Detecting and Avoiding
Plagiarism
Academic Integrity Policy
The Academic Integrity Policy of Ashford University States:
“Students of Ashford University will follow expected levels of
academic integrity. Ashford University defines academic
misconduct as dishonest and/or deceptive attempts to fulfill
academic requirements. Cheating, furnishing fabricated or false
information to Ashford University officials and adjuncts (such as
lying to affect a grade change), and plagiarism constitute acts of
academic misconduct, and will be met with censure.”
This tutorial will assist you in detecting and avoiding plagiarism.
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What is Plagiarism?
According to the Academic Integrity Policy of Ashford University:
“Plagiarism occurs when a student deliberately uses the ideas, language, or
another writer’s original material (that is not common knowledge) without
acknowledging the source. Plagiarized materials include texts (print or online), as well as the work of other students. Plagiarizing denies the student
the powerful opportunity to develop as an ethical and conscientious human
being. Herein rests the greatest reason not to plagiarize.”
Plagiarism most often occurs when a student fails to properly cite his or her
source of information. Next, various errors in citation will be explored.
What is Common Knowledge?
Some students have the mistaken notion that they must give credit to a
source only when they use a direct quotation. Paraphrasing (putting ideas
into your own words) or changing a word or two in a source does not relieve
the student of responsibility to credit the source. If an idea is not your own,
you must cite the source in the text of the paper and at the end of the paper
as a reference. The only exception to this rule is if the idea the student uses
is common knowledge. Facts that are common knowledge will generally be
known by many people and can easily be found or referenced. Common
knowledge facts (for example, that Robert Kennedy was assassinated in
1968) do not need to be documented. However, students must reference
lesser known ideas and interpretations of the common knowledge (for
example, a press release defense attorney Lawrence Teeter made regarding
the possible innocence of Sirhan Sirhan, the accused assassin).
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Common Knowledge?
Read the two statements below. Click on the
choice that is common knowledge:
1.
Albert Camus was born in Mondovi, Algeria in 1913 and died in 1960 in
an automobile crash.
2.
I was saddened when the great guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan died. I’ll
always remember when he said that love was the only cure for all the
pain in the world. He said that love is the only thing we can take with us
out of this life, and he’ll be missed.
Next
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Detecting Plagiarism
• We will now explore different examples of
a mock student’s writing. You will first see
the original text from the article, followed
by the student’s use of the material. You
will then determine if the student is
committing plagiarism or not.
Next
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Example 1
“A piece of literature has a social meaning, which means that the author produced the
work within a certain historical and social context. The language the author uses, the
social conventions he or she mentions, and descriptions of time and place all form the
social meaning of the author’s work. We may be part of a very different social context
than the author; but by investigating the social context of the author, we can arrive at
a clearer understanding of the author’s message.”
From Davis, S. (2005). Engaging the Text. Retrieved May 31, 2006, from LIB326: Historical Contexts and
Literature from Ashford University Web site: http://blackboard.ashford.com. (taken from page 1)
Student wrote: “’A piece of literature has a social meaning, which means
that the author produced the work within a certain historical and social
context.’ Thus, by studying the context of an author, we can better
understand his or her message (Davis, 2005, p. 1).”
Acceptable
Plagiarism
Next
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Example 2
“While we might not actually know with certainty what the author meant to
portray in a particular work, by understanding such factors as his or her
social class, ethnicity, gender, belief systems, and historical milieu we can
arrive at an educated and consistent understanding.”
From Davis, S. (2005). Engaging the Text. Retrieved May 31, 2006, from LIB326: Historical Contexts and
Literature from Ashford University Web site: http://blackboard.ashford.com. (taken from page 2)
Student wrote: “As Davis (2005) indicates, although ‘we might not actually
know’ what an author meant to portray, a careful exploration of the author’s
background and his or her historical context can help the reader ‘arrive at an
educated and consistent understanding (p.2).’”
Acceptable
Plagiarism
Next
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Example 3
“Most authors have consistent themes that carry through their works. For
example, a single story by Camus might seem hopelessly confusing until we
have read more Camus. We might then realize that the author concerned
himself with themes such as man’s need to find meaning in the world.”
From Davis, S. (2005). Engaging the Text. Retrieved May 31, 2006, from LIB326: Historical Contexts and
Literature from Ashford University Web site: http://blackboard.ashford.com. (taken from page 2)
Student wrote: “I agree with the importance of reading multiple works,
because, as Davis (2005) relates, I was ‘hopelessly confused’ upon reading
my first story by Albert Camus (p.2). I found, however, that as I read more
about the author, I did find ‘consistent themes’ throughout his work (p.2).”
Acceptable
Plagiarism
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Next
Example 4
“Literature has the power to allow us to ‘see’ into another time and place: it allows us
to share in the pain and joy of our shared humanity. In studying literature, we often
get frustrated when we try to decipher what a piece of writing ‘means.’ Rather than
becoming frustrated, once we engage with the text—once we share in the experience
of ourselves and the author—we become part of the text itself.”
From Davis, S. (2005). Engaging the Text. Retrieved May 31, 2006, from LIB326: Historical Contexts and
Literature from Ashford University Web site: http://blackboard.ashford.com. (taken from page 1)
Student wrote: “A piece of writing can bring the reader back to another time
in history. Instead of getting frustrated by literature, we can really share our
experiences with the author (Davis, 2005, p. 1).”
Acceptable
Plagiarism
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Next
Example 5
“At times, when confronted with a text that seems difficult to read, we can learn more
about the manner in which an author wrote by doing some research. For example,
the poet T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) belonged to a group of poets called the ‘imagists,’ and
they styled their work in opposition to the sentimental works of poets such as
Wordsworth.”
From Davis, S. (2005). Engaging the Text. Retrieved May 31, 2006, from LIB326: Historical Contexts and
Literature from Ashford University Web site: http://blackboard.ashford.com. (taken from page 1)
Student wrote: “Davis (2005) believes that research can help us learn more
about the manner in which an author wrote. For example, through research
we would find that the poet T.S. Eliot wrote in a very different way than the
sentimental poet Wordsworth.”
Acceptable
Plagiarism
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Next
Recap: What is Plagiarism I
To summarize, Ashford University defines the following acts as
acts of plagiarism:
•
Copying text from printed materials, which include books,
magazines, encyclopedias, and newspapers, et al.
–
•
The modification of a) with the intent of changing verbiage, changing
words, or interspacing the student’s work into the plagiarized work.
“Copy and Paste” plagiarism, which involves copying and pasting
materials from Internet sources and presenting them as one’s
original work.
–
The modification of b) with the intent of changing verbiage, changing
words, or interspacing the student’s work into the plagiarized work.
Next
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Recap: What is Plagiarism II
•
The use of another student’s work. Even if the student has the
permission of the other student, the use of another’s work
constitutes an act of collusion, which constitutes an act of
plagiarism.
•
The use of materials purchased from Internet sources.
•
“Recycling” of old papers for a current course. Students may only
use previous work to support current work (and the previous work
must be cited properly).
•
Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s work without giving
appropriate credit.
Return to Start
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Key: Common Knowledge
• Correct
• “Albert Camus was born in Mondovi, Algeria in 1913 and
died in 1960 in an automobile crash.”
This information is readily accessible and considered
common knowledge.
• Click Here to Return to Tutorial
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Key: Common Knowledge
• Incorrect
• The author of this statement is
paraphrasing the text of an interview
Stevie Ray Vaughan gave at the Mann
Music Center in Philadelphia, Pa. on
6/30/87. By not stating the source, the
author is committing an act of plagiarism.
• Click here to return to tutorial
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Key: Example 1
• Incorrect. The student commits plagiarism
because the first sentence is a direct
quote without a proper citation. While the
student cites the second sentence, since
the sentence so closely reflects Davis’s
original work, the student should first write,
“Further, Davis believes that…”
• Return to Example 1
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Key: Example 1
• Correct. The student commits plagiarism
because the first sentence is a direct
quote without a proper citation. While the
student cites the second sentence, since
the sentence so closely reflects Davis’s
original work, the student should first write,
“Further, Davis believes that…”
• Return to Example 1
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Key: Example 2
• Correct. This sentence beautifully
incorporates Davis’s work and expresses
a powerful thought. Davis’s name begins
the sentence, and the student uses direct
quotations set off with quotation marks,
and he or she is sure to cite the source of
the original material.
• Return to Example 2
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Key: Example 2
• Incorrect. The student’s work is not
plagiarized. This sentence beautifully
incorporates Davis’s work and expresses
a powerful thought. Davis’s name begins
the sentence, and the student uses direct
quotations set off with quotation marks,
and he or she is sure to cite the source of
the original material.
• Return to Example 2
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Key: Example 3
• Correct. The student has properly cited the
original material with quotation marks and
cited the source material properly. Notice
how the student has used Davis’s words to
support his or her own. Thus, the student
is careful to show the reader both his or
her opinion and the relation of that opinion
to Davis’s original material.
• Return to Example 3
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Key: Example 3
• Incorrect. The student has not committed
plagiarism. The student has properly cited the
original material with quotation marks and
cited the source material properly. Notice
how the student has used Davis’s words to
support his or her own. Thus, the student is
careful to show the reader both his or her
opinion and the relation of that opinion to
Davis’s original material.
• Return to Example 3
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Key: Example 4
• Incorrect. This student has committed
plagiarism. The student paraphrases Davis’s
material in the first sentence, but he or she does
not directly quote or properly cite Davis’s work.
While the student cites the second sentence, the
student is too closely mimicking the author’s
original work. As with Example 1, the student
must use either his or her own language and cite
the source, or be more careful in showing the
reader that he or she is paraphrasing the author.
• Return to Example 4
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Key: Example 4
• Correct. This student has committed plagiarism.
The student paraphrases Davis’s material in the
first sentence, but he or she does not directly
quote or properly cite Davis’s work. While the
student cites the second sentence, the student is
too closely mimicking the author’s original work.
As with Example 1, the student must use either
his or her own language and cite the source, or
be more careful in showing the reader that he or
she is paraphrasing the author.
• Return to Example 4
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Key: Example 5
• Incorrect. The student has committed
plagiarism. While the student gives credit
to Davis, he or she does not let the reader
know the source he or she used.
Regarding the second sentence, the
student commits plagiarism because his or
her paraphrasing of Davis is much too
similar to the original work and is not cited.
• Return to Example 5
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Key: Example 5
• Correct. The student has committed
plagiarism. While the student gives credit
to Davis, he or she does not let the reader
know the source he or she used.
Regarding the second sentence, the
student commits plagiarism because his or
her paraphrasing of Davis is much too
similar to the original work and is not cited.
• Return to Example 5
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