Recognizing and avoiding plagiarism  (Page 2/3)

If you simply cannot figure out a different way of saying it, use quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting exactly. [Because few writers in science or engineering use quotations, generally preferring paraphrases, paraphrasing is a skill you must learn in those fields. In contrast, writers in the humanities often use quotations to illustrate key points, but they also paraphrase when exact wording is not essential.]

Always cite your source, whether for text, visuals, or ideas. If you cannot remember the source, you can’t use the information. Put citations in as you write your first draft so that you don’t have to go back later when identifying the source may be difficult.

In your text, make clear what the source is. Generally, it is a good idea to identify an author by name rather than by referring to a number in your bibliography, though this practice varies somewhat by field or by journal. In any case, try not use a reference number as a part of speech. Do not, for example, write that “[10] gives more compelling evidence than [98]provides.” Think of how time consuming it is for a reader to have to keep flipping to the bibliography to see who has said what. It would be preferable to write “Johnson (10) gives more compelling evidence than Dickerson (98) provides.” And then move to the evidence, clearly identifying the references as you discuss the evidence each author gives. [Whether you use square brackets or parentheses depends on the field or journal.]

Examples of citation within the text

CONFUSING: [10] and [15]were the next to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences.

CONFUSING: The first big improvement came in the work of [10].

CLEAR: Koninsky et al. and Rebert et al. were the next to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences (10, 15).

CLEAR: Koninsky et al. (10) and Rebert et al. (15) were the next to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences.

CLEAR: Smith and Wesson (2001) were the next to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences.

CLEAR: Research teams then began to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences (Smith and Wesson 2001).

CLEAR: Research teams then began to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences. (See, for example, Smith and Wesson 2001 and Rebert et al. 2004.)

RIGHT, but LESS CLEAR: Research teams then began to apply this algorithm to new genetic sequences. (See, e.g., 10, 15, and 22.)

For suggestions on how to avoid plagiarism and cite information, see Diana Hacker’s The Bedford Handbook, 7th ed. (2006), pp. 572-579; 698-790. She includes extensive examples of APA and Chicago style guides. I suggest, too, that you check the Web site for the book: www.dianahacker.com/bedhandbook for further information. Or go to other Web Site sources: Check Google for the APA Citation Style Guide or the Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide.

Examples of plagiarism and paraphrasing

The original text:

“The new Internet economy has brought about the development of competing search engine companies, each with its own proprietary software. Sites are collected and updated differently. After a search is conducted, one search engine provides exactly what’s required within the first ten hits whereas another is useless. Frequently there is tremendous overlap, although no two search engines are exactly alike. Since the outcome varies from search engine to search engine, researchers often find it necessary to use several engines for the same question for either the best or more comprehensive results.”