PLAGIARISM AND HOW TO AVOID IT

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THIS PRESENTATION DRAWS ON A JSGS PROFESSIONAL

WORKSHOP SERIES, ENTITLED ‘AVOIDING PLAGIARISM:
CITING, PARAPHRASING AND SUMMARIZING ’ (HEATHER
MCWHINNEY, 2016),

AND

‘PARAPHRASING VS PLAGIARISM’, BY TAMMY L. WHITLOW,

CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:
o Know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
o Understand the importance of citing.
o Write an accurate and effective paraphrase.
o Write an accurate and effective summary.

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EXAMPLE OF PLAGIARISM

https://youtu.be/RCS2N4nUu84

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A SECOND EXAMPLE OF PLAGIARISM
o In 2011, Dean Philip Baker of the University of Alberta resigned from the
university after plagiarizing large parts of an address to medical students.

o His speech included stories that were very similar to those told by Dr. Atul
Gawande during a 2010 speech at Stanford University.

o Baker defended himself by saying that he was “inspired” my Gawande’s words

and that they “resonated with [his] own experiences.”

o His mistake was to use Gawande’s stories without attributing them to the real
author.
Dehas, J. (2011, June 11). Dean accused of plagiarizing convocation speech.
Macleans. Retrieved from
http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/dean-accused-of-plagiarizing-
convocation-speech/
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DETECTING PLAGIARISM: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
A student makes the following choices in citing sources. Has she plagiarized?
1. She copies a paragraph, replacing a few words with synonyms. She
acknowledges the source in this in-text citation: (Clark, 2016).
yes

2. She composes a paragraph by combining her own sentences with

those from various sources. She acknowledges the sources in in-text
citations that look like this: (Clark, 2016). yes
3. She composes a paragraph, which contains one sentence with four
consecutive words from a source. She acknowledges the source in an
in-text citation that looks like this: (Clark, 2016, p. 95). yes

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DETECTING PLAGIARISM: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
4. She composes a paragraph, which contains one sentence with four
consecutive words from a source. She puts the words in quotation
marks and acknowledges the source in an in-text citation that looks
like this: (Clark, 2016, p. 95). no
5. She paraphrases another author’s paragraph by using a different
sentence structure and putting the ideas in her own words. She
acknowledges the source in this in-text citation: (Clark, 2016).
no
6. She includes in her paper four paragraphs copied from a paper that
she submitted a year earlier in another course. yes

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 DEFINITIONS OF PLAGIARISM
‘is the act of representing the ideas or work of another person(s) as one’s own
original work, by copying or reproducing that work without acknowledgement of
the source, and can include:
• Word for word copying of sentences or paragraphs from one or more sources
which are the work or data of other persons (including material from books,
journal articles, thesis, unpublished works, working papers, seminar and
conference papers, internal reports, Internet articles and publications, lecture
notes or tapes, computer code, artwork, graphics or other material) without
clearly identifying their origin by appropriate referencing;
• Closely paraphrasing sentences or paragraphs from one or more sources
without appropriate acknowledgement in the form of a reference to the
original work or works;’

https://www.latrobe.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/711463/LTUSC-
Academic-Integrity-Policy.pdf
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DEFINITIONS OF PLAGIARISM
• Very closely paraphrasing (e.g. only changing a few words intermittently)
sentences or paragraphs from one or more sources with appropriate
acknowledgement: a teacher may decide this is plagiarism, even if a
reference is given as the wording is too similar and no quotation marks are
used;
• Self-plagiarising or reusing previously written work or data in a ‘new’
written product without letting the reader know that this material has been
used elsewhere. Self-plagiarism occurs when a student submits a whole
paper or a substantial portion of a paper to fulfil a course requirement, even
though it has earlier been submitted to satisfy the requirements for another
course taught by a different teacher;
• Copying computer files in whole or in part without indicating their origin.

http://libguides.usask.ca/content.php?pid=387330&sid=4114890
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WHY CITE AND REFERENCE PROPERLY?
o To be intellectually honest.
o To acknowledge that research is developed by a community of scholars. As
a graduate student, you are a part of the team.
o To be generous towards the contributions of others.
o To provide evidence for your own claims, explanations and interpretations.
o To give researchers the opportunity to compare your work to the work of
others in the same field.
o To show your readers the path you took in developing your ideas.

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HOW CAN YOU AVOID PLAGIARISM?
o Use judgment and discretion. You must include an in-text citation:
if you refer to another person’s ideas, research, theories or
procedures.
if you use another person’s specific words. (You must put the words
inside quotation marks or in a block quotation and record the page
number).
o It is better to over cite than to under cite.
o It is better to use quotation marks than to plagiarize.

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PLAGIARISM SPECIFICS
You don’t need an in-text citation or a page number from the source:
o If you use a piece of information that is considered common knowledge.
o If you use a specialized word or phrase that is standard in your field even if
the source uses it.

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PLAGIARISM SPECIFICS (continued)
How many words can you use from a source without using quotation marks
and including a page number?
o The number of words differs from professor to professor.
o Most would say it’s fine to use two to three consecutive words from a
source without putting them in quotation marks.
o Check with your professor.
o Remember, it is better to over cite than to under cite.

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ACTIVITY ONE: IDENTIFYING PLAGIARISM

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PARAPHRASING
o Paraphrasing is the expression in your own words of the meaning of
another person’s written or spoken words.
o The source must be acknowledged in an in-text citation. Some professors
require you to include the page number from the original source.
o Some paraphrases contain four or more consecutive words from the
original source. These words should be enclosed in quotation marks and
accompanied by an in-text citation that includes a page number.

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PROBLEMS WITH STUDENTS’ PARAPHRASES
o Problem 1: The paraphrase uses the same order and sentence structure of
the original piece, simply replacing the author’s words with synonyms.
This is known as patchwork plagiarism.
o Problem 2: The paraphrase uses the same order and sentence structure
but inserts extra words. It is thus longer than the original.
o Problem 3: The paraphrase includes ideas not expressed by the original
author.

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 Example...

Original Source
Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with
problems, marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have
often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and
many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or
alternatively placed in group homes and even foster care. They often have no one
to care for them and no one knows them intimately.
Source from:
Rokach, A. (2005). The causes of loneliness in homeless youth. The Journal of Psychology, 139,
469-480. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Example:
Original Source and Incorrect Paraphrasing

Homeless individuals commonly come from
families who are riddled with problems, marital
disharmony, and are alienated from their
parents. They have often been physically
and even sexually abused, have relocated
frequently, and many of them may be asked to
leave home or are actually thrown out, or
alternatively placed in group homes and
even foster care. They often have no one to
care for them and no one knows them
intimately.
The homeless come from families
with problems. Frequently, they have
been physically or sexually abused,
or have lived in group homes.
Usually no one cares for them or
knows them intimately (Rokach,
2005).
Example:
Correct Paraphrasing

Homeless individuals commonly come from According to Roback (2005) those

families who are riddled with problems, marital without permanent homes grew up
disharmony, and are alienated from their with dysfunctional families that
parents. They have often been physically exposed them to not only physical and
and even sexually abused, have relocated sexual violation, but constant instability
frequently, and many of them may be asked to which resulted in the lack of care.
leave home or are actually thrown out, or
alternatively placed in group homes and
even foster care. They often have no one to
care for them and no one knows them
intimately.
 Example...
Federal and state governments should step up to help
streamline and shore up the nation’s disjointed recycling
system. This could be done, for example, by standardizing
what can be recycled and putting limits on additives such as
coloring, which is expensive to remove and can make plastic
less valuable to a recycler.
What to Do about Plastic Pollution. (2019). Scientific American, 320(6), 8. Retrieved from

https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.callutheran.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=136360406&site=ehost-live&scope=site
 Example:
Original Source and Incorrect Paraphrasing
Federal and state governments
should step up to help streamline and
shore up the nation’s disjointed
recycling system. This could be done,
for example, by standardizing what
can be recycled and putting limits on
additives such as coloring, which is
expensive to remove and can make
plastic less valuable to a recycler.
Federal and state governments
should step up and take the
leadership regarding decluttering the
nation’s recycling system. For
example, there could be a plan
explaining what could be recycled, as
well as placing limits on the amount
of food coloring that can be added
to recycled items. Doing this would
make plastic less valuable.
Example:
Correct Paraphrasing
Federal and state governments
should step up to help streamline and
shore up the nation’s disjointed
recycling system. This could be done,
for example, by standardizing what can
be recycled and putting limits on
additives such as coloring, which is
expensive to remove and can make
plastic less valuable to a recycler.
Measures to correct the
American system of recycling
forces the the governmental
involvement of to ensure uniform
guidelines throughout the nation
(What to Do about Plastic
Pollution, 2019).
IS THIS PARAPHRASE ACCEPTABLE?
Original
The widespread deterioration and some recent collapses of highway bridges
(Inaudi, 2009) have highlighted the importance of developing effective bridge
inspection and maintenance strategies, including structural health monitoring
and durability monitoring, which can help identify structural and durability
problems before they become critical.
Paraphrase
The widespread corrosion and several collapses of highway bridges have
illustrated the necessity of effective inspection and maintenance practices
such as structural health monitoring and durability monitoring, both of which
can help find problems before they become serious (Cusson, Lounis, & Daigle,
2011, p. 524).
2

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IS THIS PARAPHRASE ACCEPTABLE?
Original
The widespread deterioration and some recent collapses of highway bridges
(Inaudi, 2009) have highlighted the importance of developing effective bridge
inspection and maintenance strategies, including structural health monitoring
and durability monitoring, which can help identify structural and durability
problems before they become critical (Cusson, Lounis, & Daigle, 2011, p. 524).
Paraphrase
Highway bridges are highly susceptible to structural problems, corrosion and
even collapse. Two inspection and maintenance methods that can help find
weaknesses at a relatively early stage are structural health monitoring and
durability monitoring (Cusson, Lounis, & Daigle, 2011, p. 524).
3

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PARAPHRASING: TIPS FOR AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
1. Use a note-taking method to distinguish paraphrases, summaries and
quotations; always record the page number.
2. Study the original carefully; note the main idea.
3. Figure out how to change the order of ideas, structure and parts of
speech.
4. Decide if any specialized terms should be retained.
5. Think of synonyms for non-specialized terms.
6. Write the paraphrase without looking at the original.
7. Insert quotation marks around any remaining phrases from the source.

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READING TO PARAPHRASE
o A good paraphrase starts with careful reading of the original passage.
o Make sure you understand the main idea, point or argument of the
passage.
o Study the verbs and signal words to determine the relationships they
express; think about synonyms that you could use to express these same
relationships.
o The next two slides provide some relationship clues and synonyms for
verbs and signal words. These will help you improve your paraphrasing.

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CLUES TO PARAPHRASING: VERBS

COMMON VERBS RELATIONSHIP EXPRESSED

Is; is known as; is called; refers to; is Definition; explanation
named; denotes
Explain; elucidate; expound; explicate; Explanation; interpretation; analysis
clarify; construe; interpret; analyze
Cause; lead to; result in, trigger; produce; Cause or effect
affect; has an effect on; change; make;
induce; influence
Compare; contrast; differentiate; Compare and contrast
distinguish; differ from

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CLUES TO PARAPHRASING: SIGNAL WORDS

COMMON SIGNAL WORDS RELATIONSHIP EXPRESSED

Because; for; so; due to; since; as; therefore; as To connect a result to a reason or a reason to a
a result; consequently result
If, unless Under certain conditions
Although; however; but; yet; in spite (of); To express a seeming contradiction; partial
despite; notwithstanding contrast; adversarial relationship or concession
While; whereas; in contrast; on the other hand To contrast; direct opposites
To; in order to/that; so that To show a purpose
Similarly, Both ... and; neither ... Nor; To compare
Such as, including, for example, for instance To show examples

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ACTIVITY TWO: PRACTICE PARAPHRASING

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 Let’s practice!

❖ Read text independently.

❖ Take notes (annotate).
➢ Highlight key words,
phrases (5 min)
❖ Partner and discuss what text
saying (3 min)
❖ Paraphrase in writing (5 min)
Online Magazine/Periodical

Gara, A. (2019). Oracle of Apopka. Forbes, 202(5), 32–36.

Retrieved from

https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.callutheran.edu/logi

n.aspx?direct=true&db=bft&AN=136632050&site=ehost-liv

e&scope=site
 Practice Independently

1. Read paragraph 12.

2. Practice your paraphrasing skills with in-text citations.
SUMMARIZING
Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing, but a summary captures the essentials
of an author’s ideas or argument. A successful summary does the following:
o Captures the main point or points of the original briefly and concisely.
o Omits details.
o Maintains objectivity and faithfully represents the ideas from the original.
o Uses a different order of ideas, sentence structure, and wording from the
original.
o Includes the source near the beginning of the summary.

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READING TO SUMMARIZE
o First, skim the document, jotting notes in your own words.

o If you make notes using the author’s words, put quotation marks around
them and record the page number.

o Focus on the parts of the document that are likely to reveal the author’s
position and main argument – the introduction, conclusion and topic
sentences.

o Don’t look at the original document when you write the summary.

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ASKING QUESTIONS WHEN SUMMARIZING
A good summary starts with careful reading. Read with these questions in
mind:
1. What is the author’s purpose, main idea and argument?
2. What key question, issue or problem is the author addressing? Why is this
important?
3. Is the author presenting a solution to this problem? If so, how does this
solution work?

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ACTIVITY THREE: PRACTICE SUMMARIZING

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INTEGRATING SUMMARIES INTO YOUR OWN WRITING
o Academics mainly write summaries to integrate them into their own
papers and books as evidence and support for their claims.
o It is important to distinguish your ideas from those of others.
o Use reporting verbs to signal to your readers that a summary, paraphrase
or quotation comes from another source.
o Common reporting verbs are “argue,” “maintain,” “contend,” “claim” and
“point out.”

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A SUMMARY INTEGRATED INTO A PARTIAL PARAGRAPH
Despite the protests of the National Rifle Association and Republican
politicians, many new gun safety laws could be implemented. Walker (2013,
para. 2) argues that two practical laws could be introduced without
compromising constitutional rights: first, background checks for all guns
bought, including those purchased at gun shows and through informal deals;
second, the prohibition of high-capacity magazine clips. In January 2016,
President Obama announced Executive Actions, which call for a strengthening
of background checks (Shear, 2016, para. 1). As part of these actions, Obama
has asked Congress to approve the hiring of 200 new agents to investigate
gun sales and licenses. The president has also called for the elimination of
high capacity clips …
2, 3

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A FINAL NOTE
o Plagiarizing and saying you didn’t know that you had done it is no excuse.
Most professors will give you zero for a paper containing plagiarism.
o Some professors require page numbers to be included in in-text citations
for paraphrases and summaries. Be sure to check with your professor.

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SUMMARY
o Plagiarism is the deliberate or careless misrepresentation of the words or
ideas of others as one’s own.
o To avoid plagiarizing, learn to cite, paraphrase and summarize.
o Use a method to distinguish your notes, paraphrases, summaries and
quotations; record the page number.
o Read carefully: consider relationships expressed, ways to reorder and
restructure the original, different parts of speech and synonyms.
o Consider specialized terms that should be retained.
o Write the paraphrase without looking at the original.

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