Plagiarism Pigsty
Don’t get stuck in the mud!
http://flickr.com/photos/garrulus/808181205/in/photostream/
Linda McSweeney
Spaulding High School
Last updated 9/23/2008
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarize: to steal or pass
off (the ideas or words of
another) as one’s own: use
(another’s production)
without crediting the source
(Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th ed).
It’s not a black & white issue.
Plagiarism can get a bit muddy….
Purdue University Online Writing Lab, http://owl.English.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
Clearly Plagiarism
Cutting and pasting (without citing) someone else’s
work is plagiarism! It turns your paper into
garbage!
So,
what’s the BIG
deal?
Honesty matters
@
Spaulding
We want to know
what
YOU
think
YOU
know
YOU
learn
SHS Academic Honesty Policy
“Academic Integrity matters at
Spaulding. It represents a
student’s commitment to honesty
and respect with teachers and
among peers. It also demonstrates
a student’s responsibility for his/her
own learning.”
(from: Barre Technical Center and Spaulding High School Campus:
Parent and Student Handbook 2008-2009.)
SHS Academic Honesty Policy
“Academic misconduct, intentional or unintentional is
unacceptable at Spaulding. Misconduct is defined as:
 Cheating— providing or receiving unauthorized assistance
 Plagiarism— presenting someone else’s ideas, words, or graphics
as your own without giving credit to the original author
 Falsification-- falsifying or inventing information…;forging
signatures on school-related documents.
 Interference— interfering or obstructing another student’s
academic work (ex. Stealing notes)
 Complicity— working in groups without teacher approval
(from: Barre Technical Center and Spaulding High School Campus:
Parent and Student Handbook 2008-2009.)
So here’s a
sample from a
research paper…
Three sloping couches were
placed around a square
table with one left open for
serving. Blankets and
pillows were arranged also
on the couches…
Be happy she isn’t your teacher!
Sloping couches? Hmmm…
http://flickr.com/photos/michaelloudon/337638145
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en
So WHEN do you
have to give credit to
someone else? (cite
your source)
words
ideas
http://flickr.com/photos/paws_and_toes/539491001/
http://flickr.com/photos/paws_and_toes/539491001/
graphics
What 3 types
of information
should always
be cited in a
paper or project?
Is there any time you don’t have to give
credit and cite a source?
Absolutely!
 When it’s YOUR OWN words,
ideas, or graphics.
 When you use “COMMON
KNOWLEDGE”-- (The theory is
that everybody knows this stuff).
What are the two
times you don’t need to
cite your source?
 Your Own Information
 Common Knowledge
(Can I find the same
information in at least 3
sources?)
Don’t drown in
the details of
what is or is not
plagiarism….
If you aren’t sure
about it, just be
safe and cite it.
http://flickr.com/photos/haller/1225898901/
Which of these do you need to cite?

How I feel about Sept. 11, 2001.
NO. It’s my words and ideas.

Information I learned about whales on a
National Geographic television program
YES! Someone else’s words and ideas
even though it isn’t on paper.

A quote from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech
YES—if it’s in quotes then you must cite it.

That the United States declared independence
from England on July 4, 1776.
NO—this is “common knowledge”

A summary I wrote in my own words with
information that came from a library book
Well, YES! The info came from a book!

A copyrighted photo I found by searching
Google “Images” cut and pasted into my
PowerPoint presentation
Most definitely YES! I didn’t create it!

Information in a second paragraph that
came from a source I already cited in
another paragraph.
Absolutely—every paragraph should be
cited unless it’s your own thoughts or
common knowledge

A paragraph from a letter my grandfather
wrote about his experiences in Vietnam
Yes, it’s your grandfather’s words, not
your words.
Research Paper
Toolbox
Quote
Paraphrase
Summarize

Quote
How to Quote? Hit the
nail directly on the
head with a hammer!


Must match your
source exactly wordfor-word
Must be just a small
part of the original
Notetaking Tip-When you take notes, circle or
highlight anything that is a quote.

“In his book, called Description of the
World, Polo told about Kublai Kahn’s
prosperous, advanced empire.”
Paraphrase
How? This is like using a wrench to
‘monkey’ around.
It sounds simple, but it can be tricky.
The rule is: USE YOUR OWN WORDS
Paraphrase Example
Original from World Book
My Paraphrase —
“Polo commented on many
Chinese customs, such
as the mining and use of
coal as fuel. Coal had
not yet been used in
Europe. Polo called coal
black stones.”
When he returned from
his trip to China, Marco
Polo brought back many
new ideas to Europe. He
told of the Chinese use of
“black stones” for fuel.
Using coal for fuel was a
new concept for
Europeans in 1298.
Encyclopedia--
Summarize
How? Think about painting with a
big paint roller—no details.


Include only the main points
Read the source first, make notes,
then, write a summary without looking
at the source
Summarize Example
Original Text—
“Polo commented on
many Chinese
customs, such as the
mining and use of
coal as fuel. Coal had
not yet been used in
Europe. Polo called
coal black stones.”
My Summary—
Marco Polo, gave
Europeans some of their
earliest information
about Chinese customs.
Remember
your toolbox!
Quote
 Paraphrase
 Summarize

Are you going to get stuck in
the plagiarism pigsty?
I hope your answer is:
When pigs fly!
The End!
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