First-Year Experience
(Destination Kent)
Plagiarism Workshop
Rob Kairis
Library Director
Kent State Stark
Definition …
“To take and present as one's own a material
portion of the ideas or words of another or to
present as one's own an idea or work derived
from an existing source without full and
proper credit to the source of the ideas,
words, or works.”
Kent State’s policy on Cheating and Plagiarism:
http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm
Famous Plagiarists…
Just Words…
Blurred Lines…
Jury awards Marvin Gaye’s family
$7.4 million for copyright infringement
(not plagiarism)
https://youtu.be/8M6x1H08aFc
http://www.bet.com/music/photos/2015/03/7-reasons-the-blurred-lines-verdict-should-have-everyonespooked/_jcr_content/leftcol/flipbook/flipbookimage.flipfeature.dimg/031315-music-marvin-gaye-pharrell-robin-thicke.jpg
https://youtu.be/ziz9HW2ZmmY
Lester, Toni, “Blurred Lines — Where Copyright Ends and Cultural Appropriation Begins — The Case of Robin Thicke versus Bridgeport Music,
and the Estate of Marvin Gaye” (2014). Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2014 (pp. 217-242).
In Context …
Although not just college students plagiarize…
Expectations depend on how the information is delivered …
Speech
Newspaper
Term Paper
Expectation for accuracy and attribution meter
If You’re Accused …
1. Your instructor informs you
verbally or in writing that he/she
suspects you of plagiarizing
2. Your instructor provides you
with an opportunity to explain
orally or in writing why you
believe you did not plagiarize
3. If your instructor still believes
you plagiarized he/she may
impose sanctions: • Refuse the work submitted for credit
• Student gets an F or zero on the assignment
• Student fails the class
• Request that stiffer sanctions be applied
• “Plagiarism School”
Plagiarism School …
Modeled after Traffic School …
Instructor agrees to mitigate sanction if student
completes plagiarism school:
• review “plagiarized” assignment
• university policy
• case studies
• homework (“spot the plagiarism”)
If You’re Sanctioned …
The Instructor must report the act of
plagiarism and the sanction applied to
the Office of Student Conduct
The Office of Student Conduct will inform
you that you have the right to appeal the
sanction by writing to that Office within
15 days of getting their notification of
the sanction
If you have been successfully sanctioned
previously or the instructor or dean
request disciplinary sanctions, you must
appeal before the Academic Hearing
Panel
Appeals …
If you appeal …
A hearing will be scheduled with the
Academic Hearing Panel where the
instructor must prove you plagiarized
You and the instructor can call witnesses
and cross exam each other (neither side
can be represented by legal counsel)
The AHP makes a decision in the matter
and provides it to you in writing within 7
calendar days of the hearing
Avoiding Plagiarism …
• Always do your own work
• Be organized (failure to properly attribute someone’s work by
mistake is still plagiarism)
• When using facts or figures always cite a source (only widely known
or accepted facts can be presented without citation—there is no
need to cite a source for suggesting that the world is round, for
example)
• It is okay to seek help or advice, but thoughts, ideas, words,
phrases, interpretations etc., should be your own or the source of
origin should be properly cited
• “Double-dipping” (using a substantial portion of a piece of work for
two or more classes without notifying the instructor) is a form of
cheating similar to plagiarism
• If in doubt, ask for help from your instructor (the Library or the
Writing Center)
Case Studies …
1. George Bono's paper on AIDS
2. Rosie Pinetar's essay on The Natural
3. Stuart Lavaman's term paper in Geology
4. Gilbert Trout's book report on Slaughterhouse-Five
5. Lonnie Shakespeare trades papers for a Psychology class
6. Jill St. Blonde writes two papers on the same topic
Honor Pledge …
1. Signing the pledge is completely voluntary. Students are under no
obligation to sign it and will not be penalized in any manner for not
signing it.
2. The pledge is not a contract. It serves as a symbolic gesture or
statement by each student signing that he or she will not commit
an act of academic dishonesty.
3. Although added to the student's official university records, it does
not indicate any different treatment. Whether or not a student
signs the pledge will have no effect on how a student is treated if
accused of an act of academic dishonesty.
4. The pledge is an initiative originating from 2006-2009 Student
Advisory Council of the College of Arts & Sciences.
First-Year Experience
(Destination Kent)
Plagiarism Workshop
Rob Kairis
Library Director
Kent State Stark