Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense and a violation of Eastern's Academic Honesty Code. Students are responsible for reading the Student Handbook for information on penalties and disciplinary hearings. This page describes information on plagiarism that is relevant to any of my courses. Students enrolled in my courses are responsible for reading and understanding the information on this page. If you have questions after you've read this page, ask me before you turn in an assignment. I will not excuse plagiarism of any sort because someone claims not to have known better - that's what this page is about.

If you plagiarize in my course, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment, I may give you a grade of "F" for the course, and I will write a formal academic complaint against you (see student handbook).

Plagiarism occurs when, in your writing, you present someone else's words as if they were your own. This may be deliberate, or it may be because you don't know how to cite sources. In either case, it is plagiarism.

One type of plagiarism is the exact copying of phrases from another source.
Another type of plagiarism is paraphrasing too closely the phrases from another source.
Another type of plagiarism is failing to include the proper source and citation in your paper after information and quotations from other sources.

Avoid all types of plagiarism.

Use the correct method for citing sources in psychology papers. When you present information that is neither general knowledge nor your opinion, cite the source.

Note that the information on this page describes the correct way to cite sources in the field of psychology. This method may not be correct for courses in other fields; you should always check with your instructor to find out how to cite sources in that course.

The first sentence is a general statement-- perhaps it is your opinion after you've read a number of sources on the topic. Therefore, it does not need a citation.

The second sentence refers to evidence from a paper that you've read. The sentence is written in your words, not copied or paraphrased from the authors. Therefore, as long as you cite the source to show where the information came from, you are not plagiarizing.

The citation allows the reader to find that source described in your reference list and look at it if they want more information. It also shows that you, as a student, know when to back up your statements with sources.

Note that, in psychology papers, page numbers from your sources are listed only if you use an exact quotation from that source (see Example B).

It is a good idea to photocopy a sample of a psychology article from an APA (American Psychological Association) journal at the library. Developmental Psychology is one such journal. Keep that article as a reference to see how they use citations in writing.

A recent study of infants' musical abilities found "hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing" (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998, p. 45).

In papers for my courses, use direct quotes sparingly. Your paper should be written by you. An overreliance on quotations takes away your control and voice as author. Frequent use of quotations detracts from the flow of your writing. If you look at a journal article in psychology, you will see that quotations are used infrequently.

A recent study of infants' musical abilities found hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998, p. 45).

This is because, in psychology papers, sources of ideas and information are cited even when the writing is in your own words (see Example A). The statements above would be presumed to be in your own words, but they are not -- the phrase "hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing" is from the article. Thus, these examples are examples of plagiarism.

Note that, because you did not use quotation marks, the statement is considered to be plagiarized even if you listed the page number from the source.

Distance yourself from the books or articles you are using when you write your paper. Take notes, but don't take notes in the author's or authors' exact words. If you do use their exact words in your notes, use quotation marks to remind yourself that those words are not your own, and note the page number on which those words were found.

You may find that your paper sounds less professional than the sources you are using. It should! You are writing as a student. You need to think and write about ideas from the books and articles you've read in a way that demonstrates that you understand those ideas. If that means that you present the ideas with less complexity and less jargon, that's fine. By avoiding plagiarism, you demonstrate that you understand the ideas in your paper. You make your writing your own and provide good flow in your voice as author. You also avoid the disciplinary penalties that follow from violations of the Academic Honesty Code.

		Avoiding plagiarism: Information for students in Prof. Balaban's courses

Plagiarism is a serious offense and a violation of Eastern's Academic Honesty Code. Students are responsible for reading the Student Handbook for information on penalties and disciplinary hearings. This page describes information on plagiarism that is relevant to any of my courses. Students enrolled in my courses are responsible for reading and understanding the information on this page. If you have questions after you've read this page, ask me before you turn in an assignment. I will not excuse plagiarism of any sort because someone claims not to have known better - that's what this page is about. If you plagiarize in my course, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment, I may give you a grade of "F" for the course, and I will write a formal academic complaint against you (see student handbook). Plagiarism occurs when, in your writing, you present someone else's words as if they were your own. This may be deliberate, or it may be because you don't know how to cite sources. In either case, it is plagiarism. One type of plagiarism is the exact copying of phrases from another source. Another type of plagiarism is paraphrasing too closely the phrases from another source. Another type of plagiarism is failing to include the proper source and citation in your paper after information and quotations from other sources. Avoid all types of plagiarism. Use the correct method for citing sources in psychology papers. When you present information that is neither general knowledge nor your opinion, cite the source. Note that the information on this page describes the correct way to cite sources in the field of psychology. This method may not be correct for courses in other fields; you should always check with your instructor to find out how to cite sources in that course. Example A Let's assume that you, a student, write the following sentences: The distinction between left-hemisphere processing and right-hemisphere processing in the brain is complex. Recent research indicates that infants show patterns of hemispheric specialization for musical processing (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998). The first sentence is a general statement-- perhaps it is your opinion after you've read a number of sources on the topic. Therefore, it does not need a citation. The second sentence refers to evidence from a paper that you've read. The sentence is written in your words, not copied or paraphrased from the authors. Therefore, as long as you cite the source to show where the information came from, you are not plagiarizing. The citation allows the reader to find that source described in your reference list and look at it if they want more information. It also shows that you, as a student, know when to back up your statements with sources. Note that, in psychology papers, page numbers from your sources are listed only if you use an exact quotation from that source (see Example B). It is a good idea to photocopy a sample of a psychology article from an APA (American Psychological Association) journal at the library. Developmental Psychology is one such journal. Keep that article as a reference to see how they use citations in writing. Example B If an exact quote is necessary to convey an idea, use quotation marks and give the proper citation: A recent study of infants' musical abilities found "hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing" (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998, p. 45). In papers for my courses, use direct quotes sparingly. Your paper should be written by you. An overreliance on quotations takes away your control and voice as author. Frequent use of quotations detracts from the flow of your writing. If you look at a journal article in psychology, you will see that quotations are used infrequently. Example C (an instance of plagiarism) Without the quotation marks, the following statements are plagiarized, even though the source is listed: A recent study of infants' musical abilities found hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998). A recent study of infants' musical abilities found hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998, p. 45). This is because, in psychology papers, sources of ideas and information are cited even when the writing is in your own words (see Example A). The statements above would be presumed to be in your own words, but they are not -- the phrase "hemispheric specialization for different components of auditory perceptual processing" is from the article. Thus, these examples are examples of plagiarism. Note that, because you did not use quotation marks, the statement is considered to be plagiarized even if you listed the page number from the source. Example D (another instance of plagiarism) The following statement is considered to be plagiarized because it paraphrases the authors' words too closely: A recent study of infants' musical abilities found that the brain's hemispheres were specialized for various parts of perceptual processing in audition (Balaban, Anderson, & Wisniewski, 1998). You cannot take phrases or sentences from another source and simply move around words or insert synonyms. More advice on how to avoid plagiarism in your writing Distance yourself from the books or articles you are using when you write your paper. Take notes, but don't take notes in the author's or authors' exact words. If you do use their exact words in your notes, use quotation marks to remind yourself that those words are not your own, and note the page number on which those words were found. You may find that your paper sounds less professional than the sources you are using. It should! You are writing as a student. You need to think and write about ideas from the books and articles you've read in a way that demonstrates that you understand those ideas. If that means that you present the ideas with less complexity and less jargon, that's fine. By avoiding plagiarism, you demonstrate that you understand the ideas in your paper. You make your writing your own and provide good flow in your voice as author. You also avoid the disciplinary penalties that follow from violations of the Academic Honesty Code.

I have read Prof. Balaban's web-site description of avoiding plagiarism and will follow those guidelines in writing all assignments for this course. Use (print or copy) this box if I've required that you turn in a copy of this page. Name (printed) ______________________________________ Course: PSY _____ Term_________ Name (signed)_______________________________________ Date_________

	GO TO Balaban Home Page Psychology Home Page