Lesson:
There are many famous, or more accurately, infamous examples in which writers
have been embroiled in lengthy (and therefore costly) legal proceedings trying to
clear their names or to recover damages if their work has been appropriated by
another. The study is a fascinating one and if the definitive book about plagiarism
hasn’t been written, perhaps it will be someday. A brief glance in Wikipedia under
the topic plagiarism reveals many famous names, including: Helen Keller, George
Harrison, Martin Luther King and Saddam Hussein.
View this Wikipedia article. Scroll down until you find “culture”. Not all of
these individuals deliberately intended to take someone else’s work! In
academic study, we distinguish
between intentional and unintentional instances of plagiarism. In this
activity we will consider the problem of unintentional plagiarism. It goes
without saying that intentional plagiarism is theft in the same way that
stealing anything that is not rightfully yours is theft. I hope we all agree that
we need to be honest in our academic life as well as in our other dealings,
but situations can arise when you may be guilty of plagiarism without even
realizing it.
In so many cases today, students use the Internet for research and sometimes
there can be an overwhelming temptation to “cut and paste” material into an
essay. Fortunately, it is also through the Internet that you can learn more about
plagiarism and, more importantly, how to make sure you aren’t guilty!
Did You Know?
In the fifth edition of her book, The Bedford Handbook, Diana Hacker
presents a very clear and concise discussion of plagiarism: “Three different
acts are considered plagiarism:
1. failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas,
2. failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and
3. failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words.” (570)
Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. 5 th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
1998.
To give you a clear overview of this issue, review the following material taken
from eLO’s EWC4U course. Thanks to the authors for allowing me to use their
work here.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is taking another person's ideas, thoughts, writing, inventions, etc. and
presenting them as your own. This is a form of stealing that can have severe
consequences. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Consequences for
plagiarism can range from no grade for the assignment to legal action.
Purdue's OWL has some wonderful documents on
plagiarism.
Read Avoiding Plagiarism, and Quoting, Paraphrasing and
Summarizing.
Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism

record all sources when making notes
 document all quotations
 use your own words as much as possible when making notes
 use many sources when researching
 when in doubt, offer a reference
 when following someone's arguments, indicate this in your writing by
using phrases that identify the author of the work. For example:
According to Smith, "...
As Lewis stated, "...
What Pitrone says in her essay is ".
How To Avoid Plagiarism and Make Good Notes
When doing research or taking notes there are four forms of note making:
paraphrasing, summarizing, direct quotation, and personal commentary. It is up
to you to decide which one is most appropriate for any given situation.
1. Paraphrasing
 taking someone else's ideas and putting them in your own
words
 be sure you are being accurate
 use your own sentence structure and expressions
2. Summarizing
 a shortened version of the original
 full sentences and paragraphs
 focus on the main points and ideas
3. Direct Quotation

direct and accurate inclusion of significant facts, views, and
statements
 these inform readers of the quality, depth, and integrity of
your research
4. Personal Commentary
 an active, reflective analysis of your reading, thinking, and
research
 effective at clarifying important issues
Rules for Quoting While Making Notes
 Enclose quote in quotation marks.
 Copy quote exactly!
 Note page number and indicate full bibliographic source (author, title,
publisher, place of publication, date of publication, page numbers, volume
number, URL, date of your visit to a web site, and any other identifying
information).
 Use ellipsis points (...) to indicate omitted words and square brackets [ ] to
indicate added words . (Barclay et al.)
Plagiarism is Against the Law!
Whenever you use someone else's work, whether in a written or oral assignment,
you must always acknowledge that person. If you change the wording of someone
else's work, you must still acknowledge that author. In oral
presentations/seminars, you must provide your audience with the authors, titles,
and page numbers of anything you have copied or paraphrased. All work deemed
to be plagiarized will not be evaluated.
Using the Internet to Avoid Plagiarism?
Yup, it’s true! Despite all of the bad press the Internet gets, there are lots of
resources available to help you avoiding committing plagiarism. You’ve
already explored some above, but one site in particular that you should
check out is the Citation Machine. This website allows you to entry
bibliography data and spits out a fully formed, proper citation in your choice
of format! It’s that easy.
Resources
1.
2.
There are several sites you can use and they all contain useful advice for the
student. Consider this tutorial offered by the University of Indiana:
“Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It.” This site is
especially useful in its discussion of paraphrasing and the problems that can
arise. Remember that simply changing minor words or phrases does not
make someone else’s work your own. Again, look at the site and follow the
links contained within.
Another site you should consult is from Acadia University and is called: “You
Quote It, You Note It” . In this site, you should complete the online tutorial to
learn more about plagiarism. It is a great resource and is presented in the
form of a game. If you search the web, you will find literally dozens of sites
exploring this problem and it would be worthwhile for you to conduct some
independent research on your own to do just that.
Assignment:
This is an assignment you will submit to your teacher for summative evaluation.
Before you begin to write, review the notes on plagiarism presented earlier and
also take a look at the rubric that I have included here for your reference.
Case:
Here is a definition of Middle English from C. Hugh Holman’s A Handbook to
Literature:
English as spoken and written in the period following the Norman Conquest and
preceding the Modern English period beginning at the Renaissance. The dates
most commonly given are 1100 to 1500, though both are approximate dates, as
the Norman Conquest came in 1066 and some writings earlier than 1500 (e.g.,
Malory’s Le Morte D’arthur) may properly be called “modern” English.
Katrina, in her essay on Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales writes:
We know that Middle English refers to the type of English that people used in the
time period after the Norman Conquest and coming before the Modern English
age that begins with the Renaissance. We usually think of this age as spanning the
time from 1100 to 1500, but these dates are only approximate because the
Norman Conquest occurred in 1066 and there are pieces written before 1500, like
Le Morte D’arthur, that we consider to be modern.
Katrina’s teacher has told her that this passage is an example of plagiarism.
Katrina argues that this is common knowledge and therefore does not need to be
cited in her essay. To what extent is this passage plagiarized? In your response,
discuss the ideas from the web sites referred to previously. If you feel this is not
plagiarism, you might write a 250 word letter from Katrina to her teacher stating
your arguments. If you feel it is an example of plagiarism, you might write a letter
from the teacher to Katrina in which you explain why you believe this and suggest
ways of using this material but avoiding plagiarism. In your letter, give careful
thought to academic tone. You can make your case more effectively if you keep
your tone respectful! As the saying goes: “You catch more flies with honey than
you do with vinegar”.
Remember, the response should be approximately 250 words.