Plagiarism

Ms. Douglas

Aventa English

What we will be covering:

• Why students cheat

• Plagiarism defined

• Sources for plagiarized work and what to expect

• Avoiding plagiarism

Why do students cheat?

• Some students do not come to high school seeking an education. Instead, they just want to get through quickly and graduate. To them, learning is not a priority; getting through high school with minimal effort is.

Too Busy

• Some students plagiarize because they do not have a lot of free time. They may be busy with school, jobs, family obligations, and social activities.

• This is not an excuse for cheating. Make your education a priority! (You’ll thank yourself later.)

Academic Pressure

• Some students feel intense pressure to maintain a high grade point average. These students may feel that high grades are necessary for getting accepted to a universities or for helping them achieve scholarships. They see plagiarized papers as a way of keeping their GPA high without all the work.

Feeling Confused or Overwhelmed

Some students may feel overwhelmed and under-motivated.

• Use the writing process to brainstorm before diving right in.

• Examine the assignment closely and determine what the actual requirements are (they may be easier than you first thought)

• Contact your mentor or teacher. We are ready and willing to help!

Ignorance

• Some students inadvertently plagiarize from online sources. They do not understand all the rules for properly using and citing sources. (“I cited the web site, didn’t I?)

None of these is a good enough excuse.

Only you can

What is Plagiarism?

Three Common Types of Plagiarism

• Not citing direct quotes

• Not crediting unique ideas

• Paraphrasing too closely

1- Not Citing Direct Quotes

• If you use someone else’s writing without putting it in quotes, you have blatantly plagiarized.

• Even if you add the source to your works cited, you have still plagiarized.

• Instead, use cited materials to support your commentary. Quote parenthetically.

2- Not Crediting an Original Idea

• If you present the ideas of another without crediting him or her, you have plagiarized.

• Give credit to unique ideas others have thought up.

• Obvious ideas, like known facts, don’t have to be credited.

• When in doubt, attribute.

3- Paraphrasing too Closely

• Be careful about rewriting someone else’s words. If your sentences use many of the same words and employ the same grammatical structure as the original source, it could be construed as plagiarism. Put the text in your own words. Even if you are not directly quoting, you need to cite the source for your ideas.

When Paraphrasing…

• Be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing words.

• Rewrite the phrase in your own words and credit the original source.

• Double check what you have written by comparing your writing to the original source.

Sources of plagiarized Compositions:

• Paper mills

• Web sites

• other students

What can a “paper mill” client expect?

• Fees for “services”• Dated material• Poor writing• Bad or nonexistent

research• Loss of academic

Integrity

Plagiarizing from the Web

• When you copy and paste from a website, that is cheating.

• Copying from a website shows a lack of initiative and imagination.

• The writing is often either academic and dry or just poorly done. Instead of copying, cite your sources and include own commentary.

Your friends’ papers

• “Borrowing” a paper your friend has already written is cheating.

• Your teacher many already have it saved to a database.

• Your friend’s paper may be substandard.• It does not reflect your views or personality.

Your writing is unique to you. Don’t pass up an opportunity to express yourself.

Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

• Always put quotes from text in quotations.

• Parenthetically cite within the body of your paper.

• Include your Works Cited page at the end of your composition.

• Be creative and have fun when you write! Let your personality shine through!

Avoid Danger Spots

• Don’t surf to paper mills.

• Don’t use the Web to look for “easy” paper sources. (wiki- blah!)

• Don’t turn in other students’ papers as your own.

Plagiarism Can Kill Careers

• Jayson Blair plagiarized sources. He also fabricated stories. In his 20s, he was at the top of the journalism world. Now he is disgraced, unemployed, and not yet 30.

The New Republic

• Stephen Glass was a writer for the New Republic in the 1990s.

• He made up stories by inventing people, organizations, and events.

• He also plagiarized other writers.• He was fired and had to go back to school

to find another career. Now he is a lawyer…

Credits:

(this presentation was not plagiarized)

-Adapted by Mrs. Allen from a presentation originally written by Michael Lorenzen, 2003. Thanks for sharing this powerpoint with me, Mrs. Allen!

Sincerely, Ms. Douglas