Course Guide: CMST 101 / 110
Understanding Plagiarism
Plagiarism is taking someone else's work and passing it off as your own. The university's Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities states that NKU student "will not lie, cheat, or plagiarize to gain an academic advantage over fellow students or avoid academic requirements." The code further states students will not commit plagiarism on any assignment, including work that involves the web or electronic resources.
Plagiarism Includes
- Direct copying from a source, even if it's a small portion, without providing a citation
- Paraphrasing (0r summarizing) a source without providing a citation
- Copying and remixing material from multiple sources without providing a citation
- Providing a citation at the end of your speech, but not indicating how the citation is connected to the information in your speech
- Reusing prior assignments and submitting them as "new"
Example
Consider what a speech would be like without proper acknowledgement.
A lack of citations leads to accusations of plagiarism. It is not enough to say "a famous researcher" or vaguely reference a group of people (doctors). It is important to attribute the individual voices represented in the conversation. It is also important to attribute facts (such as an increase or decrease in a phenomenon).
Poor Attribution
Social distancing was implemented across the United States in early 202 in response to a global pandemic. A famous research conducted a study during that time on mental health resources available online. This famous person found that the number of users accessing resources increased 150% during the time period. Doctors also reported more patients requesting treatment for mental health concerns in April and May 202, when compared to the same months the year prior.
Proper Attribution
Social distancing was implemented across the United States in early 2020 in response to a global pandemic Schlipp (2021) conducted a study during that time on mental health resources available online. Schlipp found that the number of users accessing resources increased 150% during the time period. In an interview, Dr. John Juniper (2020) reported more patients requesting treatment for mental health concerns in April and May 2020, when compared to the same months the year prior.
Using Proper Attribution
Now that we have looked at the concept of plagiarism and the importance of avoiding it, we will turn our attention to properly citing information sources.
There are three major citation styles in academic writing: APA, MLA, and Chicago styles. Your area of study will impact which of these you encounter. Regardless of the style, there are a couple key things to keep in mind:
- It is not necessary to memorize the rules of any style. This is what guides are for.
- It is more important to know when a citation is needed, which is consistent regardless of which style you are using.
When to Cite
A citation is used anytime you are integrating someone else's words or ideas. Citations are commonly used for:
- Direct quotations
- If you insert a direct quote from a source of any type (print, video, interview, etc.).
- Paraphrasing
- If you restate sentences or passages in your own words.
- Interviews
- If information from an interview is used, whether in-person, online, phone, etc.
- Images / Multimedia
- If you reuse an illustration, or any other visual or audio material.
- Data and statistics
- Any data such as percentages, counts, or charts and graphs.
When Not to Cite
Citations are NOT needed for material that is common knowledge. What is common knowledge?
According to Purdue OWL, material is common knowledge if it can be found undocumented in at least five credible sources.
For example, it is common knowledge that Franklin D. Roosevelt was president during WWII, and that Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere. In other words, if it a well-known fact the audience would likely already know, you do not need to provide a citation.
Unsure? Then it is best to provide a citation.
Purdue University. (n.d.). Common knowledge & attribution. Purdue Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/avoiding_plagiarism/common-knowledge_attribution.html
Synthesizing Information
Information synthesis is really the ultimate goal of being able to apply information. Once you have made sense of the information presented, you have to consider how one source compares to others and how the source supports (or does not support) your own ideas.
When synthesizing information from different sources for speeches, focus on the main ideas and always cite your sources.
Example:
According to research conducted by educational psychologists Wilcox and Baker (2016), students were most likely to plagiarize when stressed about other classes or already failing. Grant's (2018) dissertation research also supports this, showing a strong correlation between self-reported stress levels and rates of plagiarism among students. In an effort to reduce plagiarism, Wilcox and Baker (2016) suggested assigning research papers during the middle of the semester, rather than the end.
Synthesizing multiple authoritative sources together to support main points in your speech will add credibility. Even if sources have unrelated conclusions, consider how they might support each other. Sometimes, synthesizing sources together can show connections that tell a larger story.
Signaling the Use of Outside Sources
Signal phrases are short introductions to a quote, paraphrase, or summary. Use them to signal to the audience that you are presenting information from an outside source as you synthesize information in your speeches.
First, watch the following short video (3:52), then continue on to learn more.
How do we use signal phrases?
Signal phrases usually include the author's name but can also include the author's job title or background ("reporter for the Washington Post," "research ...," etc.) or the title of the source.
- Signal phrases typically come at the beginning of a sentence, but not always.
- Avoid monotony by varying both the language and placement of your signal phrases. For example:
- According to Maxwell and Hanson...
- As the 2017 IRS report indicates...
- Smith and Johnson state that...
- Some scholars have shown....
- Legal scholar Terrence Roberts offered a persuasive argument: "..."
- Choose a verb that is appropriate to the way you are using your source. Some examples may include:
- acknowledges
- adds
- affirms
- agrees
- answers
- argues
- asserts
- claims
- comments
- concedes
- confirms
- contends
- counters
- counterattacks
- declares
- defines
- denies
- disputes
- echoes
- endorses
- estimates
- finds
- grants
- illustrates
- implies
- insists
- mentions
- notes
- observes
- predicts
- proposes
- reasons
- recognizes
- recommends
- refutes
- rejects
- reports
- responds
- reveals
- speculates
- states
- suggests
- surmises
- warns
- writes
Example of a signal phrase introducing a quote:
The CEO of Lighthouse Consulting predicts "a year of exciting, challenging endeavors that will expand the company's horizons and stimulate growth throughout the company."
Example of a signal phrase introducing a paraphrase:
According to a recent survey from Pew Research Center, more than 50% of adults in the U.S. play video games, with 21% engaging in this activity on a daily basis.
Example of a signal phrase introducing a summary:
The nutritionists Young and Robinson propose in their 2010 study that an iron-fortified soy sauce is the solution to the anemia problem in the young women of rural China.
Why do we use them?
There are three important reasons to use signal phrases:
- To mark boundaries: Signal phrases mark boundaries between your words and the source's words. By marking the boundaries, you also provide a smooth transition for the audience between your words and the source.
- To emphasize the source: Signal phrases call attention to the author or source being used. Especially when giving a speech, the use of a relevant well-known author or source is important for the audience to know and can add authority to your information.
- To avoid plagiarism: All source material must be cited verbally, and signal phrases are one way to verbally cite a source -- however, additional written citations may be necessary for a speech, such as a bibliography.
Text adapted from A Writer's Reference with Writing in the Disciplines 7th ed. by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers.
Citation Guides & Tools
Remember that it is not necessary to memorize the rules of whichever citation format you are using. There are many helpful guides out there to give you a hand. Below are helpful recommendations, beginning with a couple citation generators followed by guides categorized by citation format.
Citation Generators
Citation generators are convenient, but far from perfect. If you decide to use a generator, or even the suggested citations from library databases or Google Scholar, you should always double check the format. That said, here are two citation generators that you might want to try:
Steely Library's Citation Builder
An automatic citation generator hosted by Steely Library. Simply insert the information and it will get you started on formatting the citation.
APA Style Guides
APA Style (website)
This is the official APA (American Psychological Association) online guide to APA style. It is easy to navigate and offers free examples to work from.
Excelsior College - APA Style Guide (website)
Excelsior provides a clean and easy-to-navigate guide to citation styles.
Purdue OWL - APA Style Guide (website)
Purdue OWL is a very comprehensive, and often recommended, resource for citation help.
The official guide to APA style (print)
Steely also has multiple in-library-use-only physical copies of the 7th edition APA style guide. Stop by the 3rd floor service desk to use a copy.
MLA Style Guides
Excelsior College - MLA Style Guide (website)
Excelsior provides a clean and easy-to-navigate guide to citation styles.
Purdue OWL - MLA Style Guide (website)
Purdue OWL is a very comprehensive, and often recommended, resource for citation help.
MLA Handbook (print)
If you prefer print, Steely has a copy of the MLA Handbook available for in-library-use. Stop by the 3rd floor service desk to use it.
