Plagiarism
Created by Cat Gomez, Librarian revised 09/10
What Is Plagiarism?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to plagiarize is to "steal and pass off (the
ideas or words of another) as ... [your] own." Plagiarism can be intentional or
unintentional. Intentional plagiarism includes actions such as buying a paper from a Web
site, copying an entire paper from another source, turning in someone's paper as your
own, and hiring someone to write a paper for you. Unintentional plagiarism is less clear.
The following actions are forms of plagiarism, whether intentional or not:

Not placing a direct quotation in quotation
marks. You have plagiarized if you use someone
else's exact words or phrases and do not use
quotation marks, even if you include a parenthetical
reference or a footnote after it.
Original Source
Critics of international adoption argue that there
are better ways of helping children in poor
countries that do not involve taking them abroad.
Providing financial support to children's
communities allows relatives and other local
caregivers to look after them, opponents say
("International Adoption").
Plagiarized Example
Those who criticize international adoption state that there
are better ways of helping children in poor countries that
do not involve taking them abroad. Providing financial
support to children's communities allows relatives and
other local caregivers to look after them, opponents say
("International Adoption").
Following another's sentence too closely:

If you only change a word or two in the sentence, delete
some words, or change the order of the sentence, you are
plagiarizing, not paraphrasing. For example,
Original Source
The death penalty's critics say that there are too many flaws in the
U.S.'s criminal-justice system to validate a punishment as irreversible
as the death penalty. Innocent people have undoubtedly been put to
death in the past, they maintain, and there are likely many currently
on death row who did not commit the crimes for which they are
sentenced to die ("Update: Death Penalty").
Plagiarized Example
Critics of the death penalty claim that there are too many
errors in the U.S.'s criminal-justice system to allow a
punishment as irreversible as the death penalty. They
maintain that innocent people have probably been put to
death in the past and that there are likely many on death
row who did not commit the crimes for which they have
been sentenced to death.
Placing parenthetical references or footnotes in the wrong
place so that paraphrased material looks like your own idea.
Original Source
Opponents of debt forgiveness, including the IMF and the World
Bank (an international loan agency), agree that the debt burden
on developing countries needs to be eased. However, they argue
that the total cancellation of their debts could have unintended
negative consequences such as encouraging unsound government
policies. Debt forgiveness would teach those governments that
they can borrow money whenever they need it, waste it or use it
for their own purposes and not worry about paying it back ...
Critics also argue that forgiving debt could ruin the
creditworthiness of those countries in the eyes of lenders, making
lenders less willing to give out needed funds in the future ("Debt
Forgiveness").
Plagiarized Example
Critics of debt forgiveness argue that allowing debts to be
completely canceled may lead some governments to believe that
they can borrow money whenever they need it and not be
concerned about repaying it ("Debt Forgiveness"). The
cancellation of all debt may also ruin a country's credit and make
lenders unwilling to lend funds in the future.
In the example above, the sentence "The cancellation of all debt may also ruin a
country's credit and make lenders unwilling to lend funds in the future" looks like it
was your own idea and not a paraphrased idea.
Using another's original idea without including a
parenthetical reference or a footnote.
Original Source
As greenhouse gas levels have risen, so too
has the world's temperature. According to
researchers, average world temperatures
have risen about 1° F during the past
century, a trend that has accelerated in
recent decades ("Global Warming Update").
Plagiarized Example
The world's temperature rises when the level of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases.
Using too much of someone else's work.
If most of your paper is made up of other people's
ideas and words, even if you cite correctly, it may be
considered plagiarism.
 Plagiarism is a very serious offense in both the
academic and professional worlds. For example, in
May 2006, a Harvard University student had her
novel recalled and her book deal canceled after it
emerged that she had plagiarized passages from
two books by another author.
 Most schools punish plagiarists. The student
may receive a failing grade for the paper or the
class. Other schools will suspend or expel the
student.
 Most cases of plagiarism arise because of poor citing and
referencing. Luckily, you can avoid plagiarizing if you know
how to cite and reference your sources properly. As a
general rule, remember that any time you use someone
else's words or ideas, you should include a citation.

Example of Person Found Plagiarizing
Source: Facts On File World News Digest
Issue Date: May 04, 2006 People in the News
A recently published first novel by Kaavya Viswanathan,
19, a Harvard University undergraduate, was recalled April
27 by its publisher, Little, Brown and Co., after it emerged
that the book, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and
Got a Life, contained many passages apparently plagiarized
from two young-adult novels by Megan McCafferty,
Sloppy Firsts (2001) and Second Helpings (2003). Close
similarities between these two books and Viswanathan's
had first been reported April 23 by the Harvard Crimson, a
student newspaper. McCafferty's publisher, Crown
Publishers, April 25 cited more than 40 such similarities, a
day after Viswanathan admitted having copied passages
from McCafferty's books, but in what she called an
"unintentional and unconscious" manner. Amid growing
evidence of possible plagiarism from other sources, Little,
Brown May 2 dropped plans to publish a revised edition of
Viswanathan's first novel, as well as a previously
contracted-for second novel.
How Can I Avoid Plagiarism?
 Taking
Notes
 Before you start taking notes from a
certain source, write down the author's
name, the article title, the publication
date, and the URL and date of access
(if you are using an electronic source)
at the top of the page. Remember to
note this information for each source
that you use. When you begin writing
your paper, this information will help
you see which author made certain
arguments. It will also help you to cite
and reference your sources.
More tips:


If you see a certain phrase or sentence you
would like to quote in your paper, place the
phrase in quotation marks in your notes. When
you begin writing your paper, this will serve as
a reminder that the phrase is a quotation, not
your own words. Remember that not placing a
direct quotation in quotation marks is
considered plagiarism.
Give yourself credit. While you are reading and
taking notes, you might think of a point you
would like to argue in your paper. Write your
idea down, but highlight it or draw a circle
around it so that you know this is your idea
and not something you read in another source.
Using Quotations


Before you quote, begin the sentence with the
author's name or the title of the article. This
indicates to your reader that you are about to
use someone else's words and ideas. For example,
Prejean argues that "capital trials cost four to six
times more than ordinary trials" (225) or
According to the author of "Global Warming
Update," some groups claim that "there are
scientific doubts about the nature, severity and
causes of climate change." If necessary, make
sure you include a parenthetical reference or
footnote at the end of the sentence. For more
information see MLA Citing in Text and APA
Citing in Text.
Place all quotations in quotation marks. If the
quote is long, you may need to indent it.
Check with your teacher or style guide to see
what rules you should follow for long quotes.
Careful that you do not change the original meaning of a quote.
See examples below.
 Use
quotes sparingly. Only quote when you
think using the author's exact words is the
best way to make a point. Do not include long
quotations because you need to submit a
certain number of pages or words.
 If
you need to include a quote within a quote
(sometimes called an embedded quote) use
single quotation marks ('...') instead of double
("...") to indicate that it is different.
Modifying quotes
If you need to shorten a quote, use an ellipsis (...) to indicate
that you have left words out. If you need to add a word to a
quotation to make it clearer, add the word or words in
square brackets. Be careful that you do not change the
original meaning of a quote. See examples below.
Supporters maintain that under the pay
system currently in place in most U.S. public
schools, teachers have little or no incentive
to work hard, since they know their salaries
will rise each year anyway. Merit pay
rewards teachers who put the most effort
into their jobs, advocates argue. Critics of
the idea, however, say merit pay would
create a significant amount of negative
competition between teachers, who ideally
should be working together to better teach
their students ("Merit Pay for Teachers").
Shortening a Quote Correctly

Shortening a Quote Correctly

Shortening a Quote Incorrectly

Original Source

Adding a Word or Words Correctly

Adding a Word or Words Incorrectly
"Supporters maintain that ... merit pay rewards teachers who put the
most effort into their jobs" ("Merit Pay for Teachers").
"Supporters maintain that ... merit pay would create a significant
amount of negative competition between teachers, who ideally
should be working together to better teach their students" ("Merit
Pay for Teachers").
Bush's plan would use less federal funding by contracting coverage
from private insurers. Those private insurers would keep costs low
through managed care, a system in which recipients choose from a
specified list of health care providers ("Medicare and Medicaid
Update").
The author states that "Bush's [Medicare] plan would use less
federal funding by contracting coverage from private insurers"
("Medicare and Medicaid Update").
Private insurers "would keep costs [incredibly] low through
managed care, a system in which recipients choose from a specified
list of health care providers" ("Medicare and Medicaid Update").
Paraphrase Correctly


Paraphrasing means taking facts or ideas from another
source and putting them into your own words. Following
another's sentence structure or words too closely is not
paraphrasing. Remember that the words and sentences
should be your own and in your style rather than that of
the author. If you are worried about following another's
words too closely, try reading the source and taking
notes only after you have closed the book or minimized
the page. When you have finished writing, check your
paraphrase against the original source. If you have used
two or more consecutive words of the author's, place the
words in quotation marks.
Before you paraphrase, begin the sentence with the author's
name or the title of the article. This indicates to your reader that
you are about to use someone else's ideas; for example, "Prejean
argues that capital trials are more expensive (225)"; or,
"According to the author of 'Global Warming Update,' some
groups claim that there are scientific doubts about climate
change." If necessary, make sure you include a parenthetical
reference or footnote at the end of the sentence.
Check Your Citations



Be consistent when citing. Include source
information each time you quote, paraphrase, or
use someone else's words or ideas. For more
information see When Should I Cite?
When you have finished writing your paper, go
through it and check all parenthetical references
or footnotes. Make sure that each parenthetical
reference has a corresponding entry in your
Works Cited or References list. Make sure that
each footnote has a corresponding entry at the
end of the page.
If you are using endnotes, make sure that each
note has a corresponding entry in your Notes or
Footnotes page. Remember that including false
citation information is also considered plagiarism.
UTEP sees increase
in plagiarism
by Adriana Gómez Licón / El Paso Times
Posted: 09/08/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT
With all the world just a few keystrokes away on
the Internet, it should come as no surprise that
cheating and plagiarism are on the rise at UTEP.
.
"Students today don't have to go into a library to
do research. There is a sense that the Internet is
a free site," said Catie McCorry-Andalis, assistant
vice president for student affairs.
May Mendoza, a junior, said she thought about
plagiarizing because she was under time
pressure. She passed on the temptation, though
others don't.
"It crosses my mind, copy and pasting here," she
said. "But they'll catch you."
Total cases of dishonesty rose from 136 in 200708 to 194 last school year, according to records
obtained by the El Paso Times through the Texas
Public Information Act. UTEP's enrollment was
21,011 in 2008.
The most common academic offense at UTEP is
plagiarism. These cases went from 82 in the
2007-08 school year to 131 last school year.
Plagiarism is stealing someone else's writing,
ideas or work product.
At UT Austin, where 51,000 students attend
school, officials reported 421 cases of academic
dishonesty in the year 2008-09, according to the
student newspaper.
What some studies on the subject have
concluded is that more students view plagiarism
as something common, and not as cheating.
A study released this year by the National Bureau
of Economic Research found that some students
did not know they were cheating when they
copied material from the Internet.
"Undergraduates are less likely to view plagiarism
from resources that are available online as a form
of academic dishonesty," the report stated.
Anti-cheating policies at UTEP include a tutorial
on how to properly attribute sources. But not all
students have to go through the tutorial, even if
they are caught plagiarizing.
The Office of Student Affairs typically disciplines
offending students by putting them on probation
or giving them a zero for a tainted assignment.
In 46 cases of cheating in 2006-07, the
university took no action against students,
records showed. At the other extreme, UTEP has
suspended 11 students for cheating since 2006.
Records showed that in most cases, cheating
students received a zero for the assignment or
exam in question. Other times, professors
dropped the students by a letter grade for the
class.
In a few cases, students had to enroll in an ethics
class or write a paper about what they did wrong.