Program Summary
Taking someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment is called plagiarism, and people who participate in plagiarism are regarded as academic thieves. Plagiarism can be intentional, such as when a student downloads a research paper from a web site, or unintentional, such as when a student incorrectly documents a quote. Students can avoid plagiarism by following these key points while conducting research:
1. Organize time requirements and use good note-taking strategies Students should plan due dates for completing steps of a research process to avoid a last-minute panic. Notes should involve documenting source information on source cards, placing factual information taken from others on clearly-identified note cards, labeling print-outs and using graphic orga- nizers to organize thoughts and ideas.
2. Use quotes, paraphrases and summaries correctly A researcher needs to gather and use credible information to support a research project. Quotations give strong support to arguments and are placed within quotation marks. Paraphrases combine others’ ideas with your own, are a good way to avoid overusing quotations, and can present information in a student’s own voice. Summaries are used to gather infor- mation from one or many sources with similar ideas into a main idea and are much shorter in length than the original sources.
3. Use correct documentation and citation All source material, like quotes, paraphrases and summaries, needs to be documented using correct citation. Many schools use the MLA style of citation. All sources directly used in a research project, such as quotes and paraphrases, are cited using in-text documentation and placed on a “works cited” list. Other sources, such as summaries that have been used for back- ground knowledge, are cited on a “works consulted” list.
Students who follow these key points during the research process not only avoid plagiarism, but are regarded as having high academic integrity and are trusted in the academic world.
Vocabulary
The following words are included for teacher reference and for use with students to refresh and extend the subject matter in the show.
academic integrity — A quality or value of being honest and responsible in the educational world.
citation — A reference to the author of a given work which can include name, title, page number, publishing information and date.
common knowledge — General facts that do not have to be documented. For example, Lincoln was our 16th president.
graphic organizer — A visual way to organize information about a piece of writing. Flow-charts, outlines and concept maps are examples of graphic orga- nizers.
in-text (in-project, parenthetical) citation — A way to reference a source by giving immediate source information and authority without interrupting the flow of the project.
MLA (Modern Language Association) — An organization that provides guidelines for documenting and citing sources during a research project. This style is used in many high schools.The APA (American Psychological Association) is an example of another organization that provides citation guidelines.
paraphrase — To re-work the ideas, words, phrases and sentence structures of others and retell them in your own words. Sources used in paraphrases need to be documented.
plagiarize — To present the words and ideas of someone else as your own, without giving credit.
research process — The steps students take in research: asking good, focused questions; searching strategically; locating, evaluating, analyzing, syn- thesizing, and documenting information; and communicating new knowl- edge.
summarize — To combine the main ideas of one or several authors, using your own words, into a significantly shorter form. Sources used in summaries need to be documented.
quote —To speak or write the exact words of others. Quotes are written within quotation marks and need to be documented.
works cited list — A compilation of all sources used within a research project. All quotes and paraphrases are included on this list.
works consulted list — A compilation of all sources used in preparing a research project.These sources include summaries and background information.
Discussion Questions
1. What is plagiarism? What are the different kinds of plagiarism? What are some penalties for plagiarizing?
2. Discuss the use of source and note cards during the research process. How can you organize and label information on these cards to avoid plagiarism?
3. How can graphic organizers help you to avoid plagiarism?
4. What are the differences and similarities between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing? Give examples of each.
5. Discuss the sources that would appear on a “works cited” list and a “works consulted”list.What is the difference between these lists?
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