The Research Process
Researching, Citing Sources and
Avoiding Plagiarism
Peachtree Ridge High School
The Contradictions of
Research Writing
Show you have done
your research
Appeal to experts and
authorities
Improve your English by
mimicking what you
hear and read
Give credit where credit
is due
But…
Write something new
and original
Improve upon, or
disagree with experts
and authorities
Use your own words,
your own voice
Make your own
significant contribution
Source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
Primary vs.
Secondary Sources
Primary:
an original work
• poem
• short story
• art work
• video
• research paper
• journal article
• book
Secondary:
analysis of the work
• review of a particular genre
• article or essay about the
work
• biography of the author
• print or electronic reference
sources
• textbook
Real Life Consequences
Damaged the reputation of two
prominent historians, Stephen Ambrose
and Doris Kearns Goodwin
– Goodwin left television position
and stepped down as Pulitzer
Prize judge for “lifting” 50
passage for her 1987 book
The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys (Lewis).
*picture citation: (“Doris Kearns Goodwin”).
More Real Life Consequences
• Probe of plagiarism at UVA- 45 students
dismissed, 3 graduate degrees revoked.
• Senator Joseph Biden dropped his 1987
campaign for the Democratic presidential
nomination (Sabato).
– He copied in law school
and borrowed from
campaign speeches
of Robert Kennedy
Picture citation: (“Joe Biden Plagiarism Par Dux”)
Even More Real Life Consequences
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”
(“New York Times Exposes Fraud”).
Citation for picture: (“Jayson Blair”).
Is this important? What if...
Your architect cheated his way through math class. Will
your home be safe?
Your lawyer paid for a copy of the bar exam to study? Will
the contract she wrote stand up in court?
The accountant who does your taxes hired someone else
to write his papers and paid a stand in to take his major
test? Does he know enough to complete your tax forms
properly?
Your doctor cheated his way through surgical techniques
class. Would he remove your appendix or spleen? How
much would it matter? (Lathrop and Foss 87).
POP QUIZ: Is this plagiarism?
Original Source:
– If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling
for linguists, it was also startling news for
animal behaviorists (Valenza 26).
Student’s Paper:
– The existence of a signing ape seemed to be
unsettling for linguists, and it was also startling
for animal behaviorists.
VERDICT=PLAGIARISM!
The student should have used quotation marks
around the words that he/she copied from the
original source. Also, there is no parenthetical
citation with the author and page number of the
source statement.
– Correct: The “existence of a signing ape” seemed
to be “unsettling for linguists, and it was also
startling for animal behaviorists” (Valenza 26).
Citations are important!
POP QUIZ: Is this plagiarism?
Original Source:
– If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling
for linguists, it was also startling news for
behaviorists (Valenza 26).
Student’s Paper:
– If the presence of a sign-language-using
chimp was disturbing for scientists studying
language, it was also surprising to scientists
studying animal behavior (Valenza 26).
VERDICT= STILL PLAGIARISM
Even though the writer has substituted synonyms and
cited the source, the writer is plagiarizing because the
source’s sentence structure is unchanged. It is obvious
that the writer could not have written his sentence
without a copy of the source directly in front of him
Correct: According to Joyce Valenza, linguists and
animal behaviorists were unprepared for the news that
a chimp could communicate with its trainers through
sign language (16). Author’s name is not included in the parenthesis
since it is mentioned in the text of the sentence.
How to Avoid Plagiarism
Practice good research methods
Know how to quote, paraphrase and cite
Know when something is common
knowledge
Keep track of every source you use
Indicate in your notes which ideas are
taken from your sources (S) and which are
your own insights (ME)
How to Take Notes
Using Double Column Notes
Source information should be included at the top of the table.
For example: Strathmore, John S. America in Focus. 2nd ed. New York: Johnson House, 1999.
Concrete Details
• Direct quotations from source
(make sure you put quotation
marks around anything taken
word for word)
• Isolated facts
• Paraphrases (put facts into your
own words)
• Summaries of key ideas
Commentary
• Your thoughts and analysis of
each concrete detail
• Your explanation of how the
concrete detail supports your
missing a thesis that addresses
your topic and reasons why
• Your reactions and responses to
the concrete details
*Be sure to put the page number for
each fact!!!
Start a new table each time you visit a new source. See the
research section of our media center web site to download
directions and templates for using double column notes.
Using Existing Knowledge
Use your own words, your own voice, your
own ideas
Paraphrase or quote, and cite both!
– Paraphrase: restate information, giving the meaning
in another form
– Quote: to repeat wording exactly using quotation
marks (“”)
– Cite: to give credit to original author of material; You
will use parenthetical citations after quotations and
paraphrases and include source info on a Works
Cited page
What is a Parenthetical Citation?
Whenever you quote words, cite facts, or use ideas
from an outside source, you must briefly identify that
source by author (or title if there is not credible author) and
specify where the words, facts, or ideas originally
occurred—for instance by including page numbers.
MLA calls this “parenthetical citation” because the
information is placed in a parenthesis. Together, your
parenthetical documentation and Works Cited enable your
reader to identify your sources and locate the exact
passages you have used.
Example: (Smith 278).
You Need To Cite
When You…
Use or refer to someone else’s words or ideas
(whether a direct quotation or paraphrase)
Gain information through interviewing
another person
Use facts, statistics, etc.
Copy the exact words or a “unique phrase”
Reprint diagrams, illustrations, charts,
pictures, videos, music
Use other people’s ideas (printed, or through
conversations or email)
You Don’t Need to Cite
When You…
Write from your own experiences, observations,
insights, thoughts, conclusions about a subject
Compile generally accepted facts
Write up your own experimental results
Using publications produced by federal and state
governments
Using information in the public domain
Use “common knowledge”--shared information in
your field of study
What is Common Knowledge?
The same information is not cited in at least
five other sources
Information that your audience will already
know or that is easily observed
General information NOT quoted directly
Commonly reported facts or sayings
Examples of common knowledge:
– John Adams was our second president.
citation
More Parenthetical Fun!
Use of Authors' Names: Always mention the
author's name—either in the text itself or in the
parenthetical citation—unless no author is
provided.
If the author's name is mentioned in the
text introducing the source material, then cite
the page number(s) in parentheses:
Ex: Branscomb argues that "it's a good idea to
lurk (i.e., read all the messages without
contributing anything) for a few weeks, to ensure
that you don't break any of the rules of
netiquette" (7) when joining a listserv.
If the author's name is not mentioned in the
text then include the author's last name in the
parenthetical citation before the page number(s).
Note that no comma appears between the author's
name and the page number(s).
Ex: The modern world requires both the ability to
concentrate on one thing and the ability to attend
to more than one thing at a time: "Ideally, each
individual would cultivate a repertoire of styles of
attention, appropriate to different situations, and
would learn how to embed activities and types of
attention one within another" (Bateson 97).
citation
If no author is identified then substitute for the
author's name the title or an abbreviated title in
the text or parenthetical citation. Underline the
title if the source is a book; if the source is an
article, use quotation marks:
Ex: The use of Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) systems has grown
substantially over the past five years as companies
attempt to adapt to customer needs and to improve
their profitability ("Making CRM Work").
citation
Placement of Citations: Place a citation as
close to the quoted or paraphrased material as
possible without disrupting the sentence. In
most cases the parenthetical citation will
appear after the final quotation mark and
before the period!
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing has to do with …
“the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of material,
the pattern of thought…”
-rephrasing the words of the author and putting his/her
thoughts in your own words, phrases and sentence
structure.
Use your own words when you paraphrase,
don’t just move things around. You still need to
include a parenthetical citation when paraphrasing!
When Paraphrasing
and Summarizing
Writing Process:
Appearance on final product:
First, write your
paraphrase and summary
without looking at the
original text, so you rely
only on your memory.
Next, check your version
with the original for
content, accuracy, and
mistakenly borrowed
phrases
Begin your summary
with a statement giving
credit to the source:
According to Jonathan
Kozol, ...
Put any unique words or
phrases that you cannot
change, or do not want
to change, in quotation
marks:
– "savage inequalities" exist
throughout our educational
system (Kozol 27).
Source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
Direct Quotations
-Quotations are the EXACT words of an author or text,
copied directly from the source, word for word. They
must be cited!
Provide tags (lead in) to
direct quotations
In his investigation of social identity, The Uses
of Disorder, Sennett defines adulthood as a
stage where people "learn to tolerate painful
ambiguity and uncertainty" (108).
No Quotation Should Stand by Itself!
Always lead in or out of your quotations by
Lead in
weaving your wording with the quotation
to
Ex: A great philosophy on life is shown in the
statement, “All life is an experiment. The more quotation
experiments you make the better” (Emerson 47).
Ex: Though it may seem expensive to keep a
person in prison for life, “roughly it's costing us $2
million more to execute someone than it would cost
to keep them in jail for life” (Porter 38).
citation
When Quoting Directly
Writing Process:
Appearance on final product:
Keep the person’s name
near the quotation in
your notes, and in your
paper
Select those direct
quotations that make the
most impact in your
paper -- too many direct
quotes may lessen your
credibility and interfere
with your style
Put quotation marks
around the text that you
are taking word for word
Optional with quotes:
Mention the person’s
name before or after the
quotation
Indicate added phrases
in brackets ([ ]) and
omitted text with ellipses
(. . .)
[ Brackets ]
Original Quotation
– “More than 130 of them in dozens of countries still
operate with HEU fuel, and many have no more
security than a night watchman and a chain-link fence.”
Altered Quotation
– According to researchers Matthew Bunn and Anthony
Wier, “More than 130 [research reactors] in dozens of
countries still operate with HEU fuel, and many have
no more security than a night watchman and a chainlink fence” (76).
... Ellipses ...
Original Quotation
– “More than 130 of them in dozens of countries still
operate with HEU fuel, and many have no more
security than a night watchman and a chain-link fence.”
Altered Quotation
– According to researchers Matthew Bunn and Anthony
Wier, “More than 130 [research reactors]…still operate
with HEU fuel, and many have no more security than a
night watchman and a chain-link fence” (76).
Block Quotations
Use for quotations that extend more than four
lines of verse or prose.
Place in a free-standing block (indented one inch
from left margin) and omit quotation marks.
Unlike shorter quotations, your parenthetical
citation should come after the closing
punctuation mark.
When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks
(and maintain double space).
Example of a Block Quotation:
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout
her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in
their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the
No
landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow.
quotation
By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to
marks
needed in
Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his
block
quotations. chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was
obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and
inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
Period goes before
citation in this case only
What is a Works Cited Page?
The purpose of the Works Cited page is to
give readers a complete bibliographical entry
for each source used in an essay.
This complete bibliographical entry will allow
the readers to go and find the exact source(s)
used in the paper.
A direct connection between parenthetical
citations and works cited page entries exists.
Connection Between Parenthetical
Citations and Works Cited
See how they
match up?
Reminders About Works Cited
- Make sure your sources are listed in alphabetical order ignoring any
initial A, An and The
- Make sure your entries have a hanging indent (additional lines of
entries after the first line are indented)
- Make sure double spacing is used throughout (no extra spaces
should exist between entries)
- Make sure all sources listed on your works cited paper are
found in the text of your paper
- Make sure all sources found in the text of your paper are listed
on your works cited page.
- Make sure your Works Cited page is in the same document as your
paper. It should be the last page of your paper so your header and
page number will remain on the top right
Last name 7
Works Cited
Header remains
Gross, Daniel. “The Recession is Over! Now What We Need
Hanging
indent
is a New Kind of Recovery.” Newsweek. 3 Aug. 2009:
32-37. Print.
The Hat Makes the Man. 1920. Drawing. MoMA. Web.
14 Aug. 2009.
ABC order
Musgrave, Gerald L. "Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to
the Debate over Taxes, 4th ed." Business Economics
43.2 (April 2008): 78(2). Print.
Media Center Web site
Click here
There are many helpful links and tutorials on our
the Research page of our media center web site.
Site: prhsmediacenter.com
Databases
Database Passwords
You will need a password to access
these databases at home
Stop by the media center for a sticker
for your agenda book with these
passwords listed.
Username: gwinnettl
Password: stu45dent
Galileo password: merge
(expires 1/3/12)
Why Not Google???
Anyone can create a web site and make it look credible.
For example: see this fake site on the endangered tree
octopus (It looks pretty credible!):
http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
Many sites found on google (or other search engines) are
biased, inaccurate, unreliable, or not valuable.
No one has to approve internet content found through
google, bing or other search engines so in a sense the
internet is just a big, global bathroom stall where anyone
can contribute his/her own graffiti!
Databases are librarian-approved and guaranteed to be
credible sources.
– If you HAVE to use google when conducting research then use
Google Scholar (use the “more” tab at the top of the google search
page to select this option)
Citing Sources from Databases
(Another Perk!)
Good news: many databases do all the
work and find your source information
for you (google doesn’t do this!).
– Once you find an article you want to use, just look for a “cite”
button (or some databases include this info at the bottom)
and select “MLA” to get this info for your Works Cited page.
Summary
Take precautions to avoid plagiarism
(take careful notes, learn how to paraphrase
correctly, use quotation marks for direct
quotations, and cite all of your sources!)
Use credible sources (like the
databases!) when researching
Refer to the media center web site for
useful handouts and tutorials
Works Cited for this Presentation
Should be double-spaced
Works Cited
“Doris Kearns Goodwin.” Doris Kearns Goodwin Official Site. 7 September 2011.
Web. 10 October 2011.
“Jayson Blair.” The Time of India. 2010. Web. 10 October 2011.
“Joe Biden Plagiarism Par Dux.” Lame Cherry. 23 August 2008. Web . 10 October
2011.
Lathrop, Ann, and Foss, Kathleen. Guiding Students From Cheating and
Plagiarism to Honest an Integrity: Strategies for Change. Westport, CT:
Libraries Unlimited, 2005.
Lewis, Mark. “Doris Kearns Goodwin And The Credibility Gap.” Forbes. 2 Feb.
2002. Web. 10 October 2011.
“New York Times Exposes Fraud of own Reporter.” ABC News Online. 12 May
2003. Web. 10 October 2011.
Sabato, Larry J. “Joseph Biden's Plagiarism; Michael Dukakis's ‘Attack Video'
1988.” Washington Post Online. 1998. Web. 3 March 2002.
Valenza, Joyce. “What is plagiarism? (And why you should care!)” Springfield
Township High School Virtual Library. 7 Feb. 2008. Web. 10 October
2011.
Web Sites Consulted to
Create this Presentation
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
handouts/research/r_plagiar.
html
http://ghs.grads.vt.edu/studen
t/avoiding.html
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/~
sroseman/SRliaison.html