Plagiarism
What makes something plagiarism? Plagiarism occurs when someone uses part of someone else’s information to conduct their own assessments and do not give them credit. To avoid plagiarism people must carefully cite their information’s source in the bibliography or list of references. Failure to do so is considered a form of theft. When writing a scholarship paper you are entering into a scholarly conversation. By citing others information you are showing that you honor those who have researched it before you and it strengthens your paper by demonstrating that other scholars agree with your perspective which is an act of collaboration. Plagiarism is not always a planned action; it can be accidental as well. It is very essential for you to know when to paraphrase, how to develop good note taking, when to use direct quotes, how to properly cite sources, and how to use footnotes and endnotes to assist in your avoidance of plagiarism.
When taking notes either from books or online sources it is important to always take the time to get all the information then incase you cannot find it again. Necessary information includes author, title, date, and publishing information. Try using different fonts, colors, bold or brackets in order to help you distinguish between what is your work and what is the work of another person to help avoid accidental plagiarism. A summary should be a concise overview of another author’s ideas and should be used whenever possible. A paraphrase restates the author’s words, typically about the same number of words as the original publication. These are very important ways note taking can be used to help prevent plagiarism, but at times, it is best to use a direct quote of the author rather then summarizing or paraphrasing. When summarizing or paraphrasing it is important to leave the author’s intent the way they intended and not alter it to better suit your paper. Common knowledge such as when the declaration of independence was signed is so well known that citing it is not necessary and not considered plagiarism. However, if you have doubt if it is common knowledge, then cite it anyways because there is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to plagiarism.
There are four different types of plagiarism you want to avoid:
- Direct: copying the authors exact words into your paper
- Indirect: when the paraphrasing is too closely related to the original document
- Accidental: when the writer gets sloppy and forgets to write down a citation, indirect plagiarism is just as harsh as direct plagiarism
- Purchased direct: when you purchase someone else’s paper and use it as your own
It is essential to remember how to properly cite your sources of information because schools are taking plagiarism more serious every year. Now schools are purchasing plagiarism software in order to help crack down on plagiarism in their school. Therefore, the easiest way to avoid being caught for plagiarism is to always cite sources, even if it seems like common knowledge.
I remember how easy it was to get away with plagiarism back in school when I was a kid. It seemed almost impossible for teachers to track down where you got your information, but today’s teachers have the assistance of technology and the internet which helps stop kids from getting away with plagiarism. I think it is very important for kids to learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid it at an early age before it becomes habit to note take a certain way and do accidental plagiarism. I was a victim of accidental plagiarism because until the 11th grade I always thought you only had to cite a source if you used it in paraphrasing or direct quotes. I would always summarize stuff to make it easier on me and less thought which backfired when I got an F on a paper and could not understand as to why? Now after a few years of practiced, and the use of this article I have a better concept of how to avoid plagiarism and a way to make citing my sources less difficult.
Stebbins, Leslie F. Student Guide to Research in the Digital Age. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006. 153-159. (E-Reserves)
