Defining Plagiarism (so you can avoid it)

Summary

Ruth Haller, an English instructor at Henry Ford College, emphasizes the importance of understanding plagiarism in academic writing. She defines it as using another's words or ideas without proper credit, which can have severe consequences. Haller clarifies that plagiarism can occur accidentally and outlines various forms, including direct copying, paraphrasing without citation, and submitting work done by others. She advises students to use quotation marks, provide citations, and consult instructors or the writing center to avoid academic dishonesty.

Takeaways

• 😀 Plagiarism is a serious issue in academic environments and can have significant consequences across various disciplines.
• 📚 The basic definition of plagiarism is using another person's words or ideas without proper credit.
• 🤔 Students often have a basic understanding of plagiarism but may not fully grasp its complexities and nuances.
• ❌ Even accidental plagiarism can result in the same penalties as intentional plagiarism, emphasizing the importance of understanding what constitutes plagiarism.
• ✏️ Failing to use quotation marks for directly copied text, even a single word, is considered plagiarism.
• 🔄 Paraphrasing or summarizing without proper citation is also plagiarism, as it involves using another's ideas without credit.
• 🔀 Merely rearranging words or slightly altering the structure of a sentence from a source without citation is still plagiarism.
• 📖 Omitting source documentation, even if the text is in quotation marks, is an incomplete citation and thus plagiarism.
• 📝 Submitting a works cited page without corresponding in-text citations is insufficient and can be considered plagiarism.
• 🚫 Inventing or misrepresenting sources is academic dishonesty and carries the same penalties as plagiarism.
• 📑 Submitting work that is not your own, including papers written or revised by someone else, is a clear case of plagiarism.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video script?

The primary focus of the video script is to educate students about the concept of plagiarism, its definition, and the various forms it can take, with the goal of helping them avoid it.

Who is the speaker in the video script?

The speaker in the video script is Ruth Haller, an English instructor at Henry Ford College.

What courses does Ruth Haller teach at Henry Ford College?

Ruth Haller teaches English 131 and English 132, both of which are writing and composition courses.

Why is the topic of plagiarism important according to the script?

The topic of plagiarism is important because it has significant consequences in college environments and across various disciplines and fields, and it is essential for students to understand to avoid academic dishonesty.

What is the basic definition of plagiarism provided by the Henry Ford College's English department?

The basic definition of plagiarism provided by the Henry Ford College's English department is 'the act of using another author's words or ideas without properly crediting him or her.'

Can plagiarism occur accidentally, and if so, what are the consequences?

Yes, plagiarism can occur accidentally, and students may not realize they are committing it. However, the consequences for accidental plagiarism are the same as for intentional plagiarism, emphasizing the importance of understanding what constitutes plagiarism.

What are some examples of plagiarism mentioned in the script?

Examples of plagiarism mentioned in the script include: failing to use quotation marks for copied words, using another's sentence structure or substance without credit, rearranging words from a source without proper citation, omitting source documentation, and submitting a paper written or revised by another person.

Why is it important to use quotation marks and citations when including someone else's words in your work?

Using quotation marks and citations is important to give proper credit to the original author and to clearly indicate which parts of the text are not your own work, thus avoiding plagiarism.

What is the significance of a works cited or references page in relation to plagiarism?

A works cited or references page is significant because it lists all the sources used in a paper, but it is not enough on its own to avoid plagiarism. Proper in-text citations are also necessary to link the quoted or summarized information back to the sources listed.

What advice does Ruth Haller give to students who are unsure about avoiding plagiarism?

Ruth Haller advises students to be proactive, ask their instructor for clarification, or consult a respondent at the virtual writing center before submitting their assignments to avoid plagiarism.

What are the consequences of academic dishonesty as discussed in the script?

The consequences of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, can be severe and are treated similarly across disciplines and institutions, often resulting in penalties that can affect a student's academic standing.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Plagiarism

Ruth Haller, an English instructor at Henry Ford College, introduces the topic of plagiarism in the context of college courses. She emphasizes the importance of understanding plagiarism due to its significant consequences in academic environments. Haller defines plagiarism as the act of using another author's words or ideas without proper attribution. She acknowledges that students often have a basic understanding of plagiarism but may not realize the complexity and various forms it can take, including accidental instances. Haller's goal is to help students avoid plagiarism by providing clear definitions and examples.

05:00

🚫 Examples of Plagiarism

The paragraph discusses various forms of plagiarism, including: 1) Failing to use quotation marks for directly copied words from published or online sources. 2) Using the same sentence structure or substance from another's text without credit. 3) Rearranging words, altering grammar, or revising a few words from a source without proper citation. 4) Omitting sources or parenthetical documentation for words or ideas that are not original. The paragraph also addresses the misconception that listing sources on a works cited page absolves one from in-text citation, which is incorrect. The importance of proper citation is emphasized to avoid plagiarism.

10:01

❌ Consequences of Plagiarism

This paragraph covers the consequences of plagiarism and academic dishonesty. It includes falsifying citations, such as inventing sources, and submitting work that is not one's own, including pre-written papers or assignments revised by another person. The paragraph stresses that academic dishonesty carries the same penalties as plagiarism. It advises students to be proactive in seeking help from instructors or writing centers and to avoid submitting assignments that are not their original work. The message is clear: plagiarism and academic dishonesty are serious offenses with severe consequences.

Keywords

💡Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the act of using another person's words, ideas, or work without proper attribution. It is a significant issue in academic environments and can lead to severe consequences. In the video, plagiarism is the central theme, with the instructor emphasizing its definition and the importance of avoiding it to maintain academic integrity. Examples from the script include using another author's words without crediting them, which is a direct form of plagiarism.

💡English 131 and English 132

These courses are writing and composition courses taught by the instructor at Henry Ford College. They are mentioned to set the context of the video, which is aimed at students who will be engaging in academic writing. The courses are where the concept of plagiarism is being discussed, indicating the relevance of understanding plagiarism to the students' coursework.

💡Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the foundation of honest scholarship and involves avoiding dishonest practices such as plagiarism. The video script underscores the importance of academic integrity by discussing the consequences of plagiarism and how to avoid it. It is a core value in the educational environment, and the instructor's goal is to help students maintain this integrity in their work.

💡Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are used in writing to indicate the exact words taken from another source. In the context of the video, the instructor explains that failing to use quotation marks around copied text is an example of plagiarism. This is a direct method of showing how students can inadvertently plagiarize if they do not correctly cite their sources.

💡Citation

Citation is the act of acknowledging the source of information used in one's work. The video emphasizes the importance of proper citation to avoid plagiarism. The instructor provides examples of how to correctly use citations, such as including the author's name and page number after a quote or paraphrased information, to give credit to the original source.

💡Works Cited Page

A works cited page is a list of sources used in a written work, typically found at the end of an essay or research paper. The video script mentions that having a works cited page is not enough to avoid plagiarism; in-text citations are also necessary to link the used information directly to the sources listed. This highlights the comprehensive approach needed to properly attribute sources.

💡Summarizing

Summarizing is the process of condensing the main points of a text into one's own words. The video explains that even when students summarize information from a source without directly copying, they must still provide credit to avoid plagiarism. This concept is crucial for students to understand how to paraphrase correctly and avoid unintentional plagiarism.

💡Falsifying Citations

Falsifying citations involves inventing or misrepresenting source information, which is considered academic dishonesty. In the video, the instructor warns against this practice, explaining that it carries the same consequences as plagiarism. This term is used to illustrate the severity of dishonesty in academic work and the importance of being truthful about one's sources.

💡Henry Ford College

Henry Ford College is the institution where the instructor teaches and where the video is set. The college's English department's definition of plagiarism is used in the video, providing context and authority to the discussion. The college serves as a real-world example of an academic environment where understanding plagiarism is essential.

💡Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty encompasses various actions that compromise the integrity of academic work, including plagiarism. The video script uses the term to describe behaviors like falsifying citations or submitting work written by someone else. The instructor emphasizes that academic dishonesty is taken seriously and can result in severe penalties, reinforcing the importance of ethical scholarship.

Highlights

Introduction to the importance of understanding plagiarism in academic writing.

Definition of plagiarism as using another author's words or ideas without proper credit.

The consequences of plagiarism in college and across various disciplines.

The goal of transparency in defining plagiarism to help students avoid it.

Students often have a basic understanding of plagiarism but may not grasp its full complexity.

Plagiarism can occur accidentally, leading to the same consequences as intentional acts.

The necessity of using quotation marks to identify copied words from published or internet sources.

Summarizing another's text without providing credit is still considered plagiarism.

The risk of plagiarism in using similar ideas from a source without proper citation.

Altering a few words in a sentence from a source without proper citation is plagiarism.

The importance of providing sources or parenthetical documentation for quoted or paraphrased content.

Submitting a works cited page without in-text citations is insufficient to avoid plagiarism.

Falsifying citations, such as inventing sources, is considered academic dishonesty with severe consequences.

Submitting a paper written or revised by another person as one's own is a form of plagiarism.

Advice on seeking help from instructors or the virtual writing center to avoid plagiarism.

Encouragement for students to be proactive in understanding and avoiding plagiarism.

Transcripts

hi everybody my name is ruth haller and

i am an english instructor

at henry ford college and i teach

english 131 and english 132 which are

both

writing and composition courses and one

of the things that i'd like to cover at

the beginning of the semester

is the topic of plagiarism

because it's an important one in the

college environment and it has uh

really significant consequences in most

english courses

and courses um throughout you know the

entire curriculum on campus

and in all sorts of departments um and

in different disciplines

and fields and since it has

you know such higher consequences in

some cases

i think it's only fair to really lay out

what's meant by plagiarism

so students can feel confident that

they're not doing it

um and and that we're just being very

transparent about what we mean by

plagiarism

um so this is called defining plagiarism

so you can avoid it that's our that's

our main goal here is to help you avoid

plagiarism

um so let's get started

um this is the idea that most students

come in

with about plagiarism they have some

basic understanding of the concept

um so i have this sentence in quotes

because it's actually the henry ford

college's

english department's uh

written definition of plagiarism it says

essentially plagiarism

is the act of using another author's

words or ideas without properly

crediting him or her

and so yeah that is uh the very basic

definition of plagiarism

but there's a lot that goes into this

actually it's more complicated than that

there's lots of ways in which plagiarism

could appear in your work sometimes

accidentally

a lot of times when i've had students

plagiarize and i you know bring it up to

them

uh they're they're completely boggled

they're confused

like what no i didn't cheat i'm not a

cheater you know

and uh i recognize that sometimes these

things happen

accidentally even if i've already kind

of explained throughout the semester

that

what they did you know unknowingly was

actually plagiarism

um and so there are still consequences

because it's something that i explain

um but i do recognize that students a

lot of times aren't

out to cheat or out to out to you know

fool their teacher

or whatever um but you know

even accidental plagiarism can warrant

the same consequences as intentional

plagiarism

so pay attention because examples i'm

going to bring

up to you all are very important and

will really help give you

a strong sense of what plagiarism can

entail

and again all these examples were um

written up by the english department at

henry ford college

um but but despite the fact that you

know our

english faculty came up with um these

different examples

they really apply again across the

college and even outside of the college

at other community colleges at other

universities and four-year colleges

across the country these are basic

academic honesty principles

that are the norm in higher education

okay so the first example plagiarism is

failing to use quotation marks to

identify words

sometimes even a single word copied

exactly as seen in the original from

published materials or internet sources

including blogs so what does that mean

well say you're writing a paper on like

music and culture

and um you see this line in an article

that you're reading online maybe it's

from a blog maybe it's just from a

general article or a news article or

magazine article or something like that

and the sentence is music is a universal

impulse that runs through all cultures

and you think yourself oh man i really

like that sentence i think it just

really embodies like my main point that

i'm trying to make but it says it in

like a really nice way

so you just put it in your paragraph and

that's what we have here

you begin your paragraph music is a

universal impulse that runs through all

cultures

and then you continue on in your own

words each society that has existed on

earth has created its own unique type of

music

whether it is instrumental music or

acapella rock or classical

chant or electronic people have always

felt the need to create and compose

music

so you might be thinking to yourself it

was just that first sentence that i took

word for word

from another source but the rest of it

is my writing so it's not a problem

right well actually it is a problem it's

still considered plagiarism even if it's

just that one sentence

it's not in quote marks in the paragraph

as you can see

there's no um credit given to the actual

author of the article

so that's problematic and that's what

makes this plagiarism

is that words are being taken directly

from another source without credit

being given to the author or any sort of

identification

of where these words that were taken

begin and end it's just kind of blended

together with your own writing

so that's plagiarism um another example

is using the sentence structure and or

substance from another's text without

providing credit

okay so this isn't even taking it word

for word necessarily

so for example let's say in the article

you've been reading about music you like

a lot of the main points but you don't

want to just plagiarize

right so you summarize the main points

of the article and put them into your

paper without citing the article

so even just summarizing the points from

another source and bringing them into

your paper without giving credit to that

source where you got the ideas from

still counts as plagiarism it might not

be word for

word but it's actually the ideas here

that are important that even taking

somebody else's ideas without giving

credit to the author

still counts as plagiarism um

so that's something to be aware of and

some students ask me like oh no

like you know what if i just had the

same thoughts as somebody else on the

internet you know

and then my teacher thinks that i played

your eyes but i really didn't all came

from my head

rarely do students get in trouble

for something like that usually if

there's gonna be an accusation of

plagiarism there's a

very clear link from

a student paper to a source on the

internet that's sort of like undeniable

um i've never had a problem with a

student being like no i really just came

up with this in my head

and me being like no it's plagiarism so

i wouldn't get too hung up on that sort

of point

but if you are taking an article and

putting it on your own

in your own words but you're still using

all those same ideas

and not giving credit to the original

source then yes

that is plagiarism okay another example

employing or in other words using

passages directly from sources while

only rearranging word order

altering grammar or revising a few words

so here's that original sentence music

is a universal impulse that runs through

all cultures

and you change the sentence to say music

is a worldwide instinct that can be

traced through all nations

right so you just kind of switched out a

few words here uh

universal became worldwide and impulse

became instinct and cultures became

nations or whatever so it kind of still

gives the same point as the original

sentence but in like a clunkier way

that maybe doesn't make as much sense as

the original sentence

this is something i actually see a lot

in plagiarism students

taking like a paragraph from an original

source

copying and pasting it into their own

papers and then just like changing the

words slightly

you know like trying to find synonyms or

words that mean the same thing sort of

switch or

switching them out um but again

that's uh that's an act of plagiarism

because you're taking somebody else's

work

and somebody else's ideas um kind of

like we saw in the last example

but just trying to like do a little

switcheroo and um

you know uh fool your your instructor

into thinking that you came up with the

idea yourself um so that's something to

definitely avoid oops i'm sorry

so um yeah here's just that sentence in

the context of the paragraph again

that's that's still wrong

right

all right example number four so

omitting which means leaving out the

sources or

parenthetical documentation for words or

ideas

right so the student is taking

a good step here right so we have that

sentence music is a universal impulse

that runs through all cultures

but now it's in quotation marks which is

great because what the quotation marks

is telling the reader

is that this sentence came from another

source

somebody else wrote this sentence it's a

great first step

however the student needs to follow

through

right and finish finish the citation by

actually

telling us where the source came from

giving credit to the author

through the use of some sort of

documentation or citation

right so giving the author's name

or you know giving the title of the book

or the article

or wherever it came from so the reader

has a reference here

and and so the original author is

getting the credit for writing the

sentence

right so again using the quote marks

really um good first step

but you need to do the second step too

which is actually providing the credit

and and giving um the author

recognition here okay

fifth example uh submitting a works

cited or references page that lists

sources which are not

cited parenthetically so a lot of times

students sort of feel like

well as long as i have a works cited

page right at the end of the paper that

lists

all the different um sources that i used

then no problem i've done my due

diligence and there's no plagiarism in

the paper but that's not actually true

um even if you list all the sources you

use in your essay

or your assignment on your works cited

page if you don't use an

actual in-text parenthetical citation

and that's what i have there with the

brown 45

brown would be the last name of the

author 45 would be the page number

that's a typical mla citation if you

don't use an

actual citation after you quote or

summarize from that source

it's still plagiarism right so it's

great to have

the works cited or the references page

but within the actual paper itself you

need to make sure

when you're using the source you're at

the same time

using a citation that connects that

quote

or that summarized information back to

the source on the works cited page right

it makes that link between the two

because that's why the works cited page

is there to begin with

okay so this next example is more of

like an academic dishonesty

um situation not so much plagiarism but

it has the same

consequences so falsifying citations

such as inventing or misrepresenting

sources

so say you need to incorporate five

sources into a project to meet the

project requirements and you only have

four

you're running out of time so the paper

is due in like an hour or something

so you just make one up including the

author information

title of the publication the year it was

published all that

right you're like well i need five i

only have four

let's just let's just make something up

make up a quote make up a source

i'm sure the instructor won't actually

check to see if it's real or not

right um this is academic dishonesty

even if you're not taking somebody

else's work and sort of copying it

into your own without giving credit

which is plagiarism academic dishonesty

has the same sorts of consequences and

penalties

so this situation would be handled in

the same manner as plagiarism

because you're just doing something

dishonest with with your academic work

and then the last example submitting as

one's own

a paper or an assignment written or

revised by another person

so there's lots of different places on

the internet where you can find

pre-written papers

there's lots of blogs which post like

student work from composition classes

and some of those papers might really be

similar to the ones that you're writing

for composition classes here at henry

ford

or you could you know sometimes students

have just somebody else write a paper

for them whether they pay somebody or

they have a friend or a sibling

or a parent you know all of these

are examples of academic dishonesty and

plagiarism because

you're taking somebody else's work but

putting your name at the top of

it and when you put your name at the top

you're basically saying i did this this

work belongs to me

um and if it doesn't belong to you then

it's plagiarism

right so um don't do that

that's a really like uh like major

example plagiarism that would have

really bad consequences

um but also this idea of revising

right um even just giving somebody a

paper and saying all right here's my

paper

make changes and make it better right if

you're not sitting next to that person

working on it together and you're coming

up with the majority of the content and

the majority of the changes even that

could be considered plagiarism

so it's good to work with somebody in

our virtual writing center

through henry ford college um with

revisions

or like you know any sort of peer review

you would do together in class or

getting drafts from

your instructors those are like

perfectly legit ways of doing revision

but just kind of sending your paper to

somebody you know and saying like hey

look at this and

i don't care make whatever changes you

want like that's sort of um

that's plagiarism okay when in doubt

ask your instructor consult a respondent

at the

virtual writing center here on campus

and don't wait

um until you've already turned in the

assignment be proactive

and even if you're nervous about asking

your instructor like oh they're gonna

think i'm stupid

um or they're gonna judge me no your

instructor will not

judge you before the assignment is due

but they might judge you after it's due

um

so be proactive and and ask

and hopefully this helps you think about

plagiarism a little more clearly