WISER Study Skills
Plagiarism
and how to avoid it
Tania Horák
Overview
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Plagiarism
Principles of referencing
The Harvard Referencing System
Quoting and Paraphrasing
Summary
Discuss with at least one other
person:
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What is plagiarism?
How can you avoid it?
What are the penalties for plagiarising?
Plagiarism
The theft or use of someone
else's work without proper
acknowledgement, presenting
the material as if it were your
own.
University policy
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The work I submit should always be entirely my own
work.
Copying from other students is OK as long as you
change it a little bit.
Copying by hand, out of books is OK: that’s what
we’ve got a library for.
You should never quote someone else: everything
should be in your own words.
Quoting someone else is acceptable if you put their
name in the acknowledgements.
University policy
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You have to put the complete details of the source
you quoted from at the end of your essay.
The university doesn’t like us looking up things on
the internet because it’s like cheating.
You can reuse stuff from your own essays earlier in
the course because it’s your own.
You’ll get some marks taken off if you are found to
have copied material.
The point of coursework is to make sure we’ve
understood the course material.
University policy
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Diagrams and pictures don’t need to be
acknowledged.
If I don’t use exactly the same words, I
haven’t copied.
You could be expelled from your course for
copying material for coursework.
Reproducing existing material “in quotes” is
enough to show that I’m not cheating.
Penalties for plagiarism
Single offence : 0% for the module with an
opportunity to re-submit for a maximum mark
of 40% for the module.
Repeat offence: 0% for the module with no
opportunity for re-submission.
Reasons students give for
plagiarism.
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“I got desperate at the last moment.”
“I could not keep up with the work.”
“I have to succeed. Everyone expects
me to succeed and I expect it, too.”
“I don’t understand what I’m expected
to do to avoid plagiarism.”
“I can’t do this! I’ll have to copy.”
“But paraphrasing would be
disrespectful (or dangerous, nonsense
etc)”
Why do we use other writers’
work in our essays?
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To explain the background to our study.
To show that we have understood what we have
read.
To show the contribution a writer has made to
the field.
To show the relevance of a writer’s work to our
argument/study.
To provide authoritative support for our own
argument.
Avoiding Plagiarism Principles of Referencing

You will have to read many books, journals
and other sources to get the information for
your assignments. Your tutor must be able to
see what information is from which source.
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Tutors want to be able to see what parts are
from your research & reading and what parts
are your ideas.
The Harvard
Referencing System
Harvard referencing
2 elements:
1) In-text citations
Example: Some critics believe modern society
suffers from a tendency to oversimplify issues
(Brown 2001).
Harvard referencing
2 elements:
1) In-text citations
Example: Some critics believe modern society
suffers from a tendency to oversimplify issues
(Brown 2001).
2) A reference list at the end of the text
In-Text Citation
Always include who? and when?
2 ways to make a citation (reference):
Example: Brown complains of a trend he calls, ‘the
dumbing down of modern society’ (2001: 26).
Example: Some critics believe modern society suffers from
a tendency to oversimplify issues (Brown 2001).
Reference List
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What?
A list of all the references you cited in your
assignment
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How?
List your references alphabetically by author
surname.
Check your course handbook for how to set
out the details.
Be consistent.
Reference List (contd)
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Why?
So another reader can find the material you
drew on in your work
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Don’t lose ‘easy’ marks by not providing a
well laid out reference list.
Reference List – an example
Esmond, A.S. (1989) The Ending of Roman Britain.
London & New York: Routledge.
Hill, D. (1998) Unity and Diversity – a Framework for
the Study of European Towns. pp 1-17 In: Hodges,
R. & Hobbley, B. (eds) The rebirth of towns in the
west AD700-1050, CBA Research Report 68: York:
Council for British Archaeology.
UNRV History, 428 AD An Ordinary Year at the End of
the Roman Empire, Available at:
http://www.unrv.com/?p=1355 (accessed on
1/9/2011)
Wacher, J. (1999) The Towns of Roman Britain.
Journal of Antiquity 39 (2):46-55
Author
family
name
Author
initials
Year of
publication
Esmond, A.S. (1989) The Ending of Roman
Britain. London & New York: Routledge.
Title
Place of
publication
Publisher
Author
family
name
Author
initials
Year of
publication
Title
Wacher, J. (1999) The Towns of Roman
Britain. Journal of Antiquity 39 (2):46-55
Name
of the
Journal
Journal
volume
number
Journal
issue
number
Location
and length
of article
Name of
author/
organisation
Title of
article/
webpage
UNRV History, 428 AD An Ordinary Year at the
End of the Roman Empire, Available at:
http://www.unrv.com/?p=1355 (accessed on
1/9/2011)
URL (web
address)
The date
you read
this online
article
Avoiding Plagiarism
1 ) Using Quotes
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A quote is the exact words of another writer.
Always give an in-text citation.
Example: ‘TV reflects the dumbing down of
modern society’ (Brown, 2001:26).
Using Quotes
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Tutors want to read YOUR words, so avoid
too many (or too long!) quotes.
Using too many quotes gives the impression
you have no ideas of your own OR that you
don’t understand what you have read.
Only use a quote if the author is saying
something particularly bold, controversial or
interesting, or says it in a way you simply
cannot improve on!
Avoiding Plagiarism
2) Paraphrasing
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Put the author’s ideas or information in your
own words
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Always give an in-text citation.
Paraphrasing
Example:
Source: ‘TV reflects the dumbing down of modern society’
(Brown, 2001:26).
Paraphrases:
 Some critics believe modern society, as portrayed on
TV, suffers from a tendency to oversimplify issues
(Brown 2001).

Brown (2001) points out modern society, as portrayed on
TV suffers, from a tendency to oversimplify issues
Paraphrasing
Example:
Source: ‘TV reflects the dumbing down of modern society’
(Brown, 2001:26).
Paraphrases:
 Some critics believe modern society, as portrayed on
TV, suffers from a tendency to oversimplify issues
(Brown 2001).

Brown (2001) points out modern society, as portrayed on
TV suffers, from a tendency to oversimplify issues
How to paraphrase…
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Read the source
Understand the source
Put the source away
Make a list of main points you remember
Write full sentences from your list of points
Read paraphrase for correct grammar etc
Check paraphrase against the source
A Good Paraphrase is…
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ACCURATE (the ideas are the same as the
source)
ORIGINAL (the language is different from the
source)
GRAMMATICAL
REFERENCED
Which of these is acceptable behaviour?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Copying a paragraph word for word from a source without any
acknowledgement
Copying a paragraph and making small changes e.g. replacing a few
verbs, replacing an adjective with a synonym + source given in the list
of references.
Cutting and pasting a paragraph by using sentences of the original but
omitting one or two and putting one or two in a different order. No
quotation marks. In text citations e.g. (Jones 1999) and a reference list
are included.
Composing a paragraph by taking short phrases of 10 to 15 words from
a number of sources and putting them together, adding words of your
own to make a coherent whole. All sources included in reference list.
Paraphrasing a paragraph with substantial changes in language and
organisation; the new version will also have changes in the amount of
detail used and the examples cited. In text citations e.g. (Jones 1999)
and a reference list are included.
Quoting a paragraph by placing it in block format or quoting shorter
texts in quotation marks. Source is cited in text + list of references.
Which of these is acceptable behaviour?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Copying a paragraph word for word from a source without any
acknowledgement
Copying a paragraph and making small changes eg replacing a few
verbs, replacing an adjective with a synonym + source given in the list
of references.
Cutting and pasting a paragraph by using sentences of the original but
omitting one or two and putting one or two in a different order. No
quotation marks. In text citations e.g. (Jones 1999) and a reference list
are included.
Composing a paragraph by taking short phrases of 10 to 15 words from
a number of sources and putting them together, adding words of your
own to make a coherent whole. All sources included in reference list.
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Paraphrasing a paragraph with substantial changes in language and
organisation; the new version will also have changes in the amount of
detail used and the examples cited. In text citations e.g. (Jones 1999)
and a reference list are included.
Quoting a paragraph by placing it in block format or quoting shorter
texts in quotation marks. Source is cited in text + list of references.
Summary
Make sure you know
 what plagiarism means.
 how to avoid it.
 how to use the Harvard Referencing system.
 how to use the referencing guidelines from
your School.
Further information
See the WISER website at
www.uclan.ac.uk/wiser
for useful info such as guidelines on the
Harvard Referencing System.
Also see WISER eLearn site – sign up asap!
Find material on how to improve your study
skills and academic writing
References:
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Caroll, J (2002) AQ Handbook for Deterring
Plagiarism in Higher Education, Oxford:
OCSLD