PLAGIARISM + HOW TO AVOID IT
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Critical Thinking & Writing
Paraphrasing
Harvard-UTS Referencing
HELPS Services & Programmes
David Sotir - Advisor
What is Critical Thinking?
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Presenting a point of view in a structured, clear & rational way
Reflecting on issues in a methodical way, using logic & insight
Drawing conclusions about arguments based on evidence
Identifying others’ positions, assertions & claims
Evaluating evidence from alternative points of view
Weighing up arguments & evidence in a balanced way
Recognising false logic & other persuasive devices
Reading between the lines – understanding subtext
Ask Yourself!
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Concrete fact?
Generalisation?
Assumption?
Expert Opinion?
http://www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps/resources/writing/critical.html
Activity
What (critically analytical) questions would you ask about the following
statement?
‘In the reading test, the five children who were taught to read using
phonics performed better overall than the five children taught using the
whole word method. This shows that the phonics method is a better
choice for schools.’
Adapted Source: Wallace, M. & Wray, A. 2006 ‘Chapter 1: What It Means to Be Critical’ in Critical Reading & Writing for Postgraduates. Thousand Oaks. California p.5
What’s the difference?
Why paraphrasing?
• Paraphrasing is the expression of the ideas of others by rephrasing the original in your own
words.
• It is a way of avoiding plagiarism when borrowing from a source.
• It is a restatement of the ideas in the original source and includes the same
information/details.
Why is paraphrasing useful?
• It is more effective than directly quoting from the original text.
• It helps resolve the problem of over-quoting.
• The process of paraphrasing aids in achieving a fuller understanding of the original text.
Activity
Try paraphrasing the following short text ……………..
Read and paraphrase this text
What do you think about this paraphrase?
Is Paraphrase 1 acceptable?
No! But Why?
It is not acceptable because it follows the sentence structure of
the original too closely and simply substitutes some of the
words with synonyms.
Is Paraphrase 2 acceptable?
Yes! Why?
Reporting Verbs
Reporting verbs can indicate, from your viewpoint:
• a belief that the literature is correct
• a neutral attitude towards the veracity of the literature (i.e. neither correct nor
incorrect)
• a belief that the literature is incorrect.
Harvard-UTS Referencing
http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/attachments/page/UTS_Interactive%20Harvard%20Guide.pdf
Try this ‘Avoiding Plagiarism’ Quiz
http://cfsites1.uts.edu.au/uts/avoidingplagiarism/tutorial/referencing.cfm
HELPS Services & Programmes
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Weekly workshops
Drop-in & 1:1 consultations
WriteNow! Writing support sessions
Conversations@UTS
Intensive academic English programmes
Self-help learning resources
Contact Us
Location: CB01.03.08
Telephone: 9514 9733
Email: [email protected]
Website: helps.uts.edu.au