Plagiarism

1. Plagiarism

2. In your groups… • Discuss what you believe defines plagiarism. (3 minutes) • Let’s share (3 minutes)

3. Plagiarism defined… • Copying text from any source and not documenting where you found it. • Turning in a paper/assignment written by someone else. • Using someone else’s ideas without permission or citation. Source: http://www.wadsworth.com/english_d/special_features/plagiarism/definition.html

4. What constitutes plagiarism? • When a person plagiarizes, he/she does not write anything new (original thought/analysis) and “borrows, steals, etc.” words from another source • He/she… • Removes a few sentences or words • Deletes or adds a few adjectives • Combines sentences • Rearranges sentences • Places content in a different order Source: www.cte.usf.edu

5. Why is plagiarism a bad practice? • It’s a form of cheating… • You cheat yourself out of learning how to cite something correctly to support an argument • Very few of us actually write or respond to a prompt that is original • Most of us simply are adding on to an already existing body of information • If you do it intentionally, you will face consequences… • A failing grade • School punishment • Losing a scholarship or recognition • Losing faith of adults around you • To make sure you do not unintentionally plagiarize, we use Turnitin.com

6. Why is plagiarism a bad practice? • It is unethical • It is technically illegal. • It is against all academic codes of conduct. • It robs the plagiarizer of important skills needed to do important work in the future.

7. Why do I need to know how to cite a source correctly? • When you have to provide support to an answer on any assignment, you have to tell the teacher where you found it (and document it correctly). • May be on a persuasive prompt you are given • May be a simple homework exercise that the teacher tells you to go find the answer to something • Very little of our own writing is observed in a typical research paper • Cite anything that is not your own writing and your own thought

8. Why do I need to know how to cite a source correctly? • When you have to provide support to an answer on any assignment, you have to tell the teacher where you found it (and document it correctly). • May be on a persuasive prompt you are given • May be a simple homework exercise that the teacher tells you to go find the answer to something • When we do research writing • Very little of our own writing is observed in a typical research paper • Cite anything that is not your own writing and your own thought

9. Can you think of someone (brother, sister, friend, etc.) who ALWAYS has an opinion on something or someone? • Do you take everything these people say seriously and believe everything that is said? • How do you know it is true (other than through rumor???)

10. Why do we teach how to cite a source and research correctly? • We need to be able to support what is often someone’s opinion on something. • Otherwise, it’s often not supportable and therefore, bogus! • In many ways, we can have our own opinions • But, finding facts and research are far better in order to support opinion • Unless it is creative writing, we must be able to defend a position or argument with supporting evidence • This process teaches students to be objective when responding to something in verbal or written form (kind of like being able to argue two sides in a debate)

11. Check for Understanding • Take 1 minute and write one thing you now understand that you didn’t before about plagiarism and/or the research process.