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Plagiarism

Plagiarize: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own; use (a created production) without crediting the source.

"Plagiarize." Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 9th ed. 1989.

As more and more research materials become available on the Internet or on electronic databases, the temptation to plagiarize becomes greater. Students and researchers can easily cut and paste text from a website and insert it into their documents. Sometimes people are aware that they are plagiarizing, and do so without concern. Sometimes people are not aware that they are plagiarizing, and do so without proper instruction on how to cite other people's works. Whatever the situation, the aim of this pathfinder is to help students, teachers, and parents identify and prevent plagiarism, and to provide guidance on how to do research properly and ethically.

Identifying and Understanding Plagiarism:

• The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism
  Robert A. Harris, Pyrczak Pub., c2001
  Ideal for teachers, this book contains suggested lessons to educate students about plagiarism and to instruct them in proper citation techniques to avoid plagiarism. The book includes a terrific appendix, with resources such as a plagiarism attitude survey and quizzes on citing works and using sources.
• Student Cheating and Plagiarism in the Internet Era
  Ann Lathrop and Kathleen Foss, Libraries Unlimited, c2000
  Here is a book that is ideal for teachers, school librarians, and school administrators. It contains the latest research on cheating and plagiarism, suggested school policies on cheating and plagiarism, and methods for preventing cheating and plagiarism.
• Stolen Words: Forays into the Origins and Ravages of Plagiarism
  Thomas Mallon, Tickner & Fields, c1989
  This book offers a philosophical and historical look at plagiarism --- from the 18th to the 20th centuries ---- in the literary, academic and entertainment worlds.
• Copyright Basics and the Internet
  (server.remc12.k12.mi.us/lhslib/Copyright.htm)
  Margaret Lincoln, high school librarian at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, MI, created this website offering guidance on copyright issues. If you need help understanding the concept of "fair use" or want to know how to get permission to use copyrighted works, this is the website to use.
• Educator's Guide to Intellectual Property, Copyright, Plagiarism
  (lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/copyright)
  Graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Curriculum, Technology and Education Reform, developed this website as a great source for teachers, school administrators and school librarians regarding copyright and intellectual property. Highlights include a sample school district policy on fair use of educational media, and guidelines on using various forms of intellectual property --- from music to software.
• Plagiarism.org
  (www.plagiarism.org)
  Plagiarism.org is the companion site to Turnitin.com (see Anti-Plagiarism Tools below). Plagiarism.com gives the latest news and research on plagiarism.
• Web Miner
  (www.web-miner.com/plagiarism.htm)
  This site is probably one of the most comprehensive Internet resources on plagiarism. Sharon Stoerger created it for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You'll find links to articles on plagiarism, term paper mills, plagiarism case studies, and anti-plagiarism tools. This website is huge, but offers many perspectives on plagiarism ---- a great source for high school teachers and college instructors.
• Synthesis: Using the Work of Others
  (http://library.umf.maine.edu/plagiarism/)
  The University of Maine at Farmington Writing Center developed this plagiarism website to educate their students about various forms of plagiarism, how to avoid plagiarism in their schoolwork and about the concept of copyrighted works. Teachers and students will find this site very helpful in explaining how to quote, paraphrase and summarize research properly. Users can also test their knowledge of plagiarism and copyright by taking the interactive quizzes that are part of this site. This website is suited to college students and upper level high school students.
• Fairfield University - The Plagiarism Court: You Be the Judge
  (http://www.fairfield.edu/lib_plagiarismcourt.html)
  Fairfield University has developed this website to test students on their knowledge of plagiarism. Students can take the tutorial first, and learn about note taking, the proper use of quotes, and paraphrasing. Then, they can test their knowledge in the "Plagiarism Court," a quiz on the various forms of plagiarism. This website is appropriate for college students.

Preventing Plagiarism:

• Plagiarism, Prevention, Not Prosecution
  Adam Janowski, The Book Report,Sept/Oct 2002, p. 26
  Adam Janowski, a library media specialist at Naples High School in Naples, FL, offers some sound advice on how to prevent plagiarism and how to detect it. He also lists some websites that provide examples of proper citation techniques.
• The New Plagiarism: Seven Antidotes to Prevent Highway Robbery in an Electronic Age
  (www.fno.org/may98/cov98may.html)
  From Jamie MacKenzie's website, From Now On, May 1998
  Jamie MacKenzie, editor of From Now On --- The Educational Technology Journal, presents an approach to doing research that should prevent plagiarism. This article is suited to middle school or high school teachers.
• Plagiarism Stoppers: A Teacher's Guide
  (www.ncusd203.org/central/html/where/plagiarism_stoppers.html)
  Jane Sharka, from Naperville High School in Naperville, IL compiled this website. It is a one stop resource of websites that offer anti-plagiarism software, lists of research paper mills, and website evaluation activities.

Anti-Plagiarizing Tools (plagiarism detection software):

• Turnitin.com
  (www.turnitin.com)
  Want to check your research paper or your student's for signs of plagiarism? Set up an account on Turnitin.com and have your paper tested in an Originality Report. Dr. John Barrie, a professor at UC Berkeley, developed this web-based software in 1997. Many school districts and universities use it now. To learn more, try the Turnitin.com tour on the website.
• Glatt Plagiarism Screening Program
  (www.plagiarism.com)
  Dr. Barbara Glatt developed plagiarism detection software back in 1987. This program is not web-based, but you may order the CD-ROM disks via this website. There are also some instructional materials and a "self-detection" plagiarism section available on this website.

How To Do Research and Cite Works Properly:

• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
  Joseph Gibaldi, Modern Language Association of America, c1999
  This book serves as a guide to the research process, to grammar and punctuation standards and as a guide to proper citation formats --- for print and non-print resources.
• Electronic Style: A Guide To Citing Electronic Information
  Xia Li and Nancy B. Crane, Information Today, c1996
  How do I cite an article that came from the Internet, or someone's e-mail? This book guides researchers on proper citation form for online resources.
• 10 Steps in Writing the Research Paper
  Roberta H. Markman, Peter T. Markman, and Marie L. Waddell, Barron's, c2001
  This book outlines a ten-step process for writing a research paper, from forming a thesis, to taking notes, to writing proper citations.
• Point. Click. Think? As Students Rely on the Internet for Research, Teachers Try to Warn of the Web's Snares
  Laura Sessions Stepp, Washington Post, July 16, 2002, p. C01
  This Washington Post article provokes great thought and discussion on how students and researchers use the Internet for research --- how does "surfing the web" affect our research habits, and what do we really get from the Internet?
• Noodletools
  (www.noodletools.com)
  Can't remember how to format a proper bibliographic or website citation? Having trouble getting started with a research project? Let Noodletools show you how. Noodletools, created by Debbie Abilock, a school librarian, is a great resource for students, teachers, and parents. Try the free tools, like Quickcite to make sure you're using correct citation format for books, cd-roms, and other sources, or Noodlelinks, and Noodlequest, to help you with the research process.
• Website Evaluation, from the Tulare County School Libraries Website
  (http://www.tucolib.info/infolit/websiteevaluation.htm)
  How do I know if the websites I find in my research are reliable? How do I evaluate a website for reliability? Under "Reference," go to "website evaluation." Here are some links to resources for teachers instructing students on finding authoritative websites.

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