In college courses, we are continually engaged with
other people's ideas: we read them in texts, hear them in lecture, discuss them
in class, and incorporate them into our own writing. As a result, it is very
important that we give credit where it is due. Plagiarism is using others' ideas
and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information.
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use
To help you recognize what plagiarism looks like and what strategies you can use to avoid it, select one of the following links or scroll down to the appropriate topic.
Here's the ORIGINAL text, from page 1 of Lizzie
Borden: A Case Book of Family and Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et
al.:
The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the population
were the three great developments of late nineteenth century American history.
As new, larger, steam-powered factories became a feature of the American
landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and
provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants. With industry came urbanization
the growth of large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the Bordens
lived) which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade.
Here's an UNACCEPTABLE paraphrase that is
plagiarism:
The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion
of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As
steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country,
they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large
wave of immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall
River where the Bordens lived which turned into centers of commerce and trade as
well as production.
The preceding passage is considered plagiarism for two reasons:
If you do either or both of these things, you
are plagiarizing.
NOTE: This paragraph is also problematic because it changes the sense
of several sentences (for example, "steam-driven companies" in sentence two
misses the original's emphasis on factories).
Here's an ACCEPTABLE
paraphrase:
Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of
northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered
production had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as
immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a
result, populations grew, and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of
these manufacturing and commercial centers (Williams 1).
Why is this passage acceptable?
This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:
Here's an example
of quotation and paraphrase used together, which is also ACCEPTABLE:
Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of
northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. As steam-powered
production shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, the demand for
workers "transformed farm hands into factory workers," and created jobs for
immigrants. In turn, growing populations increased the size of urban areas. Fall
River was one of these manufacturing hubs that were also "centers of commerce
and trade" (Williams 1)
Why is this passage acceptable?
This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:
1. Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text
especially when taking notes.
2. Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a few words.
Instead, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully; cover up the text with your hand, or close the text so you can't see any of it (and so aren't tempted to use the text as a "guide"). Write out the idea in your own words without peeking.
3. Check your paraphrase against the original
text to be sure you have not accidentally used the same phrases or words, and
that the information is accurate.
Common knowledge: facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to be known by a lot of people.
Example: John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1960.
This is generally known information. You do not
need to document this fact.
However, you must document facts that are not generally known and ideas that
interpret facts.
Example: According the American Family Leave Coalition's new book, Family Issues and Congress, President Bush's relationship with Congress has hindered family leave legislation (6).
The idea that "Bush's relationship with Congress has
hindered family leave legislation" is not a fact but an interpretation;
consequently, you need to cite your source.
Quotation: using someone's words. When you quote, place the passage you
are using in quotation marks, and document the source according to a standard
documentation style.
The following example uses the Modern Language Association's style:
Example: According to Peter S. Pritchard in USA Today, "Public schools need reform but they're irreplaceable in teaching all the nation's young" (14).
Paraphrase: using someone's ideas, but putting them in your own words. This is probably the skill you will use most when incorporating sources into your writing. Although you use your own words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source of the information.
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