The Seven Deadly Sins of Plagiarism

1. The Seven Deadly Sins of Plagiarism Working Honestly at Dickinson College Fall 2008

2. Why are we doing this? • To help you succeed in doing college level research and writing • To introduce guidelines for citing sources properly • To present Dickinson’s policy on plagiarism • Because students found responsible for cheating or plagiarism lose campus privileges. • To provide sources for help 2

3. 0 of 30 Answer Now What is plagiarism? • Using unauthorized notes during exams. • Collaborating on an assignment when you’ve been instructed to work independently. • Presenting someone else’s work as your own. • Copying someone’s answers during a test. 3

4. What you should do… • Always give credit to others’ work & ideas. • Acknowledge your source even if only quoted briefly in your paper. • Follow proper rules for citing. 4

5. 0 of 30 At some point in my academic career, I have committed an act of plagiarism. • Yes, I totally have! • No, I’m always honest. 5

6. 0 of 30 If I didn’t plagiarize on purpose, I won’t be found responsible. • True • False DEADLY SIN #1: Failure to give proper credit 6

7. Scandal at Ohio University • In 2006, an engineering student reading samples of master’s theses found that dozens of them appeared to be plagiarized. • 55 students and their faculty advisors were formally investigated. • Some of the students had been graduated and in the work force for as many as 20 years. • The incident drew national attention. 7

8. Ohio University – The Defense Some students and their advisors claimed that they: • Did not know correct citation practices and therefore were not purposefully deceptive. • Were just being lazy and sloppy and forgot quotation marks and notes. • Experienced cultural misunderstandings and were unaware of U.S. writing standards.

9. Lessons from Ohio University • Some students were suspended. • Some graduates had to completely rewrite their theses. • Some graduates had their degrees revoked. • Some graduates lost their jobs after their degrees were revoked. • Several faculty members were fired for failing to monitor the students’ work. 9

10. 0 of 30 Information copied from the Internet must be cited. • True • False DEADLY SIN #2: Copying material from the internet without citing it 10

11. Example: Giving Proper Credit According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation’s website, airline passengers in 2003 attempted to bring more than six million illegal weapons of various types onto passenger flights.6 Even though new regulations went into effect after the events of September 11, 2001… Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics http://www.bts.gov Table 2-16b: Prohibited Items Intercepted at Airport Screening Checkpoints 11

12. The following examples are taken from this article: Sellers, P. and L. M. Denton. (2006). “Presidential visits and midterm senate elections.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 36: 410 – 28. 12

13. The president’s policies may link his party to prominent national trends, thereby extending his coattails down the ticket to other candidates. Plagiarism or not? Original Student’s Use of Information When the president allows candidates to advance his policies, he is extending his coattails down the ticket to shape electoral outcomes. 13

14. 0 of 30 Plagiarism or not? • Plagiarism • Not plagiarism DEADLY SIN #3:Failure to cite even a few words of borrowed language 14

15. How do we fix this? Original The president’s policies may link his party to prominent national trends, thereby extending his coattails down the ticket to other candidates. When the president allows candidates to advance his policies, he is extending his coattails down the ticket to shape electoral outcomes. Student’s Use of Information 15

16. How do we fix this? Original The president’s policies may link his party to prominent national trends, thereby extending his coattails down the ticket to other candidates. When the president allows candidates to advance his policies, he is “extending his coattails down the ticket” (Sellers and Denton 2006, 411) to shape electoral outcomes. Student’s Use of Information 16

17. Plagiarism or not? Exerting meaningful influence over government policy is difficult for one person, because such influence commonly requires collective effort by politicians in the same party. Original The president may not be able to change policies on his own, because important action “commonly requires collective effort by politicians in the same party.” Student’s Use of Information 17

18. 0 of 30 Plagiarism or not? • Plagiarism • Not plagiarism DEADLY SIN #4: Failure to cite an exact quote 18

19. How do we fix this? Exerting meaningful influence over government policy is difficult for one person, because such influence commonly requires collective effort by politicians in the same party. Original The president may not be able to change policies on his own, because important action “commonly requires collective effort by politicians in the same party.” Student’s Use of Information 19

20. How do we fix this? Exerting meaningful influence over government policy is difficult for one person, because such influence commonly requires collective effort by politicians in the same party. Original The president may not be able to change policies on his own, because important action “commonly requires collective effort by politicians in the same party” (Sellers and Denton, 2006, 410). Student’s Use of Information 20

21. Plagiarism or not? Original Surprisingly, the measures of partisan margin and presidential success appeared unrelated to the president’s campaign visits. Some might find it astounding that the success of a president’s re-election has nothing to do with his level of partisan support, nor with the number of places he visits while campaigning. Student’s Use of Information 21

22. 0 of 30 Plagiarism or not? • Plagiarism • Not plagiarism DEADLY SIN #5:Failure to cite paraphrased ideas 22

23. How do we fix this? Original Surprisingly, the measures of partisan margin and presidential success appeared unrelated to the president’s campaign visits. Some might find it astounding that the success of a president’s re-election has nothing to do with his level of partisan support, nor with the number of places he visits while campaigning. Student’s Use of Information 23

24. How do we fix this? Original Surprisingly, the measures of partisan margin and presidential success appeared unrelated to the president’s campaign visits. Some might find it astounding that the success of a president’s re-election has nothing to do with his level of partisan support, nor with the number of places he visits while campaigning (Sellers and Denton 2006, 418). Student’s Use of Information 24

25. Plagiarism or not? The president’s policies may link his party to prominent national trends, thereby extending his coattails down the ticket to other candidates. Original When the president allows candidates to advance his policies, he is “extending his coattails down the ticket” (Sellers and Denton 2006, 411) to shape electoral outcomes. Student’s Use of Information 25

26. 0 of 30 Plagiarism or not? • Plagiarism • Not plagiarism Correct! This student accurately cited the source! 26

27. Plagiarism or not? The president’s policies may link his party to prominent national trends, thereby extending his coattails down the ticket to other candidates. Original When the president allows candidates to advance his policies, he is “extending his coattails down the ticket” (Sellers and Denton 2006, 411) to shape electoral outcomes. Student’s Use of Information 27

28. Sellers, P. and L. M. Denton. (2006). “Presidential visits and midterm senate elections.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 36: 410 – 28. Campaign trips made up 30% of George W. Bush’s travel, whereas three other presidents devoted an equal or greater proportion of trips to campaign events. Original Student’s Use of Information George W. Bush spent less time than his predecessors making trips for campaign events. (Bush 2006, 414). 28

29. 0 of 30 Plagiarism or not? • Plagiarism • Not plagiarism HOWEVER… DEADLY SIN # 6: Failure to provide an accurate citation 29

30. Sellers, P. and L. M. Denton. (2006). “Presidential visits and midterm senate elections.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 36: 410 – 28. How can we fix this? Campaign trips made up 30% of George W. Bush’s travel, whereas three other presidents devoted an equal or greater proportion of trips to campaign events. Original Student’s Use of Information George W. Bush spent less time than his predecessors making trips for campaign events (Bush 2006, 414). (Sellers and Denton 2006, 414). 30

31. 0 of 30 At some point in my academic career, I have committed an act of plagiarism. • Yes, I totally have! • No, I’m always honest. 31

32. 0 of 30 There’s no way for my professor to tell if I’ve copied a few words here and there. • True • False 32

33. How can they tell? • Eve 2 • Google • Ask students about questionable passages • “We just know.” 33

34. How They Can Tell One of the main arguments of history is whether it can really be viewed objectively. Usually, the “winners” record history and it is often hard to tell what is truth and what is exaggerated. The endless antagonism between objectivism and subjectivism has hampered the enlarging horizon of history and has threatened the modernist objectivist paradigm. From the Southern point of view, modern history books… Student’s Use of Information 34

35. How They Can Tell …postmodernists tried to overcome the modernist objectivist paradigm. The main purpose of this article is to investigate the pros and cons of "modernistic" history by examining its history from the perspective of the antagonism between objectivism and subjectivism…modernism turned out to be the shackle by which the enlarging horizon of history was hampered. Original 35

36. 0 of 30 If I get caught plagiarizing, I can be suspended or expelled from Dickinson College. • True • False DEADLY SIN #7: Thinking you can get away with it 36

37. Plagiarism Cases at Dickinson College • 10 Fs or 0s on assignment • 4 “F”s for the course • 11 stayed suspensions • 7 various other consequences • 15 students found responsible • 8 male, 7 female • All class years, 4 FYs 2006 - 2007 • 20 Fs or 0s on assignment • 11 “F”s for the course • 21 stayed suspensions • 3 outright suspensions • 18 various other sanctions • 32 students found responsible • 17 male, 15 female • All class years, 9 FYs 2007- 2008 37

38. The Seven Academic Integrity Commandments • Thou shalt not presenteth another’s research as thine own. • Giveth proper credit to Internet sites. • Useth quotation marks when borrowing even thy neighbor’s brief phrase. • Includeth footnotes or in-text notes whenever quoting. • Citeth thou also paraphrased ideas. • Verily thou shaltrecordeth thoroughly and accurately all sources consulted. • Do not thinketh thyself immune to being smote with the consequences of plagiarism. 38

39. Where can I get further help? • Consult a librarian • Review the library’s website • Read A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker • Visit the Writing Center • Read the College policy • Read your syllabi • Talk to your professors 39

40. QUIZ After you’ve read each laminated sample, circle the correct answer on your sheet. 40