Troy University, TROY Global Campus Library Services

The Challenge of Plagiarism
Jay Brandes, Reference Librarian, Troy University
Updated 2/5/08

Defining plagiarism
How students can avoid plagiarizing
How faculty and administrators can help students avoid plagiarizing
How faculty can detect plagiarism
Sources
Citing this publication

NOTE: The first two sections of this publication, Defining plagiarism and How students can avoid plagiarizing, are also available in a separate, printer-friendly document. The intended purposes of this separate document is:

Faculty can print a relatively short, cleanly formatted Student Guide for distribution to their students.
Students can print a relatively short, cleanly formatted guide for themselves.

Click here for A student guide to plagiarism in PDF (Portable Document Format)

Defining Plagiarism

The first step in avoiding plagiarism is knowing what it really is. The following may challenge your notion of what you think it is.

Plagiarism is "an act or instance of plagiarizing" (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary); therefore, the real definition we are looking for is what it means to plagiarize. Here is my (this author's) dictionary-style definition:

To plagiarize is to represent, purposely or inadvertently, someone's language (the expression of their ideas), as your own, original thought (Note 1).

Plagiarism is literary theft. It can occur in a term paper, journal article, book, a play, lyrics to a song, or a computer program. Plagiarism can be a form of copyright violation. Plagiarism can be a criminal offense (Note 2). Plagiarism is always a form of academic dishonesty and is never acceptable. In part, Troy University Standards of Conduct state that "A student or organization may be disciplined, up to and including suspension and expulsion, if deemed in violation of the STANDARDS OF CONDUCT for the commission of or the attempt to commit any of the following offenses:
1. Dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarism..." (Source 10).

The following five points will help to clarify what plagiarism really is (Note 3).

Point one: The issue at the heart of plagiarism is that the writer should take credit only for his or her own work, both in terms of ideas, and the manner in which they are presented. The parts of a document that are original to the writer do not require any type of citation; it is, in effect. the lack of a citation that tells the reader "I (the writer) am taking credit for this idea and how it is presented." Anything that is not original to the author at the time of writing must be cited--giving credit where credit is due, both for what was and how it was said. In practical terms, this is done by placing references within the paper to tell the reader where you found your information. References point the reader to a list of works cited which fully details the sources used.

You must document sources that you paraphrase or summarize. Additionally, to avoid plagiarizing your sources, you must paraphrase or summarize in your own language (word/writing style); you cannot simply restate the information in "just about" the same way as it was originally presented, or how someone else summarized it.

You must document sources that you quote. If you are directly quoting the original material, you must put quotation marks around the quote to indicate that that is a direct quotation (see Note on long quotes, just below). On the other hand, you cannot represent, using quotation marks, something that is not a direct quote, as if it were.

Note on long quotes:

Standard style manuals, used for writing college papers, described in detail on page XXX of this guide, prescribe methods for using block quotes—a technique used to set off the text of long quotes from the main text. A long quote is defined as follows:

American Psychological Association guidelines: forty words or more. (Source 25, page 117)
Chicago guidelines: "Quoted material, of more than a paragraph, even if very brief, is best set off as block quotation." (Source XX, page 450)
Modern Language Association guidelines: four or more lines of your paper (Source XX, page 110).
Turabian guidelines: five or more lines of your paper (Source XX, page 350).

Point two: Plagiarism is plagiarism whether it is done intentionally or not. If it "comes across" as yours, but it isn't, it is plagiarism. It doesn't matter whether you meant to do it or not; that is why it is so important for students to learn the proper methods of citing their references, and develop good research skills--skills that not only promote good scholarship, but that also help reduce the occurrence of plagiarism.

If you accidentally forget to cite a source you are essentially stating that the concept, and how you present it, is yours--and are committing plagiarism; that is why it is imperative always to document your sources.
Improperly paraphrasing or summarizing a documented source is plagiarism. Documentation tells the reader that the idea was not yours, but, if the expression (language/style) of the idea is essentially the same as the source, you are not properly paraphrasing, and you are implying that it (the expression) is yours when it is not. Paraphrasing is not just replacing the original words with synonyms and changing the order of the concepts.
If you use a direct quotation but do not put quotation marks around it, that is plagiarism, even if you do cite the reference. This is because without the quotation marks, you are stating that what you have written is your paraphrase or summary of the reference in your words. (See Note on long quotes, under Point one.)
Purposely or accidentally indicating something is a direct quote (by the use of quotation marks), when it is not, is extremely poor scholarship if done accidentally, and, if done purposely, is a form of dishonesty.

Point three: Many other definitions use the term someone else's in reference to the source you are plagiarizing. This is not completely accurate, as one type of plagiarism is self-plagiarism, sometimes referred to as auto-plagiarism.

An example of self-plagiarism is an author who presents, as new, material which they have previously published. It is not plagiarism to use material you previously published as long as you properly cite that work; for example, in his article "Cognitive science and behaviorism," B.F. Skinner cites himself four times; twice to his own journal articles (1950 and 1984), and twice to his books (1957 and 1968). If he had not cited himself, the reader would be led to believe (intentionally or not) that the concepts he was presenting were new (Source 70).
An example of another type of self-plagiarism is undocumented or unauthorized dual publication--the simultaneous publication of the same essential material in more than one place, e.g., in two separate journals without the approval of the publishers and notice to the readers. There are instances of legitimate and useful dual publication (or reproduction), but to do so in a deceptive manner, one which misrepresents your scholarship, is plagiarism.
Another type of self-plagiarism is a student reusing their own paper, or a modified version thereof, without permission of the instructor(s). This could mean recycling a paper they previously turned in, or writing one paper to satisfy the requirements of two concurrent assignments. Whereas some definitions of plagiarism would not apply here, since the student is not representing someone else's work as their own, many instructors and institutions may choose to classify such actions as plagiarism. In any case, unauthorized recycling is an act of dishonesty and is always unacceptable.

Point four: Some definitions of plagiarism state that it is using someone else's work without their permission. While this statement is true in some respects, it is still plagiarism to use someone else's work as your own even if you have permission. For example, if your friend lets you use their old term paper on Huckleberry Finn, it is still plagiarism; you are representing work that is not yours as though it was. This type of plagiarism is often referred to as collusion. Similarly, it is plagiarism to use, without reference, material that is in the public domain, not copyrighted, etc.

Point five: Additional reading.

Title: Plagiarize
Content: Definition (as follows): "to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source"
Source: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition.
Address: Print book. Also http://www.m-w.com (search on plagiarize)
Title: What is Plagiarism at Indiana University?
Content: Definition and a short lesson to help the reader understand what is or is not plagiarism.
Source: Ted Frick (Indiana University Bloomington)
Address: http://education.indiana.edu/%7Efrick/plagiarism/index2.html
Title: What is plagiarism?
Content: A down-to-Earth presentation of the subject. More than just defining the subject, this one-page guide should provide the reader a good feel for what plagiarism is.
Source: Georgetown University
Address: http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html

How students can avoid plagiarizing

Realize that you, the student, are responsible for avoiding plagiarism in your work, whether it is intentional or accidental.
Start by understanding what plagiarism is. Review the Defining Plagiarism section of this publication and the additional reading linked there.
Know how your individual instructor or institution defines plagiarism and what the penalties are for plagiarizing. You may have an individual grade reduced, you may receive a failing grade for a class, or you may be expelled from the University.
Know what your instructor expects in terms of reference and citation formats. See item five (next item).
Purchase the most recent edition of the appropriate style guide or use one at a local library. Note: This information was checked in January, 2008, but you should not purchase/use one of these sources until you make sure that it is still the most recent edition.
- For American Psychological Association (APA): Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition. Also, APA Style Guide to Electronic References (2007).
- For Modern Language Association (MLA): MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition.
- For Turabian: Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Seventh Edition.
- Additionally, the writing guides Hodges' Harbrace Handbook (Cheryl Glenn and Loretta Gray) and Writer's Reference (Diana Hacker), often required or recommended reading for literature classes, contains sections that summarize the basics of APA and MLA documentation style.
- Citing electronic resources, e.g., online databases or Internet sites, is often a difficult process which is only briefly covered in the aforementioned guides. Therefore, to assist you in this process, the Library provides a formal guide, Citing the World Wide Web in Style. It is linked from the Troy University, University College Library site http://uclibrary.troy.edu in the Information and Help section.
- Troy University has a Writing Center <http://troy.troy.edu/writingcenter>. Note that several of its handouts, although not a substitute for the books listed above, are designed to assist you with APA and MLA style.
Web sites that purport to present guides to citation style are frequently inaccurate, incomplete, and out of date; that is why it is recommended that you use the current, print resource (book) as your style guide. A select list of recommended online sources is linked within each section (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian), of this Library's guide, Citing the World Wide Web in Style.
Remember that your instructors and library personnel are there to help you. They cannot research or write your paper for you, but they are there to point you in the right direction and help you obtain the research material you need.
Avoid these types of plagiarism: Never purchase, copy, steal a paper, or hire someone to write it. Do not make up or otherwise falsify references. Do not recycle a paper you have previously or are currently writing (self-plagiarism is still plagiarism). Don't write the paper and then, after the fact, fill in sources that fit just to meet the assignment requirements. Write the paper from the sources.
Do not contribute to plagiarism by others. Do not lend or sell your papers. Beware of unscrupulous services, e.g., Web sites, that offer to "check your paper for plagiarism;" they may be copying your paper to sell to others. Troy University utilizes a bona fide service named TurnItIn (see point 19, below).
Never forget to check your references. Make sure you are citing everything that needs to be, and that the reference is pointing to the correct source in your works cited list. A Syllabus Strategy for Talking About Plagiarism with Students offers a clever idea ... in draft form, color code the sections of text of your paper with their corresponding reference on the works cited page. Then, when you are finally ready to turn your paper in, simply change all of the text to black. As an example of this, you can see that text of the idea I obtained from a source other than myself is color-coordinated with its source (in the source list). In this case, the text and its reference, are both brown. This tells me (as I write) that I need to make sure that this section has a reference, and helps me easily locate and verify that I am using the correct reference (Source 290).
If possible, have your instructor review a draft of your paper before you turn it in.
Allow enough time to do proper research and write your paper. If circumstances arise that will prevent you from researching and writing your paper by the time it is due, ask your instructor if they will grant you an extension.
Learn how to use your Library and perform research effectively. Writing a paper is like baking a cake; if you want it to turn out well, you have to start with the right ingredients (sources).
Know what you do not need to cite.
- You never need to cite your own experiences, thoughts, opinions, conclusions, beliefs, feelings, etc. (Source 100). You would, however, cite yourself if you are quoting words or ideas that you have formally presented in a book, article, speech, interview, etc.
- You do not need to cite information that is common knowledge; generally accepted fact; well-known sayings, mythology, folklore, or literary references. This can also include specialized knowledge that you assume your target audience will have; for example, you can take it for granted that your quantum mechanics instructor is familiar with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, even though the general public is not. If in doubt as to whether or not something is common knowledge (and does not need to be cited), check with your instructor, or just cite it. Gretchen Pearson, author of Electronic Plagiarism Seminar, says that to consider something common knowledge, it should be "facts which can be verified in a number of places and are likely to be known by a large number of people. Both must apply—if you didn’t know it, and had to look it up, you should cite it" (Source 120).
Paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting are each very different from one another other. Learn when and how to paraphrase, summarize, and quote. Selected resources:

Paraphrasing textual material <http://www.gened.arizona.edu/eslweb/paraphra.htm> from University of Arizona. An excellent, detailed guide (Source 200).
How to Recognize Plagiarism <http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/example1paraphrasing.html> (word-for-word examples section), How to Recognize Plagiarism <http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/examples.html> (paraphrasing examples section), and a self-test <http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/test.html> from Indiana University Bloomington (Source 150).
Using sources <http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/usingsources.html> Hamilton College. A "perfect" guide to when and how to use direct quotations and paraphrasing (Source 300).
Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html> from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (Source 190).
How to avoid plagiarism. <http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html> A wide variety of examples with explanations (Source 140).
Paraphrase and summary <http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/paraphrase.html> from University of Toronto, University College Writing workshop Handouts on Writing (Source 110).
Using quotations <http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/quotations.html> from University of Toronto, University College Writing workshop Handouts on Writing (Source 110).
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_quotprsum.html> from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (Source 270).
Avoiding plagiarism: Mastering the art of scholarship <http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm> from University of California Advice. See the section "MORE EXAMPLES - How to Cite Correctly" (Source 40).

Keep a record of your research.
- Record the full citation (author, title, date, etc.) for each of your sources (books, articles, Web sites). Retain copies, print or electronic, of your sources, e.g., journal articles or Internet sources. If you use an eBook (electronic book), know where you obtained it (library/database). For print books, record your source for the book, e.g., the Library and call number.
- Record from what libraries, databases, Web site, etc., you obtained your sources.
- Keep copies of your paper as it develops--your outline, your research (described above), and each version/draft, of your paper. Quick explanation: If your instructor thinks your paper is not your own work, you will have evidence of your creative process. Likewise, keeping copies of papers you have written for other classes will offer your instructor something to compare if they have reason to doubt that you wrote your paper, e.g., if they think it is too well written or that it does not match your writing style. Keeping print and electronic drafts of your paper can also be invaluable if the latest version of your paper is lost ... either physically and/or electronically.
Judge your sources carefully, especially those from the Internet. Avoid sources that have a high potential to lead you to inadvertently plagiarize, i.e., sources that you used (and cite) that you thought contained original information, but were really rip-offs of the true source. An example of this would be a poorly documented or questionable Web site.
Don't use phantom references, e.g., don't cite a book or article as if you actually used (read) it, when what you really did was read what an abstract, article or another book says about it, especially if that source is an Internet site. Those times that you do use a source such as an abstract (from a reliable source) of an article, cite it correctly, as what it is (an abstract, etc.).
Use the University-provided plagiarism detection software TurnItIn. Check with your individual instructors regarding TurnItIn.
Learn from your graded papers. Review them to see where your writing or citing style can be improved.

How faculty and administrators can help students avoid plagiarizing.

The following is not a formal how to guide, but is a broad spectrum of suggestions and ideas to assist faculty and administrators in dealing with issues of plagiarism.

Administrators should make their faculty aware of institutional policies and procedures, and regional or departmental guidelines regarding plagiarism. It is of paramount importance that faculty handle plagiarism issues in a proper and uniform manner, both for their sake and that of the institution, as well that of the student.
Faculty and administrators alike need to know what plagiarism really is (and is not). While this publication provides sound guidelines for defining plagiarism, individual persons and institutions will vary in how they choose to define plagiarism, or differentiate among certain aspects thereof.
Faculty should make students aware of what plagiarism is and how they can avoid plagiarizing. Providing them the student section of this publication is one way to accomplish that goal. This guide provides core information on the subject, and links readers to additional resources. When printed, this guide provides the information necessary for readers to locate, online, the hyperlinked version which provides quick access to the aforementioned additional resources.
Let students know why plagiarism is an important issue. NOTE: A forthcoming section of this publication will address that subject.
Take the time to discuss and promote student responsibility; codes of conduct; academic integrity, honesty, and trust. Conduct your academic affairs in a manner which exemplifies and promotes these ideals.
Present a positive attitude when discussing plagiarism with your students. Make it clear that you are not "out to get them," but rather to educate them. Remind your students that taking the time to address the subject will:
- Help them to avoid plagiarizing.
- Assist them in developing their research, writing, and critical thinking skills.
- Improve their academic performance, both in terms of the grades they receive and by what they actually learn and retain.
- Strengthen the value of their degree by supporting and enforcing the Standards of Conduct of your institution.
Know the reasons, intentional and unintentional, why students plagiarize.

Read point #1 of Anti-plagiarism strategies for research papers (Source 30).
Read the section "State of Cheating" of "Kimbel library: Presentations: Cheating 101..." (Source 180).

Use your syllabus or other course materials to let your students know your policy on plagiarism, including specific penalties.
Have clear policy regarding recycling or dual publication, i.e., when, if ever, do you allow it.
- Recycling defined: As stated in the How students can avoid plagiarism section of this publication, "Another type of self-plagiarism: A student reusing their own paper, or a modified version thereof, without permission of the instructor(s). This could mean recycling a paper they previously turned in, or writing one paper to satisfy the requirements of two concurrent assignments. Whereas some definitions of plagiarism would not apply here, since the student is not representing someone else's work as their own, many instructors and institutions may choose to classify such actions as plagiarism. In any case, unauthorized recycling or dual publication is an act of dishonesty and is always unacceptable."
- If you do allow a student to satisfy two concurrent assignments (yours and another instructor's) with one paper, presentation, or project, never do so without the approval of the other instructor.
ASSIGNMENTS & TOPICS
1. Give assignments that interest the student, either by choice from a pool of topics, or by instructor approval. If the students are interested in the topic, they will be more inclined to do quality research and writing (Source 30, Source 230).
2. Research assignments should be designed to reduce the likelihood that the student can find, purchase, modify, or recycle a previously created work to fulfill the assignment.
  - Make assignments that are unique and specific.
  - When possible, make the assignment, or a portion thereof, local or regional, or related to the student in a personal way (Source 170).
  - "As part of the paper or as a separate assignment, have students reflect personally on the topic they are writing on or on the process of doing research and writing. (Source 170). "
  - Change or rotate assignments/topics on a regular basis, and keep them up-to-date (Source 30, Source 160).
  - Set clear guidelines and approval procedures for students selecting/modifying their own topics (Source 260).
  - Have students apply classroom instruction, discussion, or readings to their assignment.
  - Make assignments that require critical thinking and synthesis, not just a rehashing of facts or a presentation of someone else's ideas.
RESEARCH AND REPORTING
- Make your students aware of the resources available to them. Troy University provides a wealth of library materials and personal assistance for their patrons. It is important that students, faculty, and staff make the most of these services.
- Require students to turn material in as their paper develops, e.g., the thesis statement, an outline, notes, a list of sources, drafts, a list of research tools they used (databases, libraries, etc.) and the dates they used them.
- Let students know that they may, or will, be required to produce or turn in their sources, e.g., print or electronic copies of journal articles or Web sites, and the name of the library or database from which print or electronic books were obtained.
- Provide sample(s) of what you consider to be a good paper, both in terms of content and style. Note that you can provide this online through the Troy University Library's electronic reserve service.
- Make clear how you want papers formatted. Use a standard format, e.g., American Psychological Association, Modern Language Association, or Turabian. Spell out the format and the source for it; don't take for granted that students know what it means if you just say "Do it in APA". To many students, MLA and APA sound alike and don't mean very much; when they go to do their references, they don't really know what they need. Similarly, encourage them to purchase and retain the proper book:
  - For APA: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition.
  - For MLA: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition.
  - For Turabian: Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Seventh Edition.
  - Additionally, writing guide Hodges' Harbrace Handbook, often required or recommended reading for literature classes, contains sections that summarize the basics of APA and MLA style.
  - Citing electronic resources, e.g., online databases or Internet sites, is often a difficult process which is only briefly covered in the aforementioned guides. Therefore, to assist you in this process, the Library provides a formal guide, Citing The World Wide Web in Style. It is linked in the Information and Help section of this site.
- When possible, require/emphasize the use of current references. To clarify this point: Requiring at least a portion of the sources to be current, will reduce the student's ability to use (plagiarize) a previously-created work to fulfill their assignment.
- Make specific resource-type requirements, guidelines, or recommendations. For example: No more than X number or percentage of material from the Internet, at least a specified amount from journals, requirements regarding the level or amount of scholarly/peer-review/refereed articles, print or electronic books (Source 30).
- Ask students to annotate their sources. This could include a brief summary or description of the source, its reliability, suitability, a comparison with other sources, etc. (Source 160)
- Have students provide a record of their research. What libraries did they use and did they request/receive assistance? What thesauri or other research tools did they use? What human resources (instructors/peers/librarians) did they use to develop their search terms and strategies? What catalogs, databases, and search engines did they use? Which of those resources yielded good results and which were dead ends? What terms did they search on...which ones were productive and which ones yielded poor results? What were the dates and times spent on their work? What research or writing skills do they think they most need to improve? (Source 160)
Set deadlines and put in writing penalties for exceeding them.
Have a written policy regarding, and procedure for requesting an extension of deadlines.
Use the University-provided plagiarism service, TurnItIn, and encourage your colleagues to do so.
For assignments that take the form of a written paper or notes for a verbal or audio-visual presentation, require students to turn in not only their printed report, but also an electronic copy. To clarify this point: This will help students avoid plagiarism if you let them know that you will use the electronic copy to assist you in plagiarism detection, should it be necessary.
Help students learn from their mistakes.
- Ask/allow them to correct their graded papers, revise their presentations notes/materials, etc.
- When grading papers, projects, presentations, or other assignments, be specific in your evaluation. Differentiate (and specify) your grading for grammar, style, content, etc., and make suggestions for improvement.
Promote the big picture. Institutions of higher education are places for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. They should produce informed, empowered, and socially active citizens. Completing a degree should be more than just the completing of courses; likewise, there should be more to completing an assignment than just getting it done, or regurgitating facts or someone else's opinion. It should be about learning ... the student's and their classmates' ... about increasing knowledge and developing critical thinking; of learning and applying skills of research, analysis, synthesis, and presentation.

How faculty can detect plagiarism

Please note that these are simply suggestions—some tools and methods to utilize and clues to look for. They may indicate the possibility of plagiarism or some other scholarship problem, but should be used as part of a larger, more holistic approach.

Use the University-provided plagiarism detection service, TurnItIn.
Have students write a short paper early in the term so you can compare the writing style/level with their later work (Source 90).
Look for peculiarities in wording or formatting:
- Inconsistent or peculiar formatting (font, color, word case, spacing, citation style) may indicate that the document was cut and pasted together from a variety of sources (Source 90).
- British word usage (other than within direct quotes) (Source 160).
- Inconsistency in the level of vocabulary.
- Inconsistency in verb tense (past, present, future).
- Inconsistency in the writer's literary point of view, e.g., their use of I, we, this author, etc.
- Obscure or older references (works cited) that are unlikely for the student to have actually utilized (Source 90, Source 160). Note: Keep in mind that instead of true plagiarism, i.e., literary theft, this could simply be an indication of poor scholarship, e.g., the student is referencing (using) a primary source discussed in a secondary source without properly referencing the secondary source from which they really received the information.
Consider whether the completed assignment (report, paper, presentation) is not quite on target. That is to say, does it appear as if have they taken a previously created work that was pretty close to the current assignment, and tried to force-fit it to the assignment that was assigned.
Have students give a class presentation on their assignment, or hold a one-on-one question and answer session regarding their assignment (Source 260).
Ask them. Tactfully asking a student about their work does not mean you are accusing them of cheating, just that you are concerned or curious about one or more aspects of it. If a portion of plagiarism is accidental or unintentional, a direct approach may quickly and easily allow you to identify the root of your concern, and give the student an opportunity to correct, or at least learn from their errors.
Compare the assignment to the sources. Note: This task will be easier if you require students to turn in an electronic copy of their work.
Ask the student to produce drafts, notes, outlines, or other material used to develop their paper. Note: This request is a more reasonable one if you have previously informed your students that they may or will be required to do so.
Ask the student to produce their sources—print or electronic copies of journal articles or Web sites, or direct you to the library or database from which they obtained books. Note: This request is a more reasonable one if you have previously informed your students that they may or will be required to do so.

Notes:

Note 1) There is no outside reference for this definition because it is 100% this author's; no paraphrasing, summarizing, or even plagiarism. It was written literally "off the top of my head" based on everything I researched on the topic of plagiarism (see all references). It should, however, be noted that my strongest influence in deciding what plagiarism really is (or is not) was Plagiarism in Colleges in USA by Ronald B. Standler (Source 250). FYI: After writing it, I did take my own advice and double checked my references to make sure I had not inadvertently stolen the wording from somewhere else. [click here to return to the text that sent you to this reference]

Note 2) Plagiarism can be a crime. Ronald B. Standler, in his publication Plagiarism in Colleges in USA details plagiarism laws and cases. From his work, I was able to locate a clear cut example of plagiarism crime (as follows) (Source 250).

Title XLVI Florida § 877.17. Works to be submitted by students without substantial alteration.--

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person or business entity to sell, offer to sell, or advertise for sale any term paper, thesis, dissertation, essay, or report or any written, recorded, pictorial, artistic, or other assignment which the seller or advertiser knew or reasonably should have known was intended for submission by a student, unaltered to any substantial degree, in fulfillment of the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate, or course of study at a university, college, academy, school, or other educational institution in the state (Source 15). [click here to return to the text that sent you to this reference]

Note 3) That may be a good working definition, but it doesn't really explain what it means to plagiarize. Please review the five points in the text that clarify what plagiarism really is.

Why not just go with the definition?

Definitions vary. Unlike a well-known object, action, or concept that is clearly and universally definable, plagiarism is often loosely or poorly defined. Definitions only go so far. "Dictionaries are like watches; the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true."-- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). For example, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary states that a giraffe is "a large fleet African ruminant mammal (Giraffa camelopardalis) that is the tallest of living quadrupeds and has a very long neck and a short coat with dark blotches separated by pale lines." That's what it is all right .. .but if you did not already know what a giraffe was you would still have virtually no idea whatsoever what it is or how to recognize it. [Click here to return to the text that sent you to this reference]

Sources

Title: 2003-2004 Troy University undergraduate bulletin
Content: Standards of Conduct is located on pages 34-37 of the Student Life section, linked below (address).
Author: Troy University
Address: http://www.troy.edu/bulletins/2004ugbulletin/studentlife.pdf
Source: 10
Title:       2003 Florida statues
Content: Florida Law
Author:   State of Florida
Address: http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes (Search for statute 877.17)
Source:   15
Title:      Academic integrity at Princeton
Content: Excellent resource aimed at students.
Author:    Princeton University
Address: http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity
Source:   20
Title:      Anti-plagiarism strategies for research papers
Content: Aimed at faculty.
Author:    Robert Harris
Address: http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm
Source:   30
Title:      Avoiding plagiarism
Content: Excellent tool for both understanding what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. This is "must reading" for students.
Author:    Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Address: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
Source:   40
Title:       Avoiding plagiarism: Mastering the art of scholarship
Content: Concise coverage of what it is and how to avoid it.
Author:    University of California
Address: http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm
Source:   50
Title:      Avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing
Content: Excellent, in-depth resource.
Author:   Miguel Roig, Ph.D. (Office of Research Integrity, St Johns University).
Address: http://facpub.stjohns.edu/~roigm/plagiarism/Index.html
Source:   60
The Chicago Manual of Style
Source65
Title: Cognitive science and behaviourism.
Content: Journal Article. British Journal of Psychology, August 85, Volume 76, Issue #3, pages 291-301.
Author: B.F. Skinner
Access: Journal article - check your library.
Source: 70
Title: Combating plagiarism
Content: Print book. Bloomington, IN, Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 2003.
Author: Suzanne F. Carey and Patricia Arnett Zeck
Access: Print book - check your library or bookstore.
Source: 80
Title: Crisis on campus: confronting academic misconduct
Content: Print book. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 2002.
Author: Wilfried Decoo
Access: Print book - check your library or bookstore.
Source: 85
Title: Cut-and-Paste plagiarism: Preventing, detecting and tracking online plagiarism
Content: Quick bullets on defining, preventing, deterring.
Author: Lisa Hinchliffe
Address: http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~janicke/plagiary.htm
Source: 90
Title: Dealing with plagiarism
Author: Queen's University Library
Content: Excellent for faculty. Aimed at faculty, this up-to-date site provides guidance on deterring and detecting.
Address: http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/plagindex.htm
Source: 100
Title: Deterring plagiarism: Some strategies
Content: Aimed at faculty.
Author: University of Toronto
Address: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagiarism.html
Source: 110
Title: Electronic plagiarism seminar
Content: Many links. Most of the content is aimed at faculty.
Author: Gretchen Pearson
Address: http://www.lemoyne.edu/library/plagiarism
Source: 120
Title:      Guide to plagiarism and cyber-plagiarism
Content: A first-class guide to all aspects of plagiarism. One of a very few well organized, comprehensive sites.
Author:   University of Alberta
Address: http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/plagiarism
Source:   130
Title:      How to avoid plagiarism
Content: Several good examples.
Author:    Northwestern University
Address: http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html
Source:   140
Title: How to recognize plagiarism
Content: Includes detailed examples, practice, and a test. Nice set of legal links.
Source: Indiana University Bloomington, School of Education
Address: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eistd
Source: 150
Title:      JISC plagiarism advisory service
Content: Comprehensive resource. Of particular interest is the section Advice & Guidance. Within that section, faculty and administrators should review Academic/Teaching Practice and Policy and Procedures.
Author:    Northumbria University / Joint Inforemation Systems Committee
Address: http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/faculties/art/information_studies/Imri/JISCPAS/site/jiscpas.asp
Source:   160
Title:      Kimbel library: Presentations cheating 101: Easy steps to combating plagiarism
Content: Aimed at faculty. Brief bulleted format.
Author:    Kimbel Library, Coastal Carolina University
Address: http://www.coastal.edu/library/pubs/easystep.html
Source:   170
Title:     Kimbel library: Presentations: Cheating 101: Paper mills and you: Teaching effectiveness seminar coastal Carolina University, March 5, 1999 (Revised March 10, 2003)
Content: Several examples on avoiding plagiarism.
Author:   Kimbel Library, Coastal Carolina University
Address http://www.coastal.edu/library/pubs/papermil.html
Source:   180
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
182
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition.
185
Title:      Paraphrase: Write it in your own words
Content: Teaches how to paraphrase.
Author:    Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Address: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html
Source:   190
Title:      Paraphrasing textual material
Content: Teaches how to paraphrase.
Author:   University of Arizona
Address: http://www.gened.arizona.edu/eslweb/paraphra.htm
Source:   200
Title:      Perspectives on plagiarism and intellectual property in a postmodern world.
Content: Print book. Albany, NY, State University of New York Press, 1999.
Author:    Lise Buranen
Access:  Print book - check your library or bookstore.
Source:   210
Title:      Plagiarism
Content: Several examples of how to avoid plagiarism.
Author:    Earl Babbie
Address: http://www.csubak.edu/ssric/Modules/Other/plagiarism.htm
Source:   220
Title:      Plagiarism and the web
Author:   Bruce H. Leland
Content: Ideas on how faculty can avoid plagiarism by their students.
Address: http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfbhl/wiu/plagiarism.htm
Source:   230
Title:      The plagiarism handbook : strategies for preventing, detecting, and dealing with plagiarism
Content: Print book. Los Angeles, Pyrczak Publishing, 2001.
Author:    Robert A. Harris
Access: Print book - check your library or bookstore.
Source:   240
Title:      Plagiarism in colleges in USA
Content: Broad converge with particular emphasis on legal aspects.
Author:    Ronald B. Standler
Address: http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm
Source:   250
Title:      Preventing plagiarism & cheating in online courses
Content: Quick bullets on deterring and detecting.
Author:    University of Illinois
Address: http://illinois.online.uillinois.edu/pointers/1999_12.html
Source:   260
Title:      Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.)
Content: Aimed at authors in the field of psychology.
Author:   American Psychological Association
Address: Print book.
Source:   265
Title:      Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
Content: Teaches how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize.
Author:    Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Address: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_quotprsum.html
Source:   270
Title:      The St. Martin's tutorial on avoiding plagiarism
Content: Note that you do not need to sign up as the site indicates, to use the content links on the main page. You do need to sign up (free) to do the exercises. The Introduction gives an extensive definition. Managing a Project gives excellent recommendations on how to organize your research sources; as does Taking Notes. Knowing Which Sources to Acknowledge provides valuable instruction for the student.
Author:    Margaret Price, University of Massachusetts, Amhurst
Address: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/plagiarismtutorial
Source:   280
Title:      A syllabus strategy for talking about plagiarism with students
Content: From a well known publisher.
Author:   Bedford Workshops on Teaching Writing Online
Address: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/technotes/workshops/talkingplagy.htm
Source:   290 Note: This source is color-coded as an example of a point made above (click to go to that point).
Title:      Using sources
Content: Aimed at students. Excellent and to-the-point guide on how to write without plagiarizing.
Author:   Hamilton College Writing Center
Address: http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/usingsources.html
Source:   300

Citing this publication

NOTE FOR ALL CITATION STYLES: The following exmples use January 17th, 2008 as a fictitious date on which the document was viewed. For citation purposes you would substitute the day you did your search (viewed this publication).

American Psychological Association style:

Brandes, J.H.(2008, January 10). The Challenge of Plagiarism.

Troy University. Retrieved January 17, 2007 from http://

uclibrary.troy.edu

Modern Language Association Style:

Brandes, Jay Hayden. "The Challenge of Plagiarism." 10 Jan. 2008.

Troy University. 17 Jan. 2008<http://uclibrary.troy.edu>

This page updated, spelling and links checked : Monday, February 25, 2008