The Seven Deadly Sins of Plagiarism

Working Honestly at

Dickinson College

Why are we doing this?

To help you succeed in doing college level research and writing

To introduce guidelines for citing sources properly

To present Dickinson’s policy on plagiarism

To provide sources for help

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What is plagiarism?

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1. Using unauthorized notes during exams. 2. Collaborating on an assignment when

you’ve been instructed to work independently.

3. Presenting someone else’s work as your own.

4. Copying someone’s answers during a test.

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Answer Now

At some point in my academic career, I have committed an act of plagiarism.

Yes, I

totally

have!

No, I’m al

ways h

onest.

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1. Yes, I totally have!2. No, I’m always

honest.

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What you should do…

Always give credit to others’ work & ideas.

Acknowledge your source even if only quoted briefly in your paper.

Follow proper rules for citing.

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If I didn’t plagiarize on purpose, I won’t be found responsible.

True

False

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1. True2. False

DEADLY SIN #1: Failure to give proper credit

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Doris Kearns GoodwinPlagiarizing toward a Pulitzer

Doris Kearns Goodwin: Harvard graduate, history professor, prolific author, Pulitzer Prize winner.

Her book The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys (1987) was found to contain up to 100 pages of material copied from another book.

Her defense was “the copying was accidental” (i.e., she didn’t do it on purpose).

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Doris Kearns GoodwinConsequences of Her Actions

A lawsuit was filed and resulted in an undisclosed payment and substantial revisions to Goodwin’s book.

Resigned from the Pulitzer board. Lost speaking engagements. In interviews fifteen years later,

she was still defending her actions. 8

Information copied from the Internet must be cited.

True

False

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1. True2. False

DEADLY SIN #2: Copying material from the internet without citing it

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Example: Giving Proper Credit

  2002 2003

Enplanements

(thousands) 574,859 593,974

Total items 3,775,345 6,114,612

Firearms 927 683

Knives 1,036,697 1,961,849

Box cutters 32,788 20,991

Other cutting instruments 1,846,207 2,973,413

Clubs 11,131 25,139

Incendiaries 79,341 494,123

Other 768,254 638,414

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statisticshttp://www.bts.gov

Table 2-16b: Prohibited Items Intercepted at Airport Screening Checkpoints

According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation’s website, airline passengers in 2003 attempted to bring more than six million illegal weapons of various types onto passenger flights.6 Even though new regulations went into effect after the events of September 11, 2001…

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The following examples are taken from this article:

Meyer, J. M. 2006. “Another Inconvenient Truth.” Dissent 53 (4): 95-96.

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Ironically, by being in the wonkiest context imaginable, he comes across as passionate, sincere, and likable.

Student’s Use

of Information

Original

Plagiarism or not?

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Gore’s presentation on a stage before an academic audience is the wonkiest context imaginable.

Plagiarism or not?

Plagiar

ism

Not plag

iarism

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DEADLY SIN #3: Failure to cite even a few words of borrowed language

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1. Plagiarism2. Not plagiarism

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Student’s Use

of Information

Original

How do we fix this?

14

Gore’s presentation on a stage before an academic audience is in the wonkiest context imaginable.

Ironically, by being in the wonkiest context imaginable, he comes across as passionate, sincere, and likable.

Ironically, by being in the wonkiest context imaginable, he comes across as passionate, sincere, and likable.

Student’s Use

of Information

Original

How do we fix this?

15

Gore’s presentation on a stage before an academic audience is in the “wonkiest context imaginable” (Meyer 2006, 95).

His clear graphs and often captivating images can propel viewers to the conclusion that climate change is a present and fast-paced reality, rather than a far-off and slowly evolving possibility.

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

Plagiarism or not?

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Gore’s visuals help people realize “that climate change is a present and fast-paced reality, rather than a far-off and slowly evolving possibility.”

Plagiarism or not?

Plagiar

ism

Not plag

iarism

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DEADLY SIN #4: Failure to cite an exact quote

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1. Plagiarism2. Not plagiarism

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His clear graphs and often captivating images can propel viewers to the conclusion that climate change is a present and fast-paced reality, rather than a far-off and slowly evolving possibility.

How do we fix this?

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

18

Gore’s visuals help people realize “that climate change is a present and fast-paced reality, rather than a far-off and slowly evolving possibility.”

His clear graphs and often captivating images can propel viewers to the conclusion that climate change is a present and fast-paced reality, rather than a far-off and slowly evolving possibility.

How do we fix this?

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

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Gore’s visuals help people realize “that climate change is a present and fast-paced reality, rather than a far-off and slowly evolving possibility” (Meyer 2006, 95).

Environmentalists often diagnose public opinion as a key obstacle to effective action on concerns including climate change.

Plagiarism or not?

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

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Public opinion is often blamed by environmentalists as a major roadblock to effective action on issues such as global warming.

Plagiarism or not?

Plagiar

ism

Not plag

iarism

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DEADLY SIN #5: Failure to cite paraphrased ideas

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1. Plagiarism2. Not plagiarism

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Environmentalists often diagnose public opinion as a key obstacle to effective action on concerns including climate change.

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

How do we fix this?

22

Public opinion is often blamed by environmentalists as a major roadblock to effective action on issues such as global warming.

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

How do we fix this?

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Public opinion is often blamed by environmentalists as a major roadblock to effective action on issues such as global warming (Meyer 2006, 95).

Environmentalists often diagnose public opinion as a key obstacle to effective action on concerns including climate change.

Gore also delivers his message well. He simplifies the science without oversimplifying.

Plagiarism or not?

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

24

Gore’s effective presentation is balanced and well designed for the general public. “He simplifies the science without oversimplifying” (Meyer 2006, 95).

Plagiarism or not?

Plagiar

ism

Not plag

iarism

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Correct! This student accurately cited the source!

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1. Plagiarism2. Not plagiarism

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Gore also delivers his message well. He simplifies the science without oversimplifying.

Plagiarism or not?

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

26

Gore’s effective presentation is balanced and well designed for the general public. “He simplifies the science without oversimplifying” (Meyer 2006, 95).

Meyer, J. M. 2006. “Another Inconvenient Truth.” Dissent 53 (4): 95-96.

Gore also delivers his message well. He simplifies the science without oversimplifying.

Original

Student’s Use

of Information

27

Gore’s effective presentation is balanced and well designed for the general public. “He simplifies the science without oversimplifying” (Gore, 2006, p. 95).

Plagiarism or not?

Plagiar

ism

Not plag

iarism

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HOWEVER…

DEADLY SIN # 6: Failure to provide an accurate citation

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1. Plagiarism2. Not plagiarism

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Meyer, J. M. 2006. “Another Inconvenient Truth.” Dissent 53 (4): 95-96.Gore also delivers his message well. He simplifies the science without oversimplifying.

How do we fix this?

Original

Student’s Use

of Information Gore,Meyer,

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Gore’s effective presentation is balanced and well designed for the general public. “He simplifies the science without oversimplifying” ( 2006, 95).

At some point in my academic career, I have committed an act of plagiarism.

Yes, I

totally

have!

No, I’m al

ways h

onest.

0%0%

1. Yes, I totally have!2. No, I’m always

honest.

0of5

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There’s no way for my professor to tell if I’ve copied a few words here and there.

True

False

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1. True2. False

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How can they tell?

Eve 2 Google Ask students about questionable

passages “We just know.”

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How They Can Tell

Student’s Use

of Information

One of the main arguments of history is whether it can really be viewed objectively. Usually, the “winners” record history and it is often hard to tell what is truth and what is exaggerated. The endless antagonism between objectivism and subjectivism has hampered the enlarging horizon of history and has threatened the modernist objectivist paradigm. From the Southern point of view, modern history books…

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How They Can Tell

…postmodernists tried to overcome the modernist objectivist paradigm. The main purpose of this article is to investigate the pros and cons of "modernistic" history by examining its history from the perspective of the antagonism between objectivism and subjectivism…modernism turned out to be the shackle by which the enlarging horizon of history was hampered.

Original

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If I get caught plagiarizing, I can be suspended or expelled from Dickinson College.

True

False

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1. True2. False

DEADLY SIN #7: Thinking you can get away with it

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Plagiarism Cases at Dickinson College

13 students found responsible

7 male, 6 female All class years

3 Fs or 0s on assignment

9 “F”s for the course 5 stayed suspensions 4 outright suspensions

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2005 - 20062006 - 2007

15 students found responsible

8 male, 7 female All class years, 4

FYs

10 Fs or 0s on assignment 4 “F”s for the course 11 stayed suspensions 7 various other

consequencesStudents found responsible for cheating or

plagiarism are ineligible for academic honors.

The Seven Academic Integrity Commandments

1. Thou shalt not presenteth another’s research as thine own.

2. Giveth proper credit to Internet sites.3. Useth quotation marks when borrowing even thy

neighbor’s brief phrase.4. Includeth footnotes or in-text notes whenever

quoting.5. Citeth thou also paraphrased ideas.6. Verily thou shalt recordeth thoroughly and

accurately all sources consulted.7. Do not thinketh thyself immune to being smote

with the consequences of plagiarism.37

Where can I get further help?

Consult a librarian Review the library’s website Read A Writer's Reference by Diana

Hacker Visit the Writing Center Read the College policy Read your syllabi Talk to your professor

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Example 1: Plagiarism or Not Plagiarism?

Plagiar

ism

Not Plag

iarism

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1. Plagiarism2. Not

Plagiarism

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90

Example 2: Plagiarism or Not Plagiarism?

Plagiar

ism

Not Plag

iarism

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1. Plagiarism2. Not

Plagiarism

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90

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Example 3: Plagiarism or Not Plagiarism?

Plagiar

ism

Not Plag

iarism

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1. Plagiarism2. Not

Plagiarism90

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Example 4: Plagiarism or Not Plagiarism?

Plagiar

ism

Not Plag

iarism

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1. Plagiarism2. Not

Plagiarism

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90

Example 5: Acceptable or Not Acceptable?

Accep

table

Not Acc

eptab

le

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1. Acceptable2. Not

Acceptable90

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