PLC Transition Workshop

1. PLC Transition Workshop • Avoiding Plagiarism and Referencing skills • Areas to be covered in this workshop: • What is plagiarism? • How to avoid plagiarism using referencing • Referencing: voices in academic writing • Referencing conventions: Harvard on-line • Strategies to avoid plagiarism • NB: workshop 3: “Summarising and Paraphrasing”

2. Plagiarism? • Susan, why have you and your brother written the same essay about ‘My dog’? • But Miss Jones; it’s the same dog!

3. Purpose of Academic Writing Your lecturers want you to demonstrate that: • You have understood your task • You have read widely • You have understood what you have read and how the research/findings/ideas/opinions of scholars to give authority to your work Academic writing is about your understanding of and/or position on a particular topic and requires support from reliable sources

4. What is plagiarism? ‘Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s work, whether intentionally or unintentionally, as your own for your own benefit’ (Carroll, 2002, p.9) ‘someone else’s’…whatever the source

5. Penalties • Reduced grades • Failure of the assignment • Failure to complete the course • Expulsion • University plagiarism policy www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230 Activity: Where do you draw the line??

6. What is the purpose of referencing? • To avoid plagiarism • To add strength and credibility as evidence to support your position • To indicate the scope and depth of your research • To allow others to independently follow up the presented content

7. Voices in academic writing The only unlabelled voice is YOURS! Your voice introduces new points, presents arguments, refers to other sources…”the same dog” There are 3 ways to refer to the voices of others: • A direct voice uses the exact words of the source • An indirect voice paraphrases the source and identifies the source as part of the sentence • An external voice paraphrases the source and identifies the source outside of the sentence (Brick, 2006)

8. Voices in academic texts • Direct voice Smith (2004, p45) states that critical thinking is “the most important skill that students develop in tertiary study.” The exact words of the source Should be used for emphasis – do not exceed 10%

9. Voices in academic texts • Indirect voice Smith (2004) believes that the development of critical thinking skills is of central importance to all university students Author prominence Most common Written in yourstyle

10. Voices in academic writing • External voice Many researchers have concluded that critical thinking skills are extremely important for all university students (Smith 2004; Jones 2005) Information/research prominence Written in yourstyle Activity: your turn to try!

11. Harvard on-line • www.library.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/.../uow025425.pdf • Google: Harvard Referencing System • Harvard referencing guide - Library

12. Ways to avoid plagiarism • Time Management • Read widely • Note references as you research • Reference and paraphrase

13. Academic writing Academic writing requires you to use authoritative sources. Your role is to use sources to supportyour ideas - but you must make clear what is your voice and what is the voice of others Doing this well enhances your writing and helps you to avoid plagiarism

14. Thank you professions.learningcentre@adelaide.edu.au • Analysing questions…Wed 27th March • *Paraphrasing…Wed 10th April* • Oral Presentations…Wed 1st May • Exam revision…Wed 8th May