Post on 30-Dec-2015
description
PlagiarismPlagiarism
Plagiarism Latin plagiarius, “kidnapper”
Definition: “The false assumption of
authorship: the wrongful act of taking
the product of another person’s mind,
and presenting it as one’s own”
(Alexander Lindey, Plagiarism and Originality, p. 2)
Understanding Plagiarism
“Some of Dickinson’s most
powerful poems express her
firmly held conviction that life
cannot be fully comprehended
without an understanding of
death.”
The following quotation was taken from page 625 of an essay by Wendy Martin in the book Columbia Literary History of the United States:
Example of PlagiarismIf you write the following sentence without any documentation, you have committed plagiarism:
Why is this considered plagiarism?
“Emily Dickinson strongly believed
that we cannot understand life fully
unless we also comprehend death.”
To Avoid Plagiarism…The same thought can be expressed in your paper without committing plagiarism as follows:
“As Wendy Martin has suggested,
Emily Dickinson strongly believed that
we cannot understand life fully unless
we also comprehend death .” 1
___________________
1 Wendy Martin, Columbia Literary History of the United
States, Billy Bob Jumpback, ed. (New york: Sundown
Publishing House, 1985), 625.
Helps and Hints for Avoiding Plagiarism
When in doubt, footnote!
If you are unsure of the source of a particular idea of thought, but you are relatively certain that you gleaned it from a published source, say so in a footnote.
When writing your rough draft, every time you use a quote or cite a source, put something in the footnote immediately. You can always go back and format it later.
Remember, you must document everything
you borrow, not just direct quotes.
Keep accurate notes when researching so
that you can determine which ideas are
yours and which ones you obtained from
outside sources.
Remember, whether intentional or not,
plagiarism is WRONG.