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What do you know about plagiarism and citing sources

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Diction, to "plagiarize" means

• to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
• to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

Why does it matter if I use the correct citation format?

Citations act as addresses for your sources.   You and your friends agree to meet at The Bay for some shopping? One of you ends up in Yorkdale, another downtown and the third friend ends up, well, who knows where? In digital terms, you gave these directions to everyone:  https://www.thebay.com/   Yup, you didn't bother making sure that you each knew where to meet. It would have been better to include the full location of:  http://locations.thebay.com/en-ca/hudsons-bay-yorkdale#services    It's the same way with citations. You need to share with your teacher WHERE you got your information. The teacher may want to check your sources to see if what you are saying is true or accurate.  Or maybe you want to go back and add more information. Or someone else wants to use your research in their work.    Citing sources is also ethical. You are giving credit to the person who created the information. It's also academically required. So yes, you need to bother!

See Plagiarism Poster 

Some FAQs about Plagiarism

Here are some areas that particularly confuse many people. Now you know…

• Which type of citation should I use?
  Please use whichever style is requested by your teacher.  Most will ask for either APA or MLA.
  Should a teacher request a different style, he or she will specify the structure to use.  We usually use:
• APA -Sciences and social sciences (psychology, sociology)
• MLA - Liberal arts and humanities (literature, philosophy, arts)
  
  
• It is still plagiarism if you paraphrase. 
  You can't just use a few synonyms. Either change the idea or phrase into your own words, completely, or quote exactly as you find it. In either case you must cite the information because it wasn't your idea. The only difference is, if you use the exact phrase, you must put it into quotation marks. 
  
  
• Why reinvent the wheel? 
  Sure, someone may have said it better than you can. But your teacher wants to know what you think, in your own words. Use quotes or paraphrasing to support your ideas and thoughts. Don't use them as the actual essay or report.
  
  
• If you put something in quotes, then it's not plagiarism.
  Incorrect. You must still provide the source along with the quotation marks.
  
  
• It it's on the internet, it means anyone can use it. 
  Nope. The material is owned by the author of the website or the article and you much acknowledge it. If there is no author given, then use whatever information you can find, eg. name of the website.
  
  
• I'm a student so I can use what I want because of Fair Dealing.
  No, your teacher will still expect you to give sources. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and it's bad. Also, you are cheating yourself by taking the easy way out.
  
  
• I don't have to give a source for images, audio, movies, flyers, etc. 
  No, again. You do, unless you created the media. Would YOU want someone stealing your art or writing?

• Do I have to quote every bit of information!
  You do NOT have to quote something that is common knowledge or a well-known fact. If unsure, please speak to your teacher. 
  
  
• Can I take something I've written previously and rework it?
  Most schools will NOT let you do that. You must submit original material. You can quote a previous work in the same way as other authors. Self-plagiarism is considered academic fraud. Read more here:  https://en.writecheck.com/self-plagiarism or here: http://turnitin.com/en_us/resources/blog/421-general/2554-is-recycling-your-own-work-plagiarism
  
  
• Is there a tool that I can use?
  Easybib.com and http://citationmachine.net/index2.php  both useful.
  Google Docs can be used with Google Explore to research and cite sources. Go to Tools>Explore to access. 
  You can get the Easybib Citation Add-On to generate bibliographies (References or Works Cited).
•  

So what do I have to do to stay out of trouble?!?

1. You need to cite sources in the required format> How to Cite Sources
   
   
2. You may also need to get permission and/or pay for a resource, especially for commercial purposes.

EXTRA MATERIAL

Visit this site and go through the tutorial: 

http://library.acadiau.ca/sites/default/files/library/tutorials/plagiarism/

Other Writing & Citation Resources

• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/  - excellent resource for writing, research and citation!
• https://www.writecheck.com/static/resources.html
• http://www.plagiarism.org/

Plagiarism

View more presentations from Rebecca

  

http://www.slideshare.net/Rebaenrose/plagiarism-2093232