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Computer Literacy 
 A District Graduation Requirement 

Definition  Examples   Guidelines   How to Avoid Plagiarism

What is it?  The Warriner’s High School Handbook defines Plagiarism as “ the use of another person’s words or ideas without acknowledging the source – is a serious, punishable offense, one you must always avoid” (443).  Whenever another person’s work is presented as your own, it is plagiarism.  It deceives both the readers of your research and the writing instructors.  Plagiarism is avoided by giving credit whenever it is due.
 
Examples of Plagiarism

1. Direct Quotation
   Original Source:  “Mostly, they were energetic and idealistic.  They were Jewish and Catholic and Protestant and Muslim and Buddhist.  They had skin tones that were chocolate and honey and peach and mustard.  They were male and female. None of that seemed to matter.  What did matter were the music and protests and ideas."
   Student Paper: “They were energetic and idealistic.  They were Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim and Buddhist.  Their skin tones were chocolate, honey, peach and mustard.  None of that mattered.  What mattered were music, protests and ideas.” (no quotations or citation)

2. Paraphrase
   Original Source:  “Kennedy decided he would run for president; there were many who believed he would win that prize.  And so he set out, giving speeches across the country.  Young people flocked to his side.  It was an uproarious campaign, filled with enthusiasm and fun…….. Bobbie had won the Democratic primaries in California and South Dakota."
   Student Paper:  “It was election time and the Kennedy said yea to the presidential race.  Many people throughout the country thought he could win the race.  Young people came from across the country to hear him speak……….”  (no citation)

Guidelines:  Warriner’s High School Handbook provides the following guidelines to use when documenting information from sources in your research paper:

• “Always document the source of a direct quotation.

• Document the sources of specific surveys, scientific experiments, public polls, and research studies.

• Document a new or unusual theory or opinion, or one held by a particular author, even if you present the author’s ideas in your own words.

• Document rare, unusual, or questionable facts or statistics especially if they appear in only one source. Usually it is not necessary to document facts or ideas that appear in several sources.  Do not document facts widely available in reference books (Cleopatra was a queen of Egypt) or commonly accepted theories (comets are composed of frozen gasses).

• If you do not know whether a particular fact is general or specialized knowledge, give its source.

Understand Plagiarism So You Can Avoid It!
Develop personal notes with your own ideas on a topic.  How do you feel about the issue.  Synthesize the ideas of the authorities with your own ideas.  Make the meaningful connections between your thoughts and facts and ideas from your sources.  Think your own thoughts!