Plagiarism
| Definition | Internet Copyright Infringement |
| At Oklahoma Christian | Is This Plagiarism? |
| Direct Quotations | Plagiarism Tutorial |
| Paraphrasing | Sources |
| Collaborative Work |
Definition:
Plagiarizing is presenting someone else's ideas as your own. The word plagiarism comes from the Latin word plagiarus, which means kidnapper.
- Using another’s work, word for word, without providing the source.
- Copying a report (full or partial)
from another student.
- Insufficiently paraphrase (or summarize) a paragraph without citing the source.
You do not plagiarize if you provide citations for all direct quotations and paraphrase, for borrowed ideas, and for facts that do not belong to general knowledge.
Oklahoma Christian University’s Statement of Academic Honesty:
Academic honesty is crucial in the work you do at Oklahoma Christian University. Unless specified otherwise, all of the assignments must be your own individual work. Please be very careful to avoid any form of cheating or plagiarism. The penalty for a first instance of any form of cheating or plagiarism is a “0” on the assignment. The penalty for a second instance is an “F” in the course. In each instance the offense will be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and to the Vice President of Student Services. If a student receives an “F” in two courses for cheating, he or she will be suspended from the university.
General Advice for Direct Quotations:
- Select carefully. Quotations should give weight to your argument.
- Be sure to integrate all ideas from other sources into our own discussion. Introduce direct quotations with your own words. After quoting, explain the significance of quotations.
- Avoid quoting more than is needed.
- Use direct quotations only when the author’s wording is necessary or particularly effective.
- To avoid unintentional failure to cite sources, include all citations information on notes and in your first draft.
- When taking notes, distinguish between paraphrases and direct quotations.
- When taking notes, note all the information needed for the citation
General Advice for Paraphrasing:
- Must document everything you borrow including information and ideas that are not considered general knowledge.
- Must indicate the source of any material readers might otherwise mistake for your own.
- If you have any doubts, cite the source.
General Advice for Collaborative Work:
- If roles were unequal or demarcated, state exactly who did what.
- If roles were merged and truly shared, equally acknowledge all concerned.
General Advice for Internet Copyright Infringement
- Materials on the Internet, like most printed works, are protected by copyright laws.
- Because of the ease of downloading and duplicating, many people believe the materials are free to be reproduced and distributed at will but this is incorrect.
- Read carefully any special instructions or restrictions specified in the document or at the site.
Is This Plagiarism?
Plagiarism Tutorial
To test your knowledge of plagiarism, try this tutorial
from the University Libraries at the University of Southern Mississippi:
http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/plag/plagiarismtutorial.php
Sources:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed.
New York: Modern Language Association of America. 1999: 30-34.
Hjorth, Linda Stevens. Claiming Your Victories: A Concise Guide to
College Success. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000:
134. Oklahoma Christian University Faculty Handbook, 2001.Please send comments or suggestions to library@oc.edu