Who, Me Plagiarize?

Leslie K. Yoder

Why worry?

What is plagiarism?

Using others’ ideas, words, and/or sentence structure without correctly and completely citing sources.

Simple, right?

Sometimes it’s obvious . . .

But . . . We use others’ words all the time without giving formal credit:

• the title of this presentation!• professional resource sharing• linguistic evolution

Our speech is full to overflowing with the words of others.M.M. Bakhtin

In between, there’s trouble . . .

• journalists• historians• Pulitzer Prize winners• college presidents• countless students

Using words and ideas from another source but presenting them as one’s own without adhering to a culture’s accepted academic and professional conventions

How to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism

• Be a careful researcher! Take notes, keep copies of sources,

record publication information.

• Always, no matter what, give credit to sources.

Three Ways to Use Source MaterialSummarize: • Restate the main ideas in shortened form.

• Use your own words and sentence structure.• Give credit to the source.

Paraphrase: • Restate a passage in the same length.• Use your own words and sentence structure.• Give credit to the source.

Quote: • Present the exact words from a passage.• Use the author’s words in quotation marks.• Give credit to the source.

When summarizing or paraphrasing, look away from the original text. You’ll be better able to put the information into your own words.

Bright idea!

Hello, Source Material!Introduce Your Sources

At the beginning of the first sentence in which you quote, paraphrase, or summarize, make it clear that what comes next is someone else's idea: • According to Soriano... • Evaristo says... • In her 2003 study, Robinson showed...

Thanks, See Ya!

At the end of the last sentence containing quoted, paraphrased, or summarized material, insert a parenthetical citation to show where the material came from:

The St. Martin's Handbook defines plagiarism as "the use of someone else's words or ideas as your own without crediting the other person" (Lunsford and Connors 602).

Let’s Practice!

Original text from Elaine Tyler May's "Myths and Realities of the American Family”:

Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version A: Since women's wages often continue to reflect the mistaken notion that men are the main wage earners in the family, single mothers rarely make enough to support themselves and their children very well. Also, because work is still based on the assumption that mothers stay home with children, facilities for child care remain woefully inadequate in the United States.

Original text:

Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version A: Since women's wages often continue to reflect the mistaken notion that men are the main wage earners in the family, single mothers rarely make enough to support themselves and their children very well. Also, because work is still based on the assumption that mothers stay home with children, facilities for child care remain woefully inadequate in the United States.

Original text:

Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version B: As Elaine Tyler May points out, "women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage" (588). Thus many single mothers cannot support themselves and their children adequately. Furthermore, since work is based on the assumption that mothers stay home with children, facilities for day care in this country are still "woefully inadequate" (May 589).

Original text:

Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version B: As Elaine Tyler May points out, ”women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage" (588). Thus many single mothers cannot support themselves and their children adequately. Furthermore, since work is based on the assumption that mothers stay home with children, facilities for day care in this country are still "woefully inadequate" (May 589).

Original text:

Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version C:By and large, our economy still operates on the mistaken notion that men are the main breadwinners in the family. Thus, women continue to earn lower wages than men. This means, in effect, that many single mothers cannot earn a decent living. Furthermore, adequate day care is not available in the United States because of the mistaken assumption that mothers remain at home with their children.

Original text:Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version C:By and large, our economy still operates on the mistaken notion that men are the main breadwinners in the family. Thus, women continue to earn lower wages than men. This means, in effect, that many single mothers cannot earn a decent living. Furthermore, adequate day care is not available in the United States because of the mistaken assumption that mothers remain at home with their children.

Original text:

Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

Version D:Women today still earn less than men — so much less that many single mothers and their children live near or below the poverty line. Elaine Tyler May argues that this situation stems in part from "the fiction that men earn the family wage" (588). May further suggests that the American workplace still operates on the assumption that mothers with children stay home to care for them (589). Recent changes in the workplace, however, suggest that this assumption does not have the force it once did. More and more businesses offer in-house day-care facilities. . . .

More Practice!

See handout . . .

SourcesFrahm, Robert. “Plagiarism Haunts Several College Presidents.”The Hartford Courant. 12 Mar. 2004.http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-plagiarize0312.artmar12,0,676253.story

Hendrick, Bill. “Hips Hit Shows Drive Evolution of the Language.” Chicago Tribune. 18 Mar. 2004. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-18/features/0403180091_1_friends-finale-yada-talk

Howard, Rebecca Moore. Standing in the Shadow of Giants: Plagiarists, Authors, Collaborators. Stamford: Ablex, 1999.

Hunt, Russ. “Two Cheers for Plagiarism.” Inkshed. Autumn 2003. http://www.stthomasu.ca/inkshed/nletta03/hunt.htm

Sources continued“Language on Friends So Influential.” ABC News Online. 09 Jan. 2004. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-01-09/language-on-friends-so-influential/117344

“Plagiarism in the News.” Bridgewater Writing Center. http://www.bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/Workshops/PlagiarismCases.htm

“University President Accused of Plagiarism.” CNN.com 11 Mar. 2004. http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/03/09/college.president.ap/