Respect Ideas and Materials as Property
AKA: PLAGIARISM
Created by:
Stephanie Huizinga
School District 45, DuPage County
Plagiarism…What is it?
Give your definition of Plagiarism.
What is Plagiarism?
Source: http://info.library.unsw.edu.au/psl/skills/direct/itet_lilt/module3/plagiarism.htm
Let’s Define: Plagiarism?
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According to the Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means
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to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of
another) as one's own
to use (another's production) without crediting the
source
to commit literary theft
to present as new and original an idea or product
derived from an existing source.
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud.
It involves both stealing someone else's work
and lying about it afterward.
When Does
Plagiarism Occur?
Two types of plagiarism:
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Intentional
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Copying a friend’s work
Buying or borrowing
papers
Cutting and pasting blocks
of text from electronic
sources, like the Internet
without documenting
Media “borrowing”without
documentation
Web publishing without
permissions of creators
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Unintentional
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Careless paraphrasing
Poor documentation
Quoting excessively
Failure to use your own
“voice”
Excuses/Myths
I was just
copying my
notes.
I couldn’t find the
source.
I thought we
didn’t have to
quote facts.
But their words
are better than
my own.
It’s ok, as
long as I
don’t get
caught!
I was too busy to
write that paper.
Everyone
else is doing
it!
Excuses/Myths
Carnegie Mellon University, Enhancing Education, “Plagiarism and the Web.”
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/plagiarism.html.
Excuses/Myths
Eastern Kentucky University, From Today's Cartoon by Randy Glasbergen,
http://www.acts.eku.edu/cartoon/more.htm.
Excuses/Myths
Pyrczak Publishing
www.pyrczak.com/antiplagiarism/cartoons.htm
Excuses/Myths
It’s okay to
copy a little.
I can copy as
long as I
credit.
My teacher
can’t bust
me if she or
he doesn’t
have proof.
It’s okay to copy
from papers that
are sold online.
NOPE! You could
get a ZERO on
your project or
paper!
WRONG!
You have to
prove that
you did not
do it!
NOPE! That’s
cheating!
NOPE!
Gotta quote!
Do I have
to cite
everything?
Nope!
Facts that are widely known, or
 Information or judgments
considered “common knowledge”
Do NOT have to be documented.

Hooray for
common
knowledge!
WAIT…What Exactly is “Common
Knowledge?”

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If you see a fact in three or more sources,
and you are fairly certain your readers
already know this information, it is likely to
be “common knowledge.”
But when in doubt, CITE!
Here are some examples of Common Knowledge
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John Adams was our second president
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December
7, 1941
How Do You Avoid
Plagiarism?
Louisiana State University
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/instruction/tigertail/nf/module3/plagiarism.htm
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Use your own words and ideas
Give credit for copied, adapted, or paraphrased
material
Avoid using others’ work with minor “cosmetic”
changes
Beware of “common knowledge”
Use your own words and ideas
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This is a skill that
improves with practice.
It requires an understanding of the topic
It requires that you give
yourself credit for your
own abilities.
Give credit for copied, adapted, or
paraphrased material
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If you repeat another's exact words, you MUST use quotation
marks and cite the source.
If you adapt a chart or paraphrase a sentence,
you must still cite.
Paraphrase means that you restate the author's ideas, meaning,
and information in your own words
WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE.
Avoid using others’ work with
minor “cosmetic” changes
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Examples:
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using "less" for "fewer“
reversing the order of a
sentence
altering anothers’
PowerPoint presentation.
If the work is
essentially the same,
give credit.
WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE.
Beware of “common knowledge”
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You don't have to cite
"common knowledge,“
BUT the fact must really
be commonly known.
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That George Washington
was the first U.S. president
is common knowledge;
That George Washington
was an expert dancer is not
common knowledge
WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE.
Why is plagiarism wrong?
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If you plagiarize, you are cheating yourself.
You don't learn to write out your thoughts in
your own words, and you don't get specific
feedback geared to your individual needs and
skills. Plagiarism is dishonest because it
misrepresents the work of another as your
own.
Unintentional plagiarism is still cheating.
Why Is all of this Important?
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What if:
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Your architect cheated his way through math class.
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Your lawyer paid for a copy of the bar exam to
study.
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Will your new home be safe?
Will the contract she wrote for you stand up in court?
The accountant who does your taxes hired someone
to write his papers and paid a stand-in to take his
major tests?
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Does he know enough to complete your tax forms
properly?
(Lathrop and Foss 87)
Plagiarism in the News
www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-plagiarism_sat1mar01,0,165645.story
chicagotribune.com
Nation
Bush aide resigns over plagiarized columns
Associated Press
March 1, 2008
WASHINGTON
A White House official who served as President Bush's middleman with conservatives and Christian groups resigned Friday after
admitting to plagiarism. Twenty columns he wrote for an Indiana newspaper were determined to have material copied from
other sources without attribution.
Timothy Goeglein, who has worked for Bush since 2001, acknowledged that he lifted material from a Dartmouth College
publication and presented it as his own work in a column about education for The News-Sentinel in Ft. Wayne, Ind. The
newspaper took a closer look at his other columns and found many more instances of plagiarism.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement that Goeglein, deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison,
had accepted responsibility and "has apologized for not upholding the standards expected by the president."
The White House sought to deal with the embarrassing situation quickly, the same day the plagiarism was reported by a
blogger, Nancy Nall, a former News-Sentinel columnist. She posted on the Internet an essay by Jeffrey Hart in the
Dartmouth Review that was plagiarized.
The News-Sentinel said an internal investigation found that 20 of Goeglein's 38 columns published in the past eight years
contained portions copied from other sources without attribution. Goeglein, 44, has submitted unsolicited, or guest ,
columns for more than 20 years, and he has never been paid for them, the newspaper said.
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
Plagiarism in the News
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Links to articles regarding Plagiarism:
School Cheating Scandal Tests a Town’s
Values
 Plagiarism Scandal at Ohio U. Claims a
Department Chairman
 Fighting Plagiarism, Schools Go High-Tech
 College president cited for plagiarism
 Plagiarism case bedevils Kansas school
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Real life consequences:
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Damaged the reputation of two prominent historians, Stephen
Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin,
 Kearns left television position and stepped down as Pulitzer
Prize judge for “lifting” 50 passages for her 1987 book The
Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys (Lewis)
Senator Joseph Biden dropped his 1987 campaign for the
Democratic presidential nomination. (Sabato)
 Copied in law school and borrowed from campaign speeches
of Robert Kennedy
Boston Globe journalist Mike Barnicle forced to resign for
plagiarism in his columns (“Boston Columnist . . .”)
Probe of plagiarism at UVA--45 students dismissed, 3 graduate
degrees revoked
 CNN Article AP. 26 Nov. 2001
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Channel One Article AP. 27 Nov. 2002
Real life consequences:
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New York Times senior reporter Jayson Blair
forced to resign after being accused of
plagiarism and fraud.
“The newspaper said at least 36 of the 73
articles he had written had problems with
accuracy, calling the deception a "low point" in
the newspaper's history.”
Controversial New Jersey valedictorian
denied her seat as a Harvard freshman when
it discovered she plagiarized in a local
newspaper.
Plagiarism Scenarios
Plagiarism Scenarios
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Tracy had a report to write on acid rain. She used
several sources -- books, magazines, newspaper
articles, and an electronic encyclopedia. She listed
all these sources in her bibliography at the end of
the report. She found the encyclopedia to be the
most convenient source because she could highlight
portions of the text and paste them into her word
processing document.
Is this ok to do? Is this plagiarism? Why/How?
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008. http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php
Plagiarism Scenarios
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Ms. Harris received e-mail from someone
who liked the gargoyle image on the Uni
High Library's web page and wanted to
know if he could use it on his school
library's web page. The art teacher, who
created the image for the school, wrote
back to him, explaining that the image
belonged to the University and that,
furthermore, it had special significance as
the image that identifies Uni High. She
thanked him for his interest, but told him
that she could not grant permission for
him to use it.
Can the emailer still use the image? If
does use it, did he plagiarize? Why/How?
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008. http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php
Plagiarism Scenarios
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Julie asked Sam if she could look at
the essay he wrote for their history
class. He told her "sure" and thought
no more about it. Several days after
the essays were turned in, the
teacher asked him to stay after class.
She showed Sam that his essay and
Julie's were almost identical. She
asked Sam for an explanation.
What should Sam say or do? Did Sam
plagiarize or did Julie plagiarize?
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008. http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php
Plagiarism Scenarios
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Mr. Boxley asks the school librarian to check some references
in Belinda's research paper. Mr. Boxley believes that the
writing is far better than Belinda's usual work, almost spookily
better. The librarian does a quick search and discovers that
Belinda has copied whole paragraphs from the online articles
she cites. However, in each sentence, at least two words have
been changed. When confronted, Belinda argues that she has
paraphrased and cited her sources. She does not believe she
has plagiarized from other people's work.
From what you have learned today, did Belinda plagiarize?
Why/How?
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008. http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php
Plagiarism Scenarios
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Larry is a fan of a superheroes cartoon
which has an accompanying web site. He
particularly likes one of the characters. He
copies the character's web page onto his
own web page, but changes the name of the
character to “Larry.” Several weeks later,
the school system administrator is
contacted by the company that produces
the show and the web page. They threaten
to sue the school if the site is not
immediately removed.
Did Larry plagiarize? Why/How?
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008. http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php
Plagiarism Scenarios
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Mun-Hwa has a paper due second period
but doesn't do any work until the night
before. She heads to the public library
where she asks the librarians for help.
After they've shown her how to e-mail
documents from online databases home,
Mun-Hwa realizes that she can easily
cut and paste paragraphs from the
articles she retrieved into a document
without citing them and that her
teachers would never know.
Do you think her teachers will know she
copied and pasted? Why do you think?
Is Mun-Hwa plagiarizing?
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008. http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php
Teacher Resources
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Suggested Classroom reading – When
Marian Copied by Brook Berg
Flash Video (has lots of text also) http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/pl
agiarism/tutorial/introduction.htm?flas
h=yes
http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0425/
p16s1.html
Works Cited
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“Plagiarism.org” 10 March 2008. <http://www.plagiarism.org>
“Plagiarism” 12 March 2008.
<http://info.library.unsw.edu.au/psl/skills/direct/itet_lilt/modul
e3/plagiarism.htm>
Pyrczak Publishing. 12 March 2008.
<www.pyrczak.com/antiplagiarism/cartoons.htm>
Louisiana State University. 12 March 2008.
<http://www.lib.lsu.edu/instruction/tigertail/nf/module3/plagiar
ism.htm>
Carnegie Mellon University, Enhancing Education, “Plagiarism and
the Web.” 12 March 2008.
<http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/plagiarism.html>
“Scenarios for Internet Ethics.” March 12, 2008.
<http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/computerlit/scenarios.php>