Is it Plagiarism?: A Case Study
It is so important that we, as high school students, remain academically honest. Throughout our academic careers, we will be expected to correctly cite sources used in our work, but what exactly does that look like? How can we tell if our work has been plagiarized? Let's take a look at a case study to figure it out!
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| Image: Dopessays |
"Here is a definition of Middle English from C. Hugh Holman's A Handbook to Literature:
English as spoken and written in the period following the Norman Conquest and preceding the Modern English period beginning at the Renaissance. The dates most commonly given are 1100 to 1500, though both are approximate dates, as the Norman Conquest came in 1066 and some writings earlier than 1500 (e.g., Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur) may properly be called “modern” English.
Katrina, in her essay on Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales writes:
We know that Middle English refers to the type of English that people used in the time period after the Norman Conquest and coming before the Modern English age that begins with the Renaissance. We usually think of this age as spanning the time from 1100 to 1500, but these dates are only approximate because the Norman Conquest occurred in 1066 and there are pieces written before 1500, like Le Morte D'Arthur, that we consider to be modern." (Toolbox - U1A3)
Although the definition of plagiarism differs slightly depending on the source, the message is clear: plagiarism is the act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to the original author. According to Diana Hacker, this includes: ”failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words” (570).
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Take a look at this chart to help you identify plagiarism!
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| Image: Visually |
Katrina’s work is a definite example of plagiarism. Not only did she borrow words and ideas from C. Hugh Holman’s Handbook to Literature without a citation, but she also failed to use her own words when paraphrasing. You can see that Katrina played with the diction and rearranged the sentence structures; but in reality, many of the words were taken directly from Holman’s publication. Looking at how similar the language in the pieces is, I think Katrina would have been better off quoting the text instead.
Also, Katrina’s rebuttal to the accusation is quite unreasonable in my opinion. I understand that it can be hard to distinguish what is common knowledge and what is not, but introducing information with “We know that…” or “We usually think of…” does not make it a universally established fact. Purdue Online Writing Lab puts it this way: “Generally speaking, you can regard something as common knowledge if you find the same information undocumented in at least five credible sources. Additionally, it might be common knowledge if you think the information you're presenting is something your readers will already know or something that a person could easily find in general reference sources” (Stolley).
Although I was completely unfamiliar with the historical facts brought up in Katrina's passage, this alone does not give me enough reason to accuse her of plagiarism. In fact, it's Katrina's inclusion of Holman's exact ideas, dates and examples in her work that raises a red flag. From the organization of the paragraph to the example of Le Morte D'Arthur, the two passages are close to identical, and I don't think it's a coincidence.
Katrina may not have intended to plagiarize, but she did. Plagiarism doesn’t necessarily mean that a text was copied word for word; it is also considered plagiarism when an author steals an idea without giving credit to its source. Katrina undoubtedly made a mistake. Still, she should be given a chance to rewrite her essay using proper citations. To prevent a similar incident from happening in the future, the teacher should ensure that all students are clear on when citations are needed, and how they should be used in academic settings.
Plagiarism is not a joke; it is stealing! Always err on the side of caution when it comes to citing your sources and make sure you're giving credit to all of your sources.
Happy learning! :)
Plagiarism is not a joke; it is stealing! Always err on the side of caution when it comes to citing your sources and make sure you're giving credit to all of your sources.
Happy learning! :)
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Here is a famous example of plagiarism. Let me know what you think of this speech?
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“Did Melania Trump Plagiarize Michelle Obama's Speech?” Did Melania Trump Plagiarize Michelle Obama's Speech?, CNN, 19 July 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCS2N4nUu84.
Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's. 1998.
Stolley, Carl, et al. “Welcome to the Purdue OWL.” Purdue OWL: Avoiding Plagiarism, 13 Feb. 2013, 12:01:30, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/. Accessed Feb 21, 2018
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