Avoiding Plagiarism
Fair use of someone else’s published information involves using the core of their ideas as the raw materials for an original piece of work on the same topic and acknowledging their contribution in a bibliography.
Plagiarism is the unacceptable act of using someone else's words and ideas as if they were all your own work.
Some examples of plagiarism are:
- Directly copying from an information source or another student's work, with or without a bibliography.
- Quoting, paraphrasing or summarising from an information source and not entering the details of that source in your bibliography.
- Using an Internet or software-based language translator to complete
a Languages assignment.
Students are sometimes unsure how to use the information they find in books and other resources in a fair and honest way, so here are some simple ways to avoid plagiarism:
- Think of information resources as providing the building blocks for a work you are going to create yourself.
- Do not copy complete sentences and paragraphs from information resources into your assignment. Analyse the information and combine the main concepts into your own original sentences and paragraphs.
- Make notes that summarise the information you read, then create your own sentences and paragraphs from your notes.
- Consult a number of resources and combine the information from these resources.
- Use dictionaries to give you an understanding of uncommon terms - do not simply copy these terms into your work.
- If you need to copy text word for word then enclose it in quotation
marks " " and reference the quote. Quote sparingly and usually
only when the idea cannot be expressed more clearly
than in the author's exact words.
- Always include a bibliography with your assignments. Your bibliography should clearly show which resources you used in the preparation of your assignment.
- Do not use online or software-based language translators to complete
Languages assignments.
Below are examples which show how information from a resource can be used incorrectly and correctly to create a paragraph in an assignment:
Example of plagiarism:
| Passage from the World Book Encyclopedia on Michael Faraday |
Michael Faraday (1791- 1867), one of the greatest English chemists and physicists, discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction in 1831. He found that moving a magnet through a coil of copper wire caused an electric current to flow in the wire. The electric generator and the electric motor are based on this principle. |
Sentences in an
assignment |
Michael Faraday lived from 1791- 1867 and was one of the greatest English chemists and physicists. Faraday discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction in 1831. He found that moving a magnet through a coil of copper wire caused an electric current to flow in the wire. The electric generator and the electric motor are based on this principle. |
The problem here is the direct copying from the World Book Encyclopedia. No attempt has been made to process the information and present it in the student's own words.
Example of correct procedure that avoids plagiarism:
| Passage from the World Book Encyclopedia on Michael Faraday |
Michael Faraday (1791- 1867), one of the greatest English chemists and physicists, discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction in 1831. He found that moving a magnet through a coil of copper wire caused an electric current to flow in the wire. The electric generator and the electric motor are based on this principle. |
Definition from the
Dictionary of Science |
Electromagnetic induction - one body with electric/magnetic properties produces a similar effect in another body without touching it |
| Notes |
Michael Faraday 1791-1867
English chemist/physicist - principle of electromagnetic induction - one body passes electric/magnetic properties to another without contact
Moving magnet through coil of copper wire - electricity flows through wire - electric generator/motor based on this principle |
Sentences in an
assignment |
Michael Faraday was the 19th Century English scientist who discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction. This principle relates to the ability of one body with electric or magnetic properties to produce similar effects in another body without physical contact. Faraday's discovery was very important to industry and society as it lead to the design of electric generators and motors. |
The student has made notes, has done some analysis of them and has defined the key term 'electromagnetic induction'. All the important information has been combined into sentences using the student's own words.
Terms that Students Should Know
Analyse - to break information down into its key
components in order to understand it and to recognise its relevance
to the set topic.
Bibliography - a correctly written list of all the
works consulted in preparation for writing an assignment.
Cite - to refer to an author or to a specific work.
Paraphrase - to examine information and put it into
your own words.
Quote/quotation - an author's phrases copied exactly,
word for word.
Reference - to acknowledge the source of an idea
at that point in the text of an assignment where the idea is introduced.
Reference list - a bibliography that includes only
those works that are referred to in the text of an assignment.
Summarise - to write down just the key parts of information.
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