QMU’s Approach to Plagiarism including using

1. QMU’s Approach to Plagiarismincluding using Support - turnitin@qmu.ac.uk

2. Overview • What is plagiarism? • How to cite/reference • What does plagiarism look like? • TurnitinUK - an introduction • Originality reports • Where to get help

3. Definition of plagiarism at QMU: “The presentation by an individual of another person’s ideas or work (in any medium, published or unpublished) as though they were his or her own.” Academic Handbook, QMU

4. Plagiarism = Stealing of ideas and labour Many cases in the arts end up in court One recent case in fiction: • KaavyaViswanathan v Megan F McCafferty • It was alleged that Viswanathan “borrowed” at least 29 bits and pieces from two novels by McCafferty • Viswanathan claimed it was accidental and apologised but her publishers withdrew the contract and cancelled all publicity and a film deal

5. The Academic Context The student who cuts and pastes from a website has used someone else’s work to gain an unfair advantage over their fellow students. You won’t end up in court but: “Serious cases of cheating and plagiarism will be referred for consideration through the University’s disciplinary procedure. Undertaking fraudulent practices can result in a student being required to leave the University.” (QMU Assessment Regulations 21.6)

6. Good practice involves: • using books and articles as a source of information and citing all materials. (If you need to copy someone else’s words, put them into quotation marks and provide a reference*) • explaining the main points, comparing and contrasting the views of different authors • adding your own comments and opinions. * This will ensure that you are not perceived as copying anyone’s work and will gain you better marks

7. How to cite in text – an overview • citation is an acknowledgement of the work or the ideas of someone else • the way used at QMU to cite is to put the name of the author, and the date of publication, in the text of your work (Smith 2010). • at the end of your work, you generate a list of these references: Smith, N. 2010. The Great European Crisis. 2nd ed. London: Penguin

8. Paraphrasing – a quick overview • paraphrasing is putting someone else’s work and ideas into your own words • sometimes students only change one or two words and this is considered as plagiarism, even if there is a reference to the original work • one of the best ways is to read a paragraph and then close the book and write the paragraph in your own words. (Don’t forget to cite the original work!)

9. What does plagiarism look like? • Original Text from Mennell 1996, p.17: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped. • In student’s assignment: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped. IS THIS PLAGIARISM? WHY?

10. What does plagiarism look like? • Original Text from Mennell 1996, p.17: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped. • In student’s assignment: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped (Mennell 1996). IS THIS PLAGIARISM? WHY?

11. What does plagiarism look like? • Original Text from Mennell 1996, p.17: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped. • In student’s assignment: Food tastes, likemusic tastes, and tastes in literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped (Mennell 1996). IS THIS PLAGIARISM? WHY?

12. What does plagiarism look like? • Original Text from Mennell 1996, p.17: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped. • In student’s assignment: Society helps to form fashions in food, as it also does in the visual arts, music and literature (Mennell1996). IS THIS PLAGIARISM? WHY?

13. What does plagiarism look like? • Original Text from Mennell 1996, p.17: Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped. • In student’s assignment: “Tastes in food, like tastesinmusic, literature or the visual arts, aresocially shaped” (Mennell 1996, p.17). IS THIS PLAGIARISM? WHY?

14. TurnitinUK – An introduction • TiiUK compares submitted work against: Articles from over 10,000 newspapers, periodicals and journals Millions of web pages including all of Wikipedia All UK Institutions Student Paper Database • and generates an “originality report” …..

15. Sample Report

16. This is OK – it’s referenced This is OK – it’s seven words, the minimum match This is referenced but the paraphrasing could be improved This is OK – it’s referenced but might be improved with quotes

17. Problem area – no reference, no paraphrasing. This is plagiarism.

18. What if I have a problem? Two places to get help: • LRC front desk OR • turnitin@qmu.ac.uk