What is plagiarism?
According to Joseph Gibaldi, author of the MLA Handbook, plagiarism
is the use of “another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing
without acknowledging the source.”
Gibaldi gives the following examples of plagiarism:
1. Failure to acknowledge another person’s ideas.
2. Failure to acknowledge another person’s wording.
3. Failure to quote a particularly effective term.
4. Failure to credit another person’s argument or line of
reasoning which you have put into your own words.
5. Following the same organizational pattern sentence by
sentence, even if you have made an effort to change the
wording, without crediting the source.
What are the Consequences of Plagiarizing?
When you submit your extended essay, you must sign the cover sheet
declaring two things:
“The essay I am submitting is my own work (apart from
guidance allowed by the International Baccalaureate
Organization).”
and
“I have acknowledged each use of the words, graphics or ideas
of another person, whether written, or oral.”
If you do not sign this declaration, your extended essay will not be
assessed. Without an assessed extended essay, you will not meet the
requirements for an IB diploma.
Furthermore, the IB Handbook of Procedures states:
In order to be awarded an IB diploma, “candidates are required
to act in a responsible and ethical manner. In particular
candidates must avoid any form of malpractice”, an example of
which is plagiarism.
How to avoid Plagiarism
1.
Document your paper each time you:
A. use another person’s ideas.
B. use another person’s wording.
C. use another person’s particularly effective term.
D. use another person’s argument or line of
reasoning.
2.
Credit the following items:
A. the authority whose information you used
whether you quote it or put it in your own words.
B. the author of the source in which the information
was found if he/she is not the original authority
ex: (Richard Peabody qtd. in Franklin 195).
C. the page number on which the information was
found.
3.
For each citation use either parenthetical or in-text
documentation.
Parenthetical: source and page in parentheses at
the end of the information.
In-text: source in text; page number in parentheses
at the end of the information.
4.
Use the MLA format for source identification.
See RHS planner, MLA format handout, or these web
sites:http://www.studyguide.org/MLAdocumentation.htm
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Examples of Plagiarism and How to Avoid It
Original Source:
Humanity faces a quantum leap forward. It faces the deepest social
upheaval and creative restructuring of all time. Without clearly
recognizing it, we are engaged in building a remarkable civilization
from the ground up. This is the meaning of the Third Wave.
Until now the human race has undergone two great waves of change,
each one largely obliterating earlier cultures or civilizations and
replacing them with ways of life inconceivable to those who came
before. The First Wave of change — the agricultural evolution —
took thousands of years to play itself out. The Second Wave — the
rise of industrial civilization — took a mere hundred years. Today,
history is even more accelerative, and it is likely that the Third Wave
will sweep across history and complete itself in a few decades.
[Toffler, Alvin. The Third Wave. New York: Bantam, 1981. 10.]
Plagiarism:
Making a sentence by sentence paraphrase, closely following Toffler’s
unique phrasing and using his key term, “Third Wave”, without citing
the source and page.
The human race is now faced with making a giant leap forward. We
are looking at the most significant social upheaval and creative
restructuring that humanity has ever seen. Without really realizing
it, we are starting to build a remarkable civilization from its very
beginning. This is what is meant by the Third Wave concept.
Plagiarism:
Stating Toffler’s ideas in your own words and following his line of
reasoning without citing the source.
The human race is about to undergo the greatest social change in
history. Without being aware of it, we are in the process of totally
reconstructing our civilization. So far there have been two great
movements in history, each of which has completely changed the way
people live: the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution.
The agricultural revolution determined the course of history for
thousands of years while the industrial revolution lasted only about a
century. We are now on the threshold of a new period of change, one
which is likely to last for only a few decades, but which will once
again transform civilization as we know it.
Plagiarism eliminated:
The human race. . . as we know it (Toffler 10).
[parenthetical documentation; no unique phrasing used]
or
Alvin Toffler believes that the human race. . . as we know it (10).
[in-text documentation; no unique phrasing used]
Plagiarism:
Crediting Toffler’s ideas, but not quoting his unique phrasing and key
term, “Third Wave”.
The human race is now faced with taking a giant step forward. We
are looking at the most significant social upheaval and creative
restructuring that humanity has ever seen. Though we are unaware
of it, we are beginning to create a remarkable civilization from its
very beginning. This is what is meant by the Third Wave concept
(Toffler 10).
Plagiarism eliminated:
The human race is now faced with taking a giant step forward. We
are looking at the most significant “social upheaval and creative
restructuring” that humanity has ever seen. Though we are unaware
of it, we are beginning to create a “remarkable civilization’ from its
very beginning. This is what is meant by the “Third Wave” concept.
(Toffler 10).
[parenthetical documentation; unique phrasing and key term
quoted]
or
According to Alvin Toffler, the human race. . . “social upheaval and
creative restructuring”. . . “remarkable civilization”. . . “Third Wave”
concept (10).
[in-text documentation; unique phrasing and key term quoted]
Documenting Your Essay
I.
General rules for documenting a research paper
A. Every piece of information that was gotten from a source must be
documented in the essay.
B. Use both parenthetical and in-text forms of documentation.
C. To document correctly, provide the name of the authority, the author
of the source if different from the authority, the page number, and
any additional necessary information (see below).
D. This information must appear in one of these two ways:
1. Within parentheses at the end of the borrowed information
2. Integrated into the text of your paper (a more sophisticated
method.)
II. Parenthetical documentation
For parenthetical documentation, the entire citation is enclosed within
parentheses at the end of the information you are documenting. The
author’s name is placed before the page number(s) and there is no
punctuation between the two. Note that the period concluding the
sentence is placed outside the closing parentheses. Bolded examples
are for quick visual reference in this handout only. Do not bold the
documentation in your essay. Follow the punctuation given in the
examples below.
A. A work by one author when you have no other books by the same
author and no other authors with the same last name:
During World War I, British and American women could, for the
first time, earn first-class pay for first-class work (Smith 236-7).
B. A work by one author when you have other books by the same
author (Use the author’s name and a shortened form of the title.):
(Smith, Life in Renaissance 50).
C. A work by one author when there is another author with same last
name (Use author’s full name):
(Robert Smith 55).
D. A work by one author when you have other books by the same
author, and you have books from another author with the same last
name.
(Robert Smith, Life in Renaissance 50).
E. A work by two or three authors:
(Smith and Robertson 15).
(Smith, Robertson, and Franklin 75).
F. A work by more than three authors:
(Smith et al. 82).
G. A source listed by title on your Works Cited page because there is
no designated author or editor (Underline the source if it is a book;
use quotation marks if it is a magazine or newspaper article.):
(Life in Renaissance 63).
("Elizabethan Party Games" 2).
H. A work by a corporate author:
(National Commission on Natural Phenomena 18).
I.
Part of one volume of a multi-volume work (place volume number
after the author’s name, followed by a colon and page number(s):
(Flint 5: 139).
J. A preface or introduction which uses Roman numerals for
pagination:
(Williams vi).
K. More than one work in a single reference:
(Crossley 12; Salvaggio 45).
L. An interview:
(the last name of the interviewee).
M. A video or audio source:
(the last name of the person you are featuring: an actor,
director, musician etc).
N. An internet source:
Internet sources typically have no page or paragraph numbers and
web sites are often anonymous. Cite the author's name whenever
possible. It may appear at the end of the page, in tiny print, or it may
appear on another page of the site, such as the home page. If no
author is given, use the source's title or a shortened version of it. If
no page number is provided in the document itself (NOT on your
printer), leave that portion of the citation blank. When the pages of a
Web source are stable, as in PDF files, supply a page number in
your citation.
III. In-text documentation
A. Every sentence with borrowed materials must contain a signal to the
reader: an authority’s name, quotation marks, page number, or
pronoun reference.
B. Signal the beginning and end of quotations and paraphrases by
introducing the paraphrase or quotation with the name of the authority
and ending it with a page reference. This standard citation informs the
reader of the beginning and the end of borrowed material.
Note: the first time you cite an author in your text, use his/her
full name. Thereafter, simply use the author’s last name.
Example: James Baird argues convincingly that Melville shaped a
new symbolistic literature (19).
C. Cite corporate authors by naming the company, corporation, or
committee when it publishes a work.
Example:The National Committee on Careers for Older
Americans urges greater awareness of vital resources that too
often lie dormant (19).
D. If you are using a web site that has no page number, do not use an
in-text citation. Use parenthetical documentation with the source’s
name.
E. Combine paraphrased and quoted passages to form a unified whole,
but let the reader know who says what by using BOTH parenthetical
and in-text forms.
Example:A recognition of the causes of their mistreatment and a
need for a cure are needed if we are to defeat what one sociologist
calls “the greatest crippler . . . ” (Fontana xvi). Another authority
argues that the “single greatest impediment . . . ” (Zigler 29).
Zigler suggests . . . (30).
Note: The above passage moves the reader smoothly through the
diverse material while accurately citing each source.
IV. Documenting information synthesized within a paragraph
A. If you refer several times to the same page within a single paragraph,
and no reference to another source intervenes, you should give a
single reference after the last sentence.
1. Although Renaissance buildings were all ideal and different,
they did conform to some general architectural principles.
Foremost of these was the principle of symmetry, which all
Renaissance architects used without fail. A corollary principle
was the use of unified decorative elements both within and
without the structure (Smith 42). – parenthetical documentation
2. Smith notes that although Renaissance buildings were all
ideal . . . structure (42). – in-text documentation
*Note: This is a weak practice. Quoting or paraphrasing a full
paragraph with only one citation to the source at the very end
demonstrates an inability to synthesize information. Try to weave
your sources together. (See III E above and B2, B3 below.)
B. If you refer to more than one source or to more than one page of the
same source within a single paragraph, you must include
documentation from each page and source.
1. Although Renaissance buildings were all ideal and different,
they did conform to some general architectural principles
(Smith 42). Foremost of these was the principle of symmetry,
used without fail by all Renaissance architects. A corollary principle
was the use of unified decorative elements both within and without
the structure (Smith 43). By conforming to these general
principles, the Renaissance architect remained free to individualize
each structure by varying the forms and decorative elements
themselves (Smith 42). – parenthetical
2. Although Renaissance buildings were all... principles (Smith
42). Foremost of these was ... the structure (Adams 10). By
conforming ... elements themselves (Smith 42). – parenthetical
3. Smith points out that although Renaissance buildings were all
ideal and different, they did conform to some general
architectural principles, (42) the foremost of which Adams
identifies as symmetry (10). A corollary principle. . . structure
(Smith 43). Smith observes that by conforming to these
general principles, . . . themselves (42). – both forms of
documentation
C. Whenever you begin a new paragraph, you must include
documentation even if you are referring to the same source and the
same page as the previous reference in the preceding paragraph.
Example:
Although Renaissance buildings were all ideal and different,
they did conform to some general architectural principles (Smith
42). Foremost of these was the principle of symmetry, used without
fail by all Renaissance architects. A corollary principle was the use
of unified decorative elements both within and without the structure
(Smith 43).
By conforming to these general principles, the Renaissance
architect remained free to individualize each structure by varying
the forms and decorative elements themselves (Smith 43).
V. Quoted material:
A. General rules:
1. Always identify the source and page number of the quoted
material whether it is a single word, a phrase or a complete
sentence.
2. If the person quoted is not the author of the source, also identify
the person quoted. (See B3 and B4 below.) Note: Whenever
you can, try to take material from the original source rather than
from a secondary source. Your credibility as a writer could
suffer if you depend too heavily on secondary sources.
B. Quoting words and phrases: If a quotation comes at the end of the
sentence, clause or phrase, insert the citation between the closing
quotation mark and the concluding punctuation mark.
1. Architects describe the building as "massive" and "ponderous"
(James 116).
2. According to historian Richard Wolcott, the Elizabethans "lived
in a whirl of activity" (139).
3. Richard Peabody noted that Buckingham Palace contains "the
finest collection of Roman statuary outside of Rome" (qtd. In
Franklin 195).
4. “The finest collection of Roman statuary outside of Rome” can
be found in Buckingham Palace (Richard Peabody qtd. in
Franklin 195).
C. Quoting complete sentences: If the sentence quoted ends in a
period, place the citation before the period. If a quotation ends with a
question mark (?) or an exclamation point (!), include the given
punctuation followed by a closing quotation; then insert your
parenthetical citation, and place a period after it.
1. James Salerio stated, "The beauty of Michelangelo's ceiling in
the Sistine Chapel is much more evident now that the
restoration is complete" (interview).
2. In his diary, Samuel Pepys described the 1667 London fire,
saying, "It made me weep to see it" (251). Later, he wrote that
"it was extremely dreadful...the whole heaven on fire!" (252).
D. Long quotations -- more than four lines:
1. Place a colon at the end of the last word preceding the
quotation.
2. Begin the quotation on a new line.
3. Indent one inch from the left margin.
4. Do not change the line spacing from the rest of the paper.
5. If you are quoting only a single paragraph, or part of one, do
not indent the first line more than the rest.
6. If you are quoting two or more paragraphs, indent the first line
of each paragraph an additional three spaces.
7. If you are quoting two or more paragraphs and the first
sentence quoted does not begin a paragraph in the original
source, do not indent it the additional three spaces.
8. Use of quotation marks:
a. No quotation marks are used for long, indented quotations.
b. If there is a quotation within the indented quotation, use
standard double quotation marks (") to indicate it.
9. To document long quotations, skip two spaces after the
concluding punctuation mark of the quotation; then insert the
parenthetical reference. Do not place a period after the citation.
Example of a long quotation:
Hayakawa points out that because of our own past experiences, each of us
has his/her own personal bias:
When a news account tells a story in a way we dislike, leaving
out facts we think important and playing up others in a way we think
unfair, we are tempted to say, “Look how unfairly they’ve slanted the
story!” Such a statement of course is an inference about the story’s
reporters and editors. We are assuming that what seems important or
unimportant to us is equally weighty or trivial to them, and on the
basis of that assumption we infer that the writers and editors
“deliberately” gave the story a misleading emphasis. . . .
The point is that, by the process of selection and abstraction
imposed on us by our own interests and background, experience
comes to all of us already slanted. (30)
REMINDERS
Make parenthetical citations brief and accurate.
To avoid long parenthetical citations, place reference information, such as
the author's name, in your sentence.
Place a citation as close to the relevant material as possible without
disrupting the sentence.
Try to weave together citations from two or more sources within a
paragraph to demonstrate your ability to synthesize information from
different sources.
This handout was excerpted and adapted from:
Adams, Cindy "Re: MLA Documentation." E-mail to MIchelle Garbis. 19 Aug. 2001.
Carmel High School's Web Page. 25 Aug. 2000. 19 Aug. 2001
<http://www.carmelhigh.org/resources/biblio.html >.
Chico High School Library Examples of MLA Style Citations of Electronic Sources.
Librarian
Devoe, Kristina. "MLA Parenthetical Documentation." Literacy Education Online. 14
February 2000. The Write Place. 19 Feb. 2001
<http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/mlaparen.html>.
Electronic Sources: MLA Style. 21 Feb. 2000. The writesource.com. 19 Feb. 2001
<http://www.thewritescource.com/mla.htm>.
Garbis, Michelle. "MLA Documentation Revised." Email to Cindy Adams. 20 Jan. 2002.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York:
MLA, 2003.
Milbury, Peter. 3 Dec. 1999. 5 June 2000 <http://dewey.chs.chico.k12.ca.us/mlaexamples.pdf>.
Sample Pages of a Research Paper Using Parenthetical Notes(MLA Format)
http://telecollege.dcccd.edu/library/Module5/Sample.htm.
Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format. Purdue University Writing Lab.
2000. 29 Feb. 2000 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html>.