By Unknown
According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary,
plagiarizing is the process of “using the words or ideas of another person as
if they were your own words or ideas”.1
Commonly known as a form of cheating, plagiarism can lead to serious
disciplinary action, such as suspension and expulsion. Plagiarism is something
that you should avoid in your NCVPS classes, in-school classes, and at any
other point when you are gathering information from sources.
What constitutes plagiarism?
Plagiarism can be less obvious than you imagine.
While it is obvious that copying an essay from a website is plagiarism,
there are more subtle forms of plagiarism, each of which can be equally as
severe. Changing a few words from a source rather than paraphrasing and
contributing your own analysis is not an acceptable practice, and you need to
make sure to provide credit where it is due. Providing direct quotes from
individuals is acceptable when providing information in your work, but only
when the individual who coined the quote is properly credited and cited in your
work.2 Even summarizing a
passage and failing to cite it is plagiarism. If you are taking content or
knowledge from a source and not explaining in your own words and properly
citing sources, it is likely that you are committing plagiarism.3
Why Plagiarism is Wrong:
Suppose you wrote a book about jellybeans. You
spent hundreds of hours performing research on the various types of jellybeans,
visiting many manufacturers of jellybeans, and gathering input from thousands
of people to determine the most favorite jellybean. After you released your
book to the public, several news outlets reported on the data and conclusions
that you found, but failed to credit you with the research. As a result,
other people were unrightfully accredited with your research, and your book
faded into oblivion, forcing you to give up your lifelong dream of becoming a
jellybean connoisseur.
While this example may be a bit unlikely and
extreme, it does portray one of the reasons why plagiarism is wrong.
People deserve to be credited for their original research and work, and
failing to cite sources can be the same as claiming the idea or information as
your own. Whether or not the author of a topic is affected by plagiarism, you
should not commit plagiarism. Plagiarism cheats not only others, but also
yourself if you commit it, as you are robbed of the knowledge and experience
that you could have had.4 When you plagiarize,
you do not give proper credit to whoever wrote the source from which you
obtained the information. Whoever reads your work may be unable to
determine if your information is accurate without knowing the sources from
which you obtained the information. As plagiarism is considered ethically wrong
and frowned upon in academic settings, you should strive to avoid committing
it.
Tips on how to avoid Plagiarism:
- Whenever gathering information that is not commonly known, always ensure that you cite information. Cite in the text as well as on a works cited page at the end.
- Take notes!!! Taking notes on the information that you have gathered can allow you to remember where you found the information. When you are forming citations, you will be able to properly attribute information to the correct sources.
- Use an appropriate manual for the citation format that you plan on using in your paper. Websites such as citationmachine.net can help you in creating your citations, but you should still verify the citations using the official rules of a citation format. Purdue University has a helpful chart that compares several citation formats at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/949/01/
- Know the difference between direct quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Direct quotations take the exact words from a portion of a work, and are surrounded by quotation marks. These are often helpful when looking at works such as speeches. Paraphrasing involves changing the subject matter of the work into your own words. An example would be explaining an old English work in a manner that is more modern. Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing, but involves only the main points of a work. You should still put the work into your own words, but you only need to provide an overview of the work. Remember, each of these should still contain citations so you do not plagiarize.
Examples:
-George Washington was our nation’s first
president. (This does not require citation, as it is a commonly known fact)
-George Washington’s teeth were not made of
wood, even though this is commonly thought. Several of Washington’s
dentures consisted of human and animal teeth, lead, and ivory.5
(This does require a citation from the source you found it from, as it has
specific facts that are not common knowledge.)
Conclusion:
Plagiarism can prevent students from practicing
skills that can be very beneficial, not only at school, but also in many
careers. There are several different methods of citing sources, including MLA
and APA. These are two of the most common citation styles that you will
likely use in school and beyond. Make sure to check with your teachers to
ensure that you are using the correct format for the work that you do.
Whenever performing research, make sure to always give proper credit and
not plagiarize. Someday, others may be citing information from you!
Works Cited:
1 "plagiarize."
Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2013.
Web. 25 October 2013.
2 "Avoiding
Plagiarism." Purdue University. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Web. 25
Oct 2013. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/930/01/>.
3 "Plagiarism."
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Writing Center, n.d.
Web. 25 Oct 2013. <http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/plagiarism/>.
4 "Why Plagiarism
is Wrong." Penn State University. Teaching and Learning With
Technology. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
<http://tlt.psu.edu/plagiarism/student-tutorial/why-plagiarism-is-wrong/>.
5 Etter, William.
"False Teeth." George Washington's Mount Vernon. Alexandria, Virginia: 2013.