Basic Concepts on Plagiarism and “Half-Copy” Plagiarism—AND Citation

How Citation and Quotation Marks Fits Together with Facts in Your Own Words and Facts in the Author’s Words

If You Are Confused about What Words in the Author’s Textbook Require Quotation Marks in Your Writing

If You Are Puzzled about Plagiarism or “Half-copy” Plagiarism Being Marked

If You Would Like Brain Trick to Succeed with Both 1) No Plagiarism or “Half-Copy” Plagiarism and 2) Quotation Changes Revealed Clearly

 

 

How Citation and Quotation Marks Fits Together with Facts in Your Own Words and Facts in the Author’s Words

If you use a fact in the author’s words, citation is not enough; you must also use quotation marks.


What are the rules for citation and use of quotation marks? The rules vary depending upon whether you are writing:

·         A fact from the source in your own words

·         A fact in the author’s words (in other words, you are quoting):

 

They have the same requirements for citation (although your professor may choose not to require citation for an assignment). They have different requirements for quotation marks.

 

What Kind of Fact Are You Using

Do You Need Citation (Page # etc.)?

Do You Need Quotation Marks (“”)?

A fact in your own words

Yes

No <Notice this.

A fact in the author’s words

Yes

Yes <Notice this.

 

Specifics about this course:

·         You must cite. If I do not recognize a fact as being from our source, then you must show me where it is in our source.

·         I do require quotation marks if you use the author’s words. In this course, you may not plagiarize or “half-copy” plagiarize.
You may however quote (and you can quote a lot), but you have to use the rules for quoting. If you want more tips, use this webpage. If you still have questions, please ask.

 

If You Are Confused about What Words in the Author’s Textbook Require Quotation Marks in Your Writing

These examples deal with whether you would need quotation marks on these four uses of an author’s words in a paragraph in your paper. What you do depends:

·         on what words the author wrote

·         on what words you want to write

 

What the Author Wrote

What Words You Want to Write

Do You Need Quotation Marks (“”)? and Why

the Mississippi River

the Mississippi River

No – Proper nouns (like Mississippi River) belong to all of us.

the green, roaring river

the river

No – Common nouns (like river) belong to all of us.

the green, roaring Mississippi River

the roaring Mississippi River

Yes

 

These are the author’s unique string of words so you identify his words them with “”—made larger below so you can see them:

Trade was harder because of the roaring Mississippi River.

 

roaring

Yes

 

This is the author’s labeling of a condition and it is easier to be clear by using the author’s word with “”— with the “” made larger below so you can see them:

 

The author explained that the roaringriver made trade more difficult.

 

If You Are Puzzled about Plagiarism or “Half-copy” Plagiarism Being Marked

Students are usually puzzled about the plagiarism or “half-plagiarism” marking because they lack some basic information. Here are the basics.

 

1.     The submission of a paper with words from an author without quotation marks can be the professor's evidence that you plagiarized.
Some professors may not notice, but some may call it plagiarism. Do not assume that past responses by professors guarantee what future professors will want.

2.     If you do this, some professors may label your work as “half-copy” plagiarism (term from The Bedford Handbook, page 692) if you:

·         Either copy an author’s phrases without quotation marks (“”)
A wise student of mine calls this “finger writing.” You have one finger on the page you are typing while you try to type. The problem for you is that typing along is passive reading (if it is reading at all). Passive reading means you will misread. You will have submitted on time--what an unwise student called “well, I made my quota of words.” You will look like you both “haff-copy” plagiarized and do not know what you are talking about. Further no boss will value your “quota” of meaningless words.

·         Or use the author’s sentence structure and just swap a few words with what you think are synonyms
A wise student of mine calls this “thesaurus writing.” The problem for you is If you don’t make yourself understand the meaning, then the words you choose from the thesaurus will be inaccurate and you will look like you both “haff-copy” plagiarized and do not know what you are talking about.

A short analogy to make this clearer: With plagiarism, you are reading passively. If the brain were a car, you are trying to ride in the passenger seat. No one is driving your brain car.

 

Caution about Plagiarism and “Half-copy” Plagiarism and Survival:

·         In my life, I never saw a safe decision made with anything but careful reading.

·         In my life in industry, I never saw a job that paid well for passive reading and “half-copy” plagiarism. I saw some people demoted to a lesser job because they did not read correctly.

·         In my life after returning to teaching in the community college, I have seen only 1 student who was in a field where she made a living copying words from one place to another.

 

 

If You Would Like Brain Trick to Succeed with Both 1) No Plagiarism or “Half-Copy” Plagiarism and 2) Quotation Changes Revealed Clearly

The rules for showing what you have taken out (…) of the author’s words or put in ([ ]) are complex and for most of us they are not worth learning.

 

This brain trick lets you be accurate but avoid learning those rules:

  1. Choose 3 to 6 words to quote and change nothing (not an ing or an ed, not a comma, nothing) between the first and the last word.

  2. Put a before the first word and a after the last word.

  3. Place those words with the “ ”within your sentence.

 

  1. If something sounds awkward about your sentences, then change your own words—the only words you have a right to change.

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2014

 

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2014

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/