When essay writers use evidence from sources to support their arguments, it becomes necessary for the writers to acknowledge their dependence on that source material. This is necessary for several reasons:
To give proper credit to the original sources of material used
To allow readers to verify information used, especially when the subject is controversial or debatable
To assist readers to further research the subject
Different disciplines have their own ways of formatting documentation. Students entering a professional discipline should become familiar with the documentation style common to that discipline. At Chattanooga State, students in all English classes are required to format their papers in MLA (Modern Language Association) style.
Using Sources Incorrectly
Plagiarism means using another person's words, ideas, pictures, or data without acknowledging the source of the material. Plagiarism comes from the Latin term plagiarius meaning, "One who abducts the child of another." Plagiarism is a serious offense, both legally and academically. Plagiarism constitutes Academic Dishonesty as explained in the Chattanooga State Student Handbook and, as such, is an official Act of Misconduct. Sometimes students will plagiarize unintentionally; however, that may not excuse them from penalties, especially if students continue to make those mistakes after being cautioned against them.
Examples of plagiarism include
Using a phrase, sentence, paragraph, or passage written by someone else without enclosing the section in quotation marks and providing a citation for the source.
Using data collected by others without acknowledging the source with a proper citation
Listing conclusions from data that were made by others without acknowledging their source with a proper citation
Summarizing or paraphrasing material from another's work or speech without stating the source of the material and properly citing it
Turning in as one's own work an essay or research paper written by another person, whether purchased, given, or copied with or without the other's knowledge. This includes papers that are downloaded from an Internet site, copied from an electronic resource, or ordered from a provider of academic writings.
Inadvertently failing to place quotation marks around another's words
Leaving off a citation of the source of an idea from ignorance that such a citation is necessary
Failing to properly summarize or paraphrase a selection, therefore using many of the original words
Students must exercise caution when using sources and must use source material responsibly.
Deliberate Plagiarism
Deliberate plagiarism refers to the act of passing off as one's own work the work of another. The penalties for deliberate plagiarism tend to be severe and can range from failing the assignment, to failing the course, to being expelled from school. Please review the policy for this class.
Some examples of deliberate plagiarism include
Students who ask someone else to write their paper for them
Students who download a paper from the Internet (whether the paper is paid for or free) and submit it as their own work
Students who copy large sections of other sources into their papers as if they had written the material themselves
Students who recycle papers they have written for other classes (Many teachers, particularly in baccalaureate and higher programs, treat this as plagiarism).
Deliberate plagiarism is just plain cheating. Students in college are studying to become professionals in some field. Any student who plagiarizes a paper is not behaving ethically or professionally. This kind of behavior not only demeans the individual guilty of the behavior, but if that person is a professional, calls in question the ethics and professionalism of his or her entire professional community. It is this unethical behavior by a small minority that has so debased some professional fields that terms like "crooked politician," "dirty cop," and "sleazy lawyer" have become, in the public eye, the norm for these professions. A student’s professional character and reputation are being formed while in school. Students should carefully guard their character and reputation and not be tempted into tarnishing them, perhaps irrevocably.
Accidental Plagiarism
Accidental plagiarism occurs when students think they are using sources correctly, when in actuality they are not. Nearly all of these problems occur as a consequence of faulty note taking:
Highlighting instead of taking notes
It is very hard for writers not to plagiarize when they are looking at the original sources.
Neglecting to keep careful track of where information was taken
If students haves done a good job of research, by the time they are ready to write their papers, they will find that they know so many things about the topic that they can write their papers without referring to their notes. The problem is, they only know these things as a consequence of their research. Therefore, students must document the material. If students have not taken careful notes, they will not be able to identify the sources of their information. Any information or ideas that students haves read that they cannot document cannot be used in the research paper.
Copying characteristic phrases into the notes
Some words or phrases are so characteristic of the original writer that including them in a paper immediately makes the paper feel plagiarized. If students copies those phrases into their notes or into their papers, the papers will be plagiarized.
Paraphrases that are too close to the original
Re-writing a sentence from a source by substituting words using a thesaurus is still plagiarism.
Failing to include internal citations for everything the student read and not just for quotations
Some students only document words they have quoted. However, if students have read something and included it in their papers, even if they have re-written it in their own words, they must document it.