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Plagiarism is the taking of another person's words OR ideas and not giving credit to that person (or work). It is a form of theft. Thus, an intentionally plagiarized paper will receive a zero, as well as further consequences. Some plagiarism, we know, is unintended, perhaps badly done paraphrases, for example. This section will explain how to quote sources properly as well as how to avoid quoting improperly.
You may certainly use other persons' words and thoughts in your research paper, but the borrowed material must not seem your own creation. Suppose, for example, you wanted to use the material from this essay on the environment by Rachel Carlson:
Bacterial infections sweep through their populations like the plagues of old;under the onset of a virus their hordes sicken and die.
If you write the following sentence without any documentation, you will have committed plagiarism:
Bacterial infections go through their populations like plagues, and once the virus hits, their hordes will get sick and die.
But if you cite the source and use more of your own words (for a paraphrase), you may present the material:
As Rachel Carlson stated, bacterial infections go through their populations,and once a virus hits, they all get sick and die (251).
Naturally, if you were using this source, you would, in accordance with MLA style, have a works-cited entry at the end of the paper.
Here is another example of plagiarism, EVEN WITH DOCUMENTING THE SOURCE! How does that happen? When you paraphrase or summarize a work's sentences or even a paragraph (or page!), you are putting the author's words into YOUR OWN WORDS. This is sometimes tricky. Of course, some words of the original will be included. BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE KEY PHRASES AND PRETEND THEY ARE YOURS. So don't do that.
Original source:
The predator and the preyed upon exist not alone, but as part of a vast web of life, all of which needs to be taken into account. Perhaps the opportunities for the more conventional types of biological control are greatest in the forests. The farmlands of modern agriculture are highly artificial, unlike anything nature every conceived. But the forests are a different world, much closer to natural environments. Here, with a minimum of help and a maximum of noninterference from man, nature can have her way, setting up all that wonderful and intricate system of checks and balances that protects the forest from undue damage by insects.
Plagiarized summary:
Those that prey and those preyed on don't exist alone, but are part of a vast web of life, all of which needs to be considered. Probably the chances for the more conventional types of biological control are most in the forests. The farmlands of today's agriculture are not natural, not like anything nature conceived. But the forests are different, much nearer to natural environments. Here, with just a little bit of help and lots of noninterference from man, nature can get her own way, establishing all that wonderful and intricate system of checks and balances that protects the forest from damaging insects (Carlson 254).
Notice that the sentences are constructed IN THE SAME WAY as the original. Only some words are changed, and generally not the key ones ("web of life," "conventional types of biological control" are two examples). Even though you gave credit for the IDEAS, you either needed to use quotation marks for much of this, or change it more completely to your own words.
A Proper Summary:
Both the prey and the preyed upon exist in a kind of complicated network, not in separate worlds, though the chances for common kinds of "biological control" (Carlson 254) are most prevalent in forests, which are more natural; farmlands are very unnatural. In forests, nature can reign supreme with almost no help from man, and the normal methods of protection from insects can flourish (Carlson 254).
Notice that the wording is SIGNIFICANTLY different than the original, and the one phrase that couldn't be altered well is kept and QUOTED. There are fewer sentences in this version also, than the original.
Paraphrasing and summarizing are skills, and, as such, must be practiced. We here at the Institute suggest doing three summaries EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BEDTIME. If that is not feasible, make sure your teacher is assigning work of this kind in class.
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