Plagiarism

How to Avoid Plagiarism
Avoiding Specific Plagiarism Pitfalls
Collaborating with Other Students
Using "Paper mills"
Making Multiple Submissions
English Language Support

---

What does plagiarism mean?

According to the Ryerson University Code of Academic Conduct , plagiarism means claiming the words, ideas, artistry, drawings, images or data of another person as if they were your own.

You are probably aware that purchasing an essay or having someone else write it for you constitutes plagiarism, but there are other forms of plagiarism that may not be so obvious. In University, you will often be required to use outside sources like websites, books, articles, and textbooks, but in your written work or oral, you must separate your ideas from those of others and properly cite your sources . Whether you are writing a research essay, a self-reflection paper, a lab report, a computer program, or an oral presentation you must always do your own work.

There are many different types of plagiarism, including:

• Copying and pasting material from a website
• Making minor changes to an author's words or style and then presenting the material as your own
• Taking text from published authors, your friend's paper, or work you've already handed in
• Using a direct quotation but leaving out the quotation marks
• Paraphrasing too closely to the original
• Failing to cite sources or citing them incorrectly such that the work cannot be properly found
• Working with another student on a project but failing to put both names on the final product
• Having someone else re-write or heavily edit your paper
  

---

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Avoiding Specific Plagiarism Pitfalls

Collaborating with Other Students

According to Ryerson's Student Code of Academic Conduct, working together when it is not assigned or permitted by the professor and then handing it in as if you did the work yourself is a form of plagiarism.

Some examples of this are:

• Working together to do graded homework

• Asking someone else to write or help write a paper

• Putting someone else's chart or graph in your graded assignment

Ways to avoid unauthorized collaboration include:

• Be clear about the expectations of your professor
  Some students say it is difficult at times to understand when they are supposed to work on assignments in a group or when they are supposed to work on their own. The best way to find out is to read the course outline. Here you can find specific instructions from the professor about the expectations and details of the assignment.

• Ask your professor or TA for more direction if you are still unclear
  You may feel intimidated approaching your professors for help outside of class, but this is part of their job. Professors have specific office hours during which they are usually available to see students. If you prepare yourself in advance, it can make the experience a little easier. Here are some tips:

While looking at the course outline, try to determine what you think is expected. Ask yourself some questions to gather your thoughts:

• What are the main parts of the assignment?

• What part (or parts) of the assignment is (are) unclear?

• Does it seem as if you are supposed to work with someone or work alone?

• Underline or highlight these parts of the course outline and bring it with you to speak with the professor or TA.

• Write down your questions or make notes in point form so you have something to refer to if necessary.

• Ask for examples to illustrate areas of difficulty.

When doing lab or studio work, if permission for collaboration is given, be certain that you understand which parts of the work you can do together and which parts must be done individually.

Using "Paper mills"

Ryerson's Student Code of Academic Conduct clearly states that "submitting stolen or purchased assignments or research" is a clear case of Academic Misconduct.

A number of websites market essays to students. Why not purchase your papers rather than writing them yourself?

• you don't learn anything from buying a paper

• purchasing an essay undermines the academic community that you are part of and is against University policy

• papers available on these sites are generally poorly written. You can produce far more interesting material on your own

Making Multiple Submissions

According to the Ryerson Academic Misconduct Policy, "submitting the same work, in whole or in part, for credit in two or more courses, or in the same course
more than once, without the prior written permission of the instructor(s)" is a form of academic misconduct. When submitting work to be graded, the university expects the work to be original and created by you for the purpose specified in the assignment.

If you are uncertain about if you can use a piece of work, clarify it with your professor!

English Language Support

Even when plagiarism is unintentional, you are still responsible for the offence and liable for its consequences. Therefore, it is in all students’ best interest to familiarize yourself with the rules governing plagiarism in order to be absolutely sure that you are not taking credit for material that is not fully your own. This can prove to be more challenging when English is not your first language or when you are from a culture that may not promote plagiarism as we define it in North America.

The purpose of any academic paper is to show your own thinking. Developing critical thinking skills by questioning and evaluating are intricate parts of North American academic culture. What and how sources are documented varies widely around the world. English as a Second Language students’ (ESL) need to become knowledgeable of North American documentation techniques.

The English Language Support is part of Student Services and offers students on-going help when their first academic language is not English. Visit http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/els/ for more information. This website provides resources specifically for ESL students. If students need more help with English Language Support programs or services, they are encouraged to make an appointment by contacting http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/els/contactus/

Some advice if English is not your first language (ESL)

1. Make sure that you understand the expectations of assignments early in the semester.

2. Remember that quoting should be done only sparingly; be sure that you have a good reason to include a direct quotation. In research papers , you should directly quote from a source:

   • To show that an authority supports your point;
   • To present a position or argument to critique or comment on;
   • To present a particularly well-stated passage whose meaning would be lost or changed if paraphrased or summarized.
3. Learn to paraphrase, or summarize, an author's viewpoint without resorting to direct quotations. You should summarize or paraphrase when what you want from the source is the idea expressed, and not the specific language used to express it. Remember, when paraphrasing, even though the words are yours, the idea belongs to someone else who must be given credit; failing to do so is plagiarism.
   

Steps for Paraphrasing

1. When reading a passage, try first to understand it as a whole, rather than pausing to write down specific ideas or phrases.
2. Think of what "your own words" would be if you were telling someone who is unfamiliar with your subject (your mother, your brother, a friend) what the original source said.
3. Look away from the source; then write the text in your own words.
4. Check back with the original text for accuracy and clarity.
5. Taking good notes is essential. Don't paste passages from WebPages into your draft. As you read any text - online or on the page - summarize useful points in your own words. If you record a phrase or sentence you might want to quote, put quotation marks around it in your notes to remind yourself that you are copying the author's exact words.
6. Expose yourself to academic writing. Read academic journals and you will soon get used to the ways writers in your field refer to their sources.

TOP