Avoiding Plagiarism

1. Avoiding Plagiarism Integrating Borrowed Information Using MLA Format

2. Objectives • Paraphrase and summarize material from a resource to use within your research paper. • Choose effective quotes from the source to illuminate your opinion. • Effectively integrate lines from the source into your own sentences as direct quotes.

3. How do I avoid plagiarizing?

4. You have options! • Summarize! • Paraphrase! • Use direct quotes! Important: Always give proper credit to sources for borrowed information and ideas!

5. How do I summarize borrowed information?

6. Summarizing Information • Condense information from a large paragraph. • Convey only the important points. • Written in your own words! • Must include parenthetical citation.

7. Sample summarizing • Original Source • “Upon arriving at the scene, investigators interview the fire crew that arrived at the fire first to find out where the fire was when they got there. Investigators then trace the progression of fire through the structure. ’It's a process of elimination where you determine where the fire did not start,’ Don Braziel says. He is an arson investigator. ‘[It's] working back to the seat of the fire’" (“Iowa”). • Summarized • When examining a fire scene, arson investigators must examine the fire’s growth and then exclude each potential fire source to establish the cause of a fire (“Iowa”).

8. How do I paraphrase borrowed information?

9. Paraphrasing Information • Similar to summarizing. • Putting a passage into your own words. • Your paraphrase should be of equal or shorter length than the original passage.  • Remember: a paraphrase is a complete rewriting, not just a rearrangement of the words.  • Must include parenthetical citation.

10. Sample paraphrasing • Original Source: • “The theory behind cryonics is that if you freeze a person, he or she can be revived eventually. The person would only be revived when a cure for a disease they may have has been found, or if there's a cure for old age.” (“Iowa”). • Paraphrased Passage • Cryonics involves freezing a person so they can be brought back to life after improvements to the quality of that person’s life have been discovered (“Iowa”).

11. How do I properly include direct quotes?

12. it is a particularly strong statement; you plan to explain and discuss the implications of the quote; it directly supports the main idea of the paragraph. Include a direct quotation if…

13. Key Points of Quoting Accurately • Use square brackets [ ] to make grammatical changes in a quotation • Change words or add words • Original statement from source: “Presents news stories and introduces in-depth videotaped segments.” • One would think that a newscaster spends a majority of his or her time “present[ing] news stories and introduc[ing] in-depth videotaped segments” (“Iowa”).

14. Key Points (continued) • Integrate a quote into your own sentence. • A direct quote cannot be an independent sentence • Hanging Quote (HQ) • “A newscaster presents new stories and introduces in-depth video segments” (“Iowa”). • Integrated quotation example • One would think that a newscaster spends a majority of his or her time “present[ing] news stories and introduc[ing] in-depth videotaped segments” (“Iowa”); however, a newscaster completes a multitude of tasks throughout the day.

15. Key Points (continued) • Quotes longer than four lines should be set off as an indented block • All lines two tabs in from left margin • Double-spaced • No quotation marks • Parenthetical citation follows period • Use this sparingly!!! • More than one quotation of this type is using borrowed material too much!

16. Key Points (continued) • Ellipsis Points • Used when part of a line is omitted • Original Quote: “Presents news stories and introduces in-depth video segments” (“Iowa”). • The general public may believe that a newscaster only “presents news stories and introduces…video segments” (“Iowa”).

17. Punctuation • None needed if quote flows seamlessly with sentence • Original statement from source: “Presents news stories and introduces in-depth videotaped segments.” • The general public may believe that a newscaster only “presents news stories and introduces…video segments” (“Iowa”).

18. Punctuation • Comma and Colon • Used only if grammatically required • Comma: dialogue-type quotation • Colon: complete sentence before and after quotation

19. Summary • Use direct quotes sparingly! • Too many shows lack of original thought • Impedes readability • One direct quote per paragraph • Integrate with your words • Punctuate correctly • Explain the significance/meaning of the quote if it is not obvious

20. How do I give credit to my sources?

21. Parenthetical Citations • Must be included for summarized, paraphrased or directly quoted material. • In parentheses after borrowed information. • Include source’s information • Refer to Works Cited Page entry • Book: (last name and relevant page number) • (Sheffield 4). • Others: first word from entry • (“Title”).

23. Practice • Summarize this information into one sentence with a parenthetical citation. • Select one relevant, direct-quote-worthy statement from the following information to properly integrate into an original sentence. • Working Conditions and Physical Demands for a Sociologist: People who do this job report that: • You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less. • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time • Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time  • Working in this career involves (physical activities): • Seeing clearly up close • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person