ENVB 222 St. Lawrence Ecosystems

“’Plagiarism’ means the representation of another’s work, published or unpublished, as one’s own” is the official definition that is used at McGill. Plagiarism is considered a form of intellectual theft and fraud. It involves using someone else's words or ideas and passing them off as your own by not providing credit, either deliberately or accidentally. However, it can also involve reusing your own work from a previous course, and passing it off as new work.

Plagiarism can include:

• Copying and pasting from a source without enclosing the text in quotation marks and providing a citation.
• Summarizing or rewording someone else's ideas without providing a citation.
• Reusing an assignment you submitted for a previous course.This is called self-plagiarism.
• Submitting an assignment completed by someone else.
• Collaborating on an assignment with a classmate or friend on an assignment meant to be completed individually.
• Writing a paper that strings together quote after quote or paraphrases, even if cited correctly. Your work must include your own original expression of ideas. To add originality to your assignment, include your own critical analysis, interpretation, and examples.
• Incorrect paraphrasing. When a paraphrase too closely resembles the original it is considered patchwriting. 

Plagiarism can be:

• accidental - accidental plagiarism happens when you are not sure when to cite, paraphrase or quote. This tutorial is meant to help you understand when you need to cite! 
• blatant - this type of plagiarism happens when you purposefully use another person's words and try to pass them off as your own.
• self - self plagiarism occurs when you reuse a paper you wrote in a previous semester for a different course. You must submit original, new work for each course!

Columbia College. (2020, April 7). Plagiarism tutorial. https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/plagiarism/whatisit

There are several reasons why plagiarism is taken seriously and many have to do with expectations for academic work in Canada.

1. Originality is important in academic writing

Academics try to add original contributions to human knowledge by finding gaps in research and by studying very specific topics in detail. As a student, you are not expected to make any big discoveries. However, a level of originality is still expected in your writing.

Incorporate originality into your work by:

• Analyzing the sources you use, rather than merely summarizing arguments 
• Presenting your ideas in a unique way, not copying the structure or pattern of a source's argument
• Coming up with your own examples to support a point
• Relating examples to your experiences

2. Questioning sources is expected, not a sign of disrespect

Perhaps you grew up learning that copying large portion's of an author's text was a sign of respect for an author's expertise. In Canada, this action would be considered disrespectful. Ideas are other people's work, and should be acknowledged through citations.

3. Critical analysis is important

Your assignments will require you to analyze ideas from multiple sources, draw connections between them, and come to your own conclusions. As you read sources, you should ask questions about the text, even if it is a source written by an expert.

4. Academic writing is an ongoing conversation

In academic writing, authors respond to and build on what others have said before them. By citing your sources, you demonstrate that you "listened" to the conversation before coming to your conclusions and also make it easier for your reader to learn more.

5. Academic dishonesty devalues everyone else's hard work

When one student unfairly cheats or plagiarizes and gets away with it:

• It devalues everyone else's hard work
• It means that not all graduates with the same grades did the same work or have the same skills
• Damages the reputation of the college because employers will realize that graduates of the college do not possess the skills that they should 

Columbia College. (2020, April 7). Plagiarism tutorial. https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/plagiarism/whatisit

There are 3 main ways you can incorporate citations in your writing. 

1. Summary

You summarise when you write a condensed version of the information written in a source. It covers the main points succinctly. 

2. Paraphrase

A paraphrase is when you write in your own words what someone else has said. It is not enough to change a few words for synonyms, you need to change the entire structure.

Original text: "The combination of the appearance of professional respect for scientific rigor coupled with professional contempt for scientifically rigorous behavior is toxic, a poison that infects more activities in North America than the few I have pointed out here.  It cripples foreign aid programs, pedagogy, and illegal-drug policies, and it promotes dubious and harmful medical treatment fads, nutrition and other lifestyle advice, and agricultural recommendations."

Bad paraphrase: 

When workers in any industry refuse to engage in scientific thinking, according to Jane Jacobs in her latest book Dark Age Ahead, they risk ruining international aid programming, education, and illegal-drug laws (p. 99).

When you paraphrase, the structure has to change. It is not enough to change a few words for synonyms (in red), it is actually plagiarism, even if you cite where you got the information. 

Good paraphrase:

Jacobs (2004) warns of many future problems for North Americans because of the unwillingness of workers in every industry to engage in scientific thinking that requires hypotheses, testing, and evidence.

3. Quote

 A quote is when you use the exact words of someone else. 

If you look at the chart below, there are a few examples of each with explanations.