38 Plagiarism: Upholding Academic Integrity

Plagiarism is a serious form of academic dishonesty. It involves presenting someone else’s words, ideas, or work as your own, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This chapter will clarify what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Understanding the Scope of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is more complex than simply copying and pasting. It encompasses a range of actions, including:

• Submitting another person’s work as your own: This is the most blatant form of plagiarism, where you claim authorship of a paper or assignment created by someone else.
• Copying and pasting without proper attribution: Even with a citation, copying and pasting without quotation marks is plagiarism because it implies that the words are your own.
• Failing to provide in-text citations: Every quote or paraphrase must be accompanied by an in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in your Works Cited list.
• “Patchwriting” or using synonyms: Changing a few words or phrases in a source while maintaining the original sentence structure is still plagiarism.
• Self-plagiarism: Reusing your own previously submitted work without permission is also considered plagiarism, as it misrepresents the originality of your current submission.

Consequences of Plagiarism

The consequences of plagiarism can be severe, ranging from a failing grade on the assignment to failing the entire course. In some cases, plagiarism may be reported to academic affairs or student affairs, leading to further disciplinary action. Repeat offenses can result in more serious penalties, including suspension or expulsion.

Why Students Plagiarize

The most common reason students give for plagiarism is feeling overwhelmed or pressed for time. However, it’s essential to understand that the consequences of plagiarism far outweigh the potential benefits of a quick fix. It’s almost always better to take a point deduction for a late assignment or even receive a zero than to face the repercussions of plagiarism.

Using Sources Ethically and Effectively

Using sources is a crucial part of academic writing, but it’s essential to use them ethically and strategically.

• Introduce and discuss your sources: Don’t just drop quotes into your paper without context. Introduce the author and their credentials (briefly), and explain how the quote or paraphrase supports your argument.
• Lead into and out of quotes: Make it clear to your reader when you are quoting or paraphrasing. This can be done by using signal phrases (e.g., “According to Smith…”) and by discussing the quote afterward.
• Paraphrase and summarize effectively: Paraphrasing involves expressing the author’s ideas in your own words and sentence structure. Summarizing involves condensing the author’s ideas. Both require proper citation.
• Avoid excessive use of block quotes: Block quotes (quotes of four lines or more) should be used sparingly. They can overwhelm your paper and detract from your own analysis.
• Represent sources accurately: Don’t misrepresent the author’s views or take their words out of context.

Imagining Your Authors as Readers

A helpful way to avoid plagiarism is to imagine that the authors of your sources will be reading your paper. Would they be happy with how you have represented their work? If you feel embarrassed or ashamed, you need to make changes.

Self-Plagiarism and Recycled Academics

Self-plagiarism, or “recycled academics,” is another form of academic dishonesty. It involves submitting work that you have previously submitted for another course without permission. Each assignment should be completed uniquely for the specific course.

Preventing Plagiarism

• Understand citation guidelines: Familiarize yourself with MLA format and other citation styles.
• Take thorough notes: When researching, carefully note the source of each piece of information.
• Use plagiarism detection tools: Many online tools can help you identify potential plagiarism in your work.
• Ask for help: If you are unsure about how to cite a source or avoid plagiarism, ask your instructor or a librarian.

By understanding what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, you can uphold academic integrity and produce original, ethical work.

Reading Questions:

1. Remembering: What are three specific actions that constitute plagiarism, as outlined in the chapter?
2. Understanding: Explain in your own words why “patchwriting” or using synonyms is still considered plagiarism.
3. Application: How would you properly introduce and discuss a quote in your essay to avoid plagiarism, according to the chapter’s guidelines?
4. Analysis: Why does the chapter emphasize that even unintentional plagiarism can have serious consequences?
5. Synthesis: Combine the concepts of “paraphrasing effectively” and “representing sources accurately” to describe how you would integrate information from a source into your essay while avoiding plagiarism.
6. Evaluation: Based on the information in the chapter, what conclusions can you draw about the importance of understanding and avoiding plagiarism in academic work?

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Estimated Time to Answer Questions: 25 minutes