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How to avoid the plagiarism trap. For Centennial High School Students and Teachers by Mrs. Mirka (Teacher Librarian) 2006. The basics…. Always cite your sources Know what “common knowledge” is Understand how to properly “borrow” ideas by paraphrasing, quoting and summarizing
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How to avoid the plagiarism trap For Centennial High School Students and Teachers by Mrs. Mirka (Teacher Librarian) 2006
The basics… • Always cite your sources • Know what “common knowledge” is • Understand how to properly “borrow” ideas by paraphrasing, quoting and summarizing • Take really good notes!
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 • Ralph Klein was elected Premier of Alberta in 1993 is common knowledge. • The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 is common knowledge 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.”
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
Use these three strategies, • Paraphrasing • Quoting • Summarizing To blend source materials in with your own, making sure your own voice is heard.
What’s the big deal? Wrong! Paraphrasing original ideas without documenting your source, is plagiarism too! If I change a few words, I’m okay, right?
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
Example of Paraphrasing Original : Mostof the extra body fat that Canadians carry – and theincreasingincidence of Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes - is the result ofconsumingtoo many carbohydrates and snacking in the evening. Paraphrase: The increase in obesity and diabetes reported among Canadians has been linked to their excessive intake of carbohydrates and poor eating habits. Paraphrasing does not mean playing with a few synonyms. You’ll have to use your own words and change the structure of the sentences to be able to paraphrase. Even so, you’ll still need a citation to tell the reader the source of your inspiration
Do you recognize this? The teeny-weeny arachnid Ascended the down flow pipe: Precipitation down flow Then gave the bug a swipe (New Foundations, 2003)
Or this? And if you ever Observed that snout You would contend That it emitted radiation (New Foundations, 2003)
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
Quotations: 40 words or less • Incorporate as part of the paper • Use “quotation marks” • Give page number He confirms our suspicions: “Because N-Gen children are born with technology, they assimilate it. Adults must accommodate – a different and much more difficult learning process” (Tapscott, 1998, p.40).
Quotations: More than 40 words • No quotation marks • Start quote on a new line, indent 5 spaces, indent each line At the conclusion of Lord of the Flies, Golding has Ralph and the other boys realize the horror of their actions: The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (p.186)
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
Finally…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.
