-Caveat Lector-
{{About halfway down is EXAMPLE #1 which is the only
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etc.AKE}}
Biology Program Guide 2000/2001
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Introduction | What is plagiarism | Avoiding Plagiarism |
Examples
PLAGIARISM
What it is, and How to Avoid It
Prepared by:
Dr. Colin H. Gordon
(Department of History, UBC)
Professor Peter Simmons
(President's Advisory Committee on Student Discipline, UBC)
Dr. Graeme Wynn
(Associate Dean of Arts, UBC)
The Faculty of Arts
The University of British Columbia
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?
Complete plagiarism
Near-Complete plagiarism
Patchwork plagiarism
Lazy plagiarism
Self plagiarism
3. AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
research
writing
footnoting
editing
EXAMPLES
1. INTRODUCTION
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Each year a number
of cases of plagiarism are brought to the attention of the
Dean of Arts and the President's Office. Depending on the
severity of the offence, students found guilty of plagiarism
may lose credit for the assignment in question, be awarded a
mark of zero in the course, or face suspension from the
University. Most cases which pass through the Dean's office
result in at least a temporary suspension from the
University (permanently noted on the student's transcript)
and a mark of zero.
2. WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?
Complete plagiarism
Near-Complete plagiarism
Patchwork plagiarism
Lazy plagiarism
Self plagiarism
Most simply, plagiarism is intellectual theft. Any use of
another author's research, ideas, or language without proper
attribution may be considered plagiarism. Because such
definitions include many shades of accidental or intentional
plagiarism, these need to be described more fully.
Complete Plagiarism
This is the most obvious case: a student submits, as his or
her own work, an essay that has been written by someone
else. Usually the original source is a published journal
article or book chapter. The use of unpublished work,
including the work of another student, is just as serious.
In such cases, plagiarism cannot be "avoided" by
paraphrasing the original or acknowledging its use in
footnotes. The work is the property of another author and
should not be used. See Example #1
Near-complete Plagiarism
A student may also lift portions of another text and use
them in his or her own work. For example, a student might
add her or his own conclusions or introduction to an essay.
Or a student might scatter his or her own comments through a
text taken substantially from another source.
These practices are unacceptable. Even with some
attribution, the bulk of the work has been done by another.
See Example #1
Patchwork Plagiarism
In many cases, a student will lift ideas, phrases,
sentences, and paragraphs from a variety of sources and
"stitch" them together into an essay. These situations often
seem difficult to assess. Most essays, after all, are
attempts to bring together a range of sources and arguments.
But the line between plagiarism and original work is not
difficult to draw. See Example #2
Lazy Plagiarism
Lazy plagiarism crops up in many student essays, and is
usually the result of sloppy note-taking or research
shortcuts. Examples include:
inadvertent use of another's language, usually when the
student fails to distinguish between direct quotes and
general observations when taking notes. In such cases, the
presence of a footnote does not excuse the use of another's
language without quotation marks.
use of footnotes or material quoted in other sources as if
they were the results of your research.
sloppy or inadequate footnoting which leaves out sources or
page references.
Although it may not be the student's intention to deceive,
it is often difficult for instructors to distinguish between
purposeful and accidental plagiarism. See Example #3
Self Plagiarism
The use of an essay written for one course to satisfy the
requirements of another course is plagiarism. Students
should not use, adapt, or update an essay written for
another purpose.
This is not intended to discourage students from pursuing
specific interests. If you want to use a previously
completed essay as a starting point for new research, you
should receive the instructor's approval and provide her or
him with a copy of the original essay. If you want to use
substantially similar essays to satisfy the requirements of
two related courses, you should get approval from all the
instructors concerned.
3. AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
research
writing
footnoting
editing
It is not hard to draw the distinction between original and
thoroughly plagiarized work. But the "grey areas" between
these extremes are more vexing. Students should avoid any
hint of dishonesty by maintaining good research habits and
paying attention to a few basic rules of writing and
documentation.
Research
Most written assignments begin with the collection of
research notes -- a combination of ideas or quotes from
other sources, and the student's own ideas. Whether you keep
notes on index cards, in a loose-leaf binder, or on old
envelopes in a desk drawer, it is important to record and
organize them in such a way that vital information is not
lost.
Keep careful and complete track of sources. Accurately copy
the author, title, and other information about the source
publication, including the number(s) of the page(s) from
which notes or quotes were taken.
Distinguish carefully between your ideas and the ideas of
others. This is a simple question of intellectual honesty.
If you use another's conclusions, acknowledge them. If you
come to the same conclusions as another on your own, you
should still acknowledge the agreement.
Distinguish carefully between your own words and those of
others. If necessary, highlight or use coloured index cards
for directly quoted material.
Writing
As you begin to tie your ideas together in written form,
consider the following:
Begin by organizing your essay in an original manner. Avoid
mimicking the pattern or order of argument used by others.
Remember: this is your humble contribution to a debate or a
body of research; it is not (in most case) an attempt to
summarize or paraphrase the work of others.
As you weave the ideas and language of others into your
work, make clear choices about the use of quoted material.
In other words, either quote directly, or state the idea(s)
in your own language. Do not mess around with close
paraphrases or purely cosmetic changes. See Example #4
Read the first draft carefully. Is the distinction between
your work and the work of others clear and unambiguous? You
might even take an early draft and highlight all those
passages that summarize, paraphrase, or quote other sources.
Is there enough of your own work left in the essay?
Footnoting
Many cases of plagiarism occur in the documentation rather
than the body of the essay. You should have a clear idea of
the variety of purposes a footnote (or endnote) may serve,
and many different ways you can acknowledge the work of
others. For specific cases See Example #5. Also note the
following:
Always record your source of the information; never use or
rely on another author's footnotes.
The footnote should allow the reader to find or check the
material being cited. Provide exact page numbers for direct
quotes, and a range of page numbers for more general points.
If you included more than one source or reference in a
footnote, the relevance or order of the various sources
should be clear to the reader.
Editing
Once your essay is complete, consider each portion that is
drawn from another source, and ask yourself the following:
Is the idea or argument expressed entirely my own?
Is the general language or choice of words (including even
phrases or rough paraphrases) my own?
If either answer is "no," the work must be credited to the
original author. And if the answer to the second question is
"no," the passage should either be quoted directly or
rewritten in the student's own words and credited directly.
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLE #1
Complete or Near-Complete Plagiarism
Despite minor changes to the text, the passages are
substantially unchanged.
In the first case, the plagiarist also lifts the footnote
from the original. Note that the use of even very brief
passages (such as the "wings of aspiration") constitutes
plagiarism. Use of such passages throughout an essay would
constitute complete plagiarism; use of such passages
occasionally would constitute near-complete plagiarism.
[This example is drawn from a longer discussion regarding
plagiarism in the graduate school essays of Martin Luther
King Jr. Students interested in a well-illustrated
discussion of student plagiarism, might want to consult
this: "Becoming Martin Luther King -- Plagiarism and
Originality: A Round Table," Journal of American History
(June 1991, pp. 11-123. The example used below is on p. 25.]
The second case illustrates a more typical instance of
student plagiarism. Even the footnote to the original does
not excuse the substantial use of the original's language.
CASE 1
Original
It is Eros, not Agape, that loves in proportion to the value
of its object. By the pursuit of value in its object,
Platonic love is let up and away from the world, on wings of
aspiration, beyond all transient things and persons to the
realm of the Ideas. Agape, as described in the Gospels and
Epistles, is "spontaneous and 'uncaused'," "indifferent to
human merit," and "creates" value in those upon whom it is
bestowed out of pure generosity. It flows down from God into
this transient, sinful world; those whom it touches become
conscious of their own utter unworthiness; they are impelled
to forgive and love their enemies....because the God of
grace imparts worth to them by the act of loving them.*
[footnote* is to Anders Nygren, Agape and Eros. (New York,
1932), pp. 52-56]
Plagiarized Version
As Nygren set out to contrast these two Greek words he finds
that Eros loves in proportion to the value of the object. By
the pursuit of value in its objects. Platonic love is let up
and away from the world, on wings of aspiration, beyond all
transient things and persons to the realm of the Ideas.
Agape as described in the Gospels and Epistles, is
"spontaneous and uncaused," "indifferent to human merit,"
and creates value in those upon whom it is bestowed out of
pure generosity. It flows down from God into the transient,
sinful world; those whom it touches become conscious of
their own utter unworthiness; they are impelled to forgive
and love their enemies, because the God of Grace imparts
worth to them by the act of loving them.*
[Footnote* is to Nygren, Agape and Eros, pp. 52-56]
CASE 2
Original
The strike officially began on May 29, and on June 1 the
manufacturers met publicly to plan their resistance. Their
strategies were carried out on two fronts. They pressured
the proprietors into holding out indefinitely by refusing to
send new collars and cuffs to any laundry. Also the
manufacturers attempted to undermine directly the union's
efforts to weather the strike. They tried to create a
negative image of the union through the press, which they
virtually controlled. They prevented a few collar
manufacturers in other cities from patronizing the unions'
cooperative laundry even though it claimed it could provide
the same services for 25 percent less. Under these
circumstances, the collar ironers' tactics were much less
useful.
Plagiarized Version
The strike began on May 29, and on June 1 the manufacturers
met publicly to plan their response. They had two
strategies. They pressured the proprietors into holding out
indefinitely by refusing to send new collars and cuffs to
any laundry, and they attempted to undermine directly the
union's efforts to weather the strike. They also tried to
create a negative image of the union through the newspapers,
which they virtually controlled. They prevented a few collar
manufacturers in other cities from using the unions'
cooperative laundry even though it could provide the same
services for 25 percent less. Under these circumstances, the
collar ironers' tactics were much less useful.1
1. Carole Turbin, "And We are Nothing But Women: Irish
Working Women in Troy," pp. 225-26 in Women of America.
Edited by Mary Beth Norton (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1979).
EXAMPLE #2
Patchwork Plagiarism
Here two sources are combined to create a new passage. As it
stands, the passage is clearly plagiarized. If a footnote
were added acknowledging the sources, the substantial use of
the language of the original passage would still open the
student to charges of plagiarism. An example of an honest
and acceptable use of the information derived from these
sources is provided at the bottom of the page. Note that the
"acceptable version" uses the facts of the original sources,
but organizes and expresses them in the student's own
language.
Originals
Source 1:
"Despite the strong public opposition, the Reagan
administration continued to install so many North American
men, supplies, and facilities in Honduras that one expert
called it "the USS Honduras, a [stationary] aircraft carrier
or sorts." (Walter LaFeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New
York, 1989), 309.)
Source 2:
"By December 1981, American agents--some CIA, some U.S.
Special Forces--were working through Argentine
intermediaries to set up contra safe houses, training
centres, and base camps along the Nicaraguan-Honduran
border." (Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare
(ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), 139.)
Plagiarized Version
Despite strong public opposition, by December 1981 the
Reagan Administration was working through Argentine
intermediaries to install contra safe houses, training
centres, and base camps in Honduras. One expert called
Honduras "the USS Honduras, a stationary aircraft carrier or
sorts."
Acceptable
In the early 1980s, the Reagan Administration made
increasing use of Honduras as a base for the contra war. The
Administration set up a number of military and training
facilities--some American, some contra, and some housing
Argentine mercenaries--along the border between Nicaragua
and Honduras. The country, as one observer noted, was little
more than "a [stationary] aircraft carrier," which he
described as "the USS Honduras."2
2. See Walter Lafeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New York,
1989), p. 307-310 (quote p. 309); and Peter Kornbluh,
"Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare
(New York, 1983), 139.
EXAMPLE #3
Lazy Plagiarism
In this example, the student may have made a sincere effort
to write an original passage, but sloppy research and
documentation raise the possibility of plagiarism. Note the
characteristic errors: confusion of original and student's
language, quotation marks in the wrong place, improper or
incomplete footnotes.
Originals
Source 1:
"Despite the strong public opposition, the Reagan
administration continued to install so many North American
men, supplies, and facilities in Honduras that one expert
called it "the USS Honduras, a [stationary aircraft carrier
of sorts." (Walter LaFeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New
York, 1989), 309.)
Source 2:
"By December 1981, American agents--some CIA, some U.S.
Special Forces--were working through Argentine
intermediaries to set up contra safe houses, training
centres, and base camps along the Nicaraguan-Honduran
border." (Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare
(ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), 139.)
Plagiarized Version
Despite strong public opposition, the Reagan Administration
"continued to install so many North American men, supplies,
and facilities in Honduras that one expert called it the USS
Honduras, a stationary aircraft carrier or sorts."3
In December 1981, American agents--some CIA Special
Forces--were working through Argentine intermediaries to set
up "contra safe houses, training centres, and base camps
along the Nicaraguan-Honduran border."4
3. Walter Lafeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989),
p. 309
4. Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York,
1983).
EXAMPLE #4
Close Paraphrasing
Students anxious about committing plagiarism often ask: "How
much do I have to change a sentence to be sure I'm not
plagiarizing?" A simple answer to this is: If you have to
ask, you're probably plagiarizing.
This is important. Avoiding plagiarism is not an exercise in
inventive paraphrasing. There is no magic number of words
that you can add or change to make a passage your own.
Original work demands original thought and organization of
thoughts. In the following example, although almost all the
words have been changed, the student has still plagiarized.
An acceptable use of this material is also provided below.
Original
Shortly after the two rogues, who pass themselves off as a
duke and a king, invade the raft of Huck and Jim, they
decide to raise funds by performing scenes from Shakespeare'
s Romeo and Juliet and Richard III. That the presentation of
Shakespeare in small Mississippi towns could be conceived of
as potentially lucrative tells us much about the position of
Shakespeare in the nineteenth century. (Lawrence Levine,
Highbrow, Lowbrow: The Emergence of a Cultural Hierarchy in
America (Cambridge, 1986), p. 10)
Plagiarized Version
Soon after the two thieves, who pretend they are a king and
a duke, capture Huck and Jim's raft, they try to make money
by putting on two Shakespeare plays (Romeo and Juliet and
Richard III). Because the production of Shakespeare in tiny
Southern towns is seen as possibly profitable, we learn a
lot about the status of Shakespeare before the twentieth
century.
Acceptable Version
As Lawrence Levine argues, casual references to Shakespeare
in popular nineteenth century literature suggests that the
identification of "highbrow" theatre is a relatively recent
phenomenon.5
Note that this version does not merely rephrase or repeat
the material from the passage cited above, but expands upon
it and places it in the context of the student's work.
EXAMPLE #5
Varieties of Footnotes
The use of sources can be clarified in a number of ways
through careful footnoting. Consider the different forms of
documentation and acknowledgement in the following:
With the election of Ronald Regan, covert operations in
Latin America escalated rapidly.6 "The influx of American
funds," notes Peter Kornbluh, determined "the frequency and
destructiveness of contra attachs."7 In the early 1980s, the
Regan Administration increasingly used Honduras as a base
for the contra war. The Administration set up a number of
military and training facilities--some American, some
contra, and some housing Argengine mercenaries--along the
border between Nicaragua and Honduras. "[T]he USS Honduras,"
as one observer noted, was little more than "a [stationary]
aircraft carrier."8 These strategies seemed to represent
both a conscious acceleration of American involvement in the
region, and the inertia of past involvements and failures.9
6. The following paragraph is drawn from Walter Lafeber,
Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989), p. 307-310; and
Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low
Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), pp. 139-149.
Note: FOOTNOTE 6 provides general background sources.
7. Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low
Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), p. 139.
Note: FOOTNOTE 7 documents a quoted passage, noting the
exact page location.
8. Observer quoted in Walter Lafeber, Inevitable Revolutions
(New York, 1989), p. 309.
Note: FOOTNOTE 8 documents a secondary quotation.
9. Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low
Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), stresses the renewal of
counterinsurgency under Reagan; Walter Lafeber, Inevitable
Revolutions, stresses the ongoing interventionism of the
U.S. (New York, 1989), p. 307-310.
Note: FOOTNOTE 9 distinguishes your argument from that of
your sources.
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