ll never get the benefit of the practice
yourself.
Plagiarism is dishonest because it misrepresents the
work of another as your own.
 Plagiarism devalues others' original work.

Submitting another writer's work as yours is taking an unfair

advantage over students who do their own work.
 Because…
 It is wrong to take or use property (an author's work)
without giving the owner the value or credit due.

 Copyright violations can result in fines or legal

damages.

 Plagiarism violates the CSUN Code of Conduct and

can result in suspension or expulsion.
 CSUN's reputation affects the value of your degree;
student dishonesty hurts CSUN’s standing and can
make your degree worth less.
Discussion Questions
 Why do people plagiarize?

 What can we do to prevent it?

 Types of Plagiarism
 Intentional plagiarism:
deliberate copying or use of another’s work without credit.
 Unintentional plagiarism can result from:
 not knowing citation standards
(e.g., “I thought the Internet was free!”)
 sloppy research and poor note-taking habits, or
 careless “copying and pasting” of electronic sources.
 Both types are subject to disciplinary
action
 The Spectrum of Offenses

Possibly Deliberate
Unintentional Plagiarism
Plagiarism

Using a Building on Copying from Hiring Buying,

source too someone’s another source someone to stealing, or
closely when ideas without without citing write your borrowing a
paraphrasing citation (on purpose or paper paper
by accident)
Avoiding Plagiarism
 Manage your time
 Keep track of your sources
 Distinguish your ideas from the ideas in
other sources
 Be careful when working with others
 Think of the consequences
 Proper Citation
 Know what to cite
 Keep track of original sources
 Be careful of “cut and paste” online research
 There are “no freebies”
 Beware of “common knowledge”
 Know how to cite
 Provide enough information so we can find the original source
 Use an accepted standard such as APA or MLA
 Use your own words and ideas
 If you repeat another’s exact words, you must use quotation
marks and cite the source.
 Avoid using others’ work with minor cosmetic changes.
Proper Citation – cont’d
 Know when to cite
 Direct quotations
 Paraphrased ideas
 Facts or information that isn’t common
knowledge
 When in doubt, you must cite
Plagiarism in Teams
 Team Assignments
 All members of the team are responsible for

accuracy and honesty of team work

 Keep track of your own research and contributions

to the team
 Proofread for each other

 Read the paper before it is submitted

 Study Groups
 When working together on individual assignments,

hand in your own words/answers

 Don’t give others your written answers. You can

discuss how you got your solutions

 Deciding When To Give
Credit: Examples
Below are some situations in which writers need to decide whether or not they are
running the risk of plagiarizing. Indicate if you would need to document (Yes), or if it
is not necessary to provide quotation marks or a citation (No). If you do need to give
the source credit in some way, explain how you would handle it. If not, explain why.

1 You are writing new insights about your own experiences.

2 You are using an editorial from your school’s newspaper with which you disagree.

3 You use some information from a source without ever quoting it directly.

4 You have no other way of expressing the exact meaning of a text without using the
original source verbatim.

5 You mention that many people in your discipline belong to a certain organization.

6 You want to begin your paper with a story that one of your classmates told about her
experience in Bosnia.

7 The quote you want to use is too long, so you leave out a couple of phrases.

8 You really like the particular phrase somebody else made up, so you use it.
Academic Dishonesty
 Types of Academic Dishonesty
 Cheating
 “Intentionally using or attempting to use

unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in

any academic exercise”
 Fabrication
 “Intentional falsification or invention of any

information or citation in an academic exercise”

 Facilitating academic dishonesty
 “Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to

help another to commit an act of academic

dishonesty”
 Plagiarism

Source: CSUN 2010-2012 Catalog, Appendix E.

 Academic Integrity Quiz*

*: Adapted from the University of Alberta in Canada

Answer 1
 YES!
If your instructor specifies that you are
expected to do your own work, then
both you and your friend can be
charged with plagiarism. If you’re not
sure whether or not you are allowed to
work in groups, ASK!!!
Answer 2
 YES!
Helping someone to cheat is frowned
upon and is definitely a prohibited
under the CSUN Policy on Academic
Dishonesty . You could be charged and
face penalties.
Answer 3
 YES!
You are still copying someone else’s
ideas without acknowledging the
author, even if you were going to say
the same thing. Every single time you
quote from another source, you must
include the citation.
Answer 4
 NO – But this is a trick question!
Altering a medical note falls under the
category of Misrepresentation of Facts
and carries penalties just as strict as the
other instances of inappropriate
academic behavior.
Answer 5
 YES!
You could be charged with plagiarism
(after all, you are handing someone
else’s work in as your own), and your
friend could be charged with
participating in an offense.
Answer 6
 NO!
It’s your choice whether or not to report
someone else’s cheating. However, it’s
you that’s going to lose out here –
cheating skews the curve and gives
someone an academic advantage
through dishonest means. Do you really
want that in your classes?
Answer 7
 YES!
As strange as it sounds, re-submission
falls under the category of Cheating.
When your instructor assigns a paper, it
is expected to be researched and
written specifically for that purpose.
Answer 8
 NO – But this is a trick question!
You are misrepresenting facts by
fabricating anything on your
bibliography or any other assignment,
for that matter. You are better off to
head back to the library to find one
more source.
Answer 9
 NO!
Materials posted by professors for
student use are legitimate and a great
way to study. If professors post old
exams for student use, you can use
them as practice tests.
Answer 10
 YES!

This is another case of

Misrepresentation of Facts.