Plagiarism1
Introduction
This section will define what plagiarism is, and what cheating actually is. It will help you to avoid plagiarism, in all of its forms. It will demonstrate why plagiarism is counter-productive to your work in constructing your dissertation. Remember: academic staff are usually very good at spotting what is and what is not your own work. Plagiarism is an academic crime and can carry severe penalties for you and your degree.
Cheating and plagiarism
Plagiarism and cheating are subjects that many students ask questions about (hence, it appears here!) and something that all students should be aware of. It is a range of mistakes that some people make, sometimes unintentionally, and sometimes deliberately.
Cheating comes in various forms but essentially it means trying to gain an unfair advantage over fellow students or attempting to deceive your tutor in coursework or examinations. It also includes falsifying data: this is when a student presents data which he or she claims was the result of a piece of research but was actually invented or taken from somewhere else.
The formal regulations governing cheating and plagiarism will be detailed in your departmental or institutional literature. You should consult these regulations to find out the specific definition of cheating and plagiarism for your institution.
Here is the definition of plagiarism which is used at Sheffield Hallam University:
Plagiarism: this is where someone tries to pass off another’s work, thoughts or ideas as their own, whether deliberately or unintentionally, without appropriate acknowledgement. Plagiarism can be:
- partial – where it relates to poor paraphrasing or the inclusion of several sentences of another’s work without appropriate acknowledgement
- complete – the substantial and unauthorised use of the work or ideas of another person without acknowledgement of the source, including work bought from another person
- self-plagiarism/duplication – copying work that was originally completed and submitted by the student and resubmitted for another purpose without acknowledgement
- collusion – where a student produces work with others without acknowledgement
(from "I didn’t know it was cheating!" An Introduction to Academic Integrity for Sheffield Hallam University Students)
YOU MUST ENSURE THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE IDEAS AND WORK OF OTHERS WHEN SUBMITTING COURSEWORK.
Examples of plagiarism
- The inclusion in your essay of a sentence or phrase (or more) from another person's work without the use of quotation marks and acknowledgement of the sources.
- The summarising of another person's work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without acknowledgement.
- The substantial and unauthorised use of ideas of another person without acknowledgement of the source.
Copying material in full or part from any of the following sources is considered as plagiarism:
- another student's work
- books
- magasines
- newspapers
- journals
- videos
- material on computer disks
- TV and radio programmes
- the Internet
- any other published source.
How to avoid plagiarism
You need to know and understand the regulations for your institution.
You should also aim to improve your study skills. When you are reading, get into the habit of noting down the exact source of what you have read. You need to include details of the following:
- author
- article or journal title
- book title
- page number
- publisher
- year of publication.
Keeping these detailed notes will save you a lot of time when it comes to preparing your bibliography. In the bibliography there is an accepted format for presenting those references. Most institutions will use the HARVARD referencing style (but do double check at your own institution). Here is an example of a bibliographic entry, presented in HARVARD:
BRYMAN, A. (2004). Social Research Methods. 2nd ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press
Quotation marks
When you use a quotation in your coursework make sure that you put it in inverted commas and, if it is a lengthy quotation, indent it so that it appears separate from your own words. When you paraphrase the words of someone else, you also need to acknowledge that source. Here are some examples of how you can do that:
- When you are presenting your references you should:
Include here all the references cited in the text. For the format of the References section you should follow whichever one is prescribed by your department. Nowadays, the format is usually a variation of the Harvard method (Bryman, 2004, p534) - Bryman asks you to consider whether you have ‘fully acknowledged the work of others so that you cannot be accused of plagiarism’ (Bryman, 2004, p535).
- Bryman (2004) offers a useful chapter on how to approach a research project.
Correct referencing or citing other sources is not just about avoiding allegations of plagiarism:
- Referencing gives authority to your work, supporting the point you are making or adding weight to your argument.
- It demonstrates your understanding of a particular issue; recognising the significance of other people's views increases that of your own.
- Properly referencing material in assignments can improve the overall quality of presentation as well as enhancing the content - but don't overdo it - consult your tutor for guidance.
IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT YOUR WORK AND ISSUES OF PLAGIARISM, TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Findings from our research
Sometimes a lack of understanding about how to reference can lead to you accidentally plagiarise. This was a real concern for the student that took part in a research project about plagiarism:
Show how you’ve become experienced in academic discourse, acknowledge sources and avoid plagiarism!
Summary
- Broadly speaking, cheating is the deliberate attempt by a student to gain an unfair advantage or to deceive their assessors.
- Plagiarism means that you fail to acknowledge the use of someone else's work or words in your own dissertation.
- Plagiarism can be accidental - that is why it is so dangerous.
- To avoid accusations of plagiarism, ALWAYS credit your sources. Keep a full bibliography and references.
- Use indentations and single line spacing for lengthy excerpts.
- Use quotation marks for phrases or ideas that are credited to others.
- Referencing lends your work authority, by showing off how much reading and research you have conducted.
- IF IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT REFERENCING, CONSULT WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR!!!!
Key Questions
- Have you footnoted all of your quotations?
- Have you given credit to the originators of the theories you have mentioned?
- Where do the things that you 'just know' actually come from?
- Is it clear when you are citing the work of others and when you are presenting your own views/conclusions?
- Are you over-using one author?
Further Reading
Here are the Sheffield Hallam Guides relating to cheating and referencing. You should check your own institution’s regulations and accepted style.
ASHWORTH, P.; BANNISTER, P. and THORNE, P. (1997). Guilty in Whose Eyes? University students’ perceptions of cheating and plagiarism in academic work and assessment. Studies in Higher Education, 22(2), 187-203
COTTERELL, S. (2003). The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke, Palgrave, chapter 6
PEARS, R. and SHIELDS, G. (2005). Cite Them Right: The Essential Guide to Referencing and Plagiarism. 5th ed., Newcastle-Upon Tyne, Pear Tree Books
REDMAN, P. (2006). Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. London, Sage, chapter 9
Web Resources
Plagiarism:
http://www.plagiarism.org/
Avoiding Plagiarism:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
Footnote
© 1. This information is adapted and reproduced with the permission of Dan Ellingworth, Sheffield Hallam University, 2004.
