Malcolm Rivera
Plagiarism is a serious issue in academic writing. It involves presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own without proper acknowledgement or citation. This includes copying and pasting text or paraphrasing without attribution, as well as using ideas or language from another source without crediting the original author. Even if the information is obtained from a source without a clear author, such as an encyclopedia, it is still important to provide a citation to avoid plagiarism. While common knowledge, such as widely known facts, may not require a citation, it is always safer to cite when in doubt. In academic work, it is crucial to give credit where it is due and to properly distinguish between one's own ideas and those of others.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition of plagiarism | The act of presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own without proper acknowledgement or citation |
| Plagiarism and encyclopedias | Using a statistic obtained from an encyclopedia without citation may or may not constitute plagiarism, depending on whether the information is considered common knowledge |
| Common knowledge | Information that is widely known and easily accessible in multiple sources, e.g., "Paris is the capital of France" |
| Common knowledge and encyclopedias | Information obtained from an encyclopedia that is considered common knowledge does not require a citation |
| Academic consequences | Plagiarism is considered a serious offense and may lead to disciplinary action or academic penalties |
| Intentionality | Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional, but both are considered forms of plagiarism |
| Prevention | To avoid plagiarism, properly cite sources and acknowledge the work or ideas of others |
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What You'll Learn
Common knowledge
Plagiarism is a serious offence in academic writing. It involves taking credit for someone else's work, ideas or language, and passing it off as your own. This can be done by copying and pasting text, using someone else's ideas without citing them, or even re-using your own work without proper citation. Even if unintentional, using someone else's work without citation is still considered plagiarism.
To avoid plagiarism, it is crucial to cite and attribute sources correctly. This includes providing clear citations for direct quotations and paraphrases. It is also important to distinguish between your ideas and those of your sources.
Now, what constitutes "common knowledge"? Common knowledge refers to information that most educated people know or can easily find in an encyclopedia or dictionary. It includes basic knowledge specific to a discipline or field of study. For example, the statement "Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States" is a historical fact that cannot be disputed and does not require a citation. Similarly, in a health-related article, established principles such as tobacco being the leading cause of preventable death in the US are considered common knowledge within the medical field and do not require citation.
However, the concept of common knowledge varies by field and professional level. Detailed statistics, for instance, often require citation. When in doubt, it is always safer to cite your sources. As per the University of Oxford's guidance, even in tutorial essays that do not require footnotes and referencing, it is necessary to acknowledge your sources through in-text references.
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Citing sources
Plagiarism is a serious offence and can result in disciplinary action in academic institutions. It is defined as "the deliberate or reckless representation of another's words, thoughts, or ideas as one's own without attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise". In other words, taking credit for someone else's work without giving them proper acknowledgement.
To avoid plagiarism, it is crucial to properly cite and attribute sources. This means including a clear citation or quotation marks when using direct quotes and providing a citation when paraphrasing. It is also important to be vigilant about keeping track of sources and taking careful notes to distinguish between your ideas and those of your sources.
When deciding whether to cite a source, it is important to consider whether the information is common knowledge. Common knowledge is defined as "knowledge that most educated people know or can easily find in an encyclopedia or dictionary". For example, the statement "Paris is the capital of France" is a well-known fact that does not require a citation. However, detailed statistics or field-specific knowledge may need to be cited, even if they are easily accessible in an encyclopedia. When in doubt, it is always safer to cite the source.
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Disciplinary action
Plagiarism is a serious offence and is considered a breach of academic integrity. It is regarded as academic misconduct and can result in disciplinary action, including expulsion from the university. Disciplinary action is usually carried out by the university or institution's disciplinary committee, which investigates each case individually and decides on the appropriate punishment.
The disciplinary measures taken can vary depending on the severity of the plagiarism, whether it was intentional or not, and the student's academic record. Possible consequences include:
- A written warning: The student may receive a formal written warning, which is often the first step in the disciplinary process.
- Loss of marks or failure in the assignment or course: Depending on the extent of plagiarism, the student may receive a reduced grade or even a failing grade for the assignment or course.
- Suspension: The student may be temporarily suspended from the university for a specified period.
- Expulsion: In cases of severe or repeated plagiarism, the student may be permanently expelled from the university.
- Degree revocation: If plagiarism is discovered after a degree has been awarded, the university may revoke the student's degree.
To avoid plagiarism, it is crucial to always cite and acknowledge your sources. This includes direct quotations, paraphrasing, and even your own ideas if they are not common knowledge. Common knowledge refers to widely known facts that can be easily found in an encyclopedia or dictionary and do not require citation. However, if you are unsure, it is always better to cite your source. Additionally, try to develop your unique perspective by synthesizing information from various sources rather than simply stitching them together.
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Subtle plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of passing off someone else's work as your own. This is the most basic definition, but there are many different kinds of plagiarism. Subtle plagiarism, also known as mosaic or patchwork plagiarism, is a common type of plagiarism that can be easy to miss. It involves interweaving plagiarized work with the writer's original work. This can occur when a writer copies bits and pieces from a source, changing a few words here and there, without adequately paraphrasing or quoting directly. Even with good intentions, this can lead to confusion over where the writer's ideas end and the source's ideas begin.
To avoid subtle plagiarism, it is important to keep track of ideas from sources and understand how your own ideas differ. When paraphrasing, you must completely restate the ideas in your own words, rather than just changing a few words. It is also important to put away the source material while you write your paraphrase to ensure you are using your own language. Once you have rewritten the idea, you should compare it to the original to ensure accuracy and that you have not used the same words or sentence structure. If you use the author's exact words, be sure to put them in quotation marks and provide a citation.
Accidental plagiarism is another form of subtle plagiarism that occurs when a writer unintentionally plagiarizes another's work. This can happen when a writer fails to cite sources, does not use quotation marks for cited material, or makes mistakes in citations. It is important to note that even common knowledge, such as widely known facts, may require citation depending on the academic field and context. For example, while it is common knowledge that Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, a health sciences student citing tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in the US would need to cite the source of this information.
In academic writing, it is considered plagiarism to use ideas or language from another source without proper credit, regardless of whether it is a published author, another student, or a website without clear authorship. This includes information from encyclopedias. Therefore, using a statistic obtained from an encyclopedia without citation would constitute plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, always keep track of your sources, understand the ideas you are using, and give proper credit to the authors of your sources.
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Mosaic plagiarism
Using a statistic obtained from an encyclopedia without proper citation may constitute plagiarism. While common knowledge need not be cited, the concept varies by field and professional level. When in doubt, it is always safer to cite.
To avoid mosaic plagiarism, students must learn to cite their sources accurately and take careful notes during research. They should also develop good scholarly habits, such as using a formal citation style and demonstrating their argument's development. Additionally, educators can play a role in detecting mosaic plagiarism by being familiar with existing literature and recognising a student's skill level. Similarity-checking tools can also be used to flag possible cases.
In summary, mosaic plagiarism is a serious form of academic misconduct that undermines the integrity of student work. It involves borrowing and manipulating phrases from multiple sources without proper attribution. To prevent it, students must develop good scholarly habits, including accurate citation and note-taking practices.
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Frequently asked questions
It depends. If the statistic is considered common knowledge, then it is not necessary to cite the source. However, if it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source to avoid committing plagiarism.
Common knowledge is defined as "knowledge that most educated people know or can easily find out from an encyclopedia or dictionary". Common knowledge may differ depending on the field and professional level. For example, the statement "Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States" is a historical fact that cannot be disputed and is considered common knowledge.
To avoid plagiarism, it is crucial to properly cite and attribute your sources. This includes giving credit to the original author and providing a clear citation, either by placing the source material in quotation marks or by paraphrasing.
