Writing Analytically, 6th Edition - Rosenwasser, David & Stephen, Jill [194]
Are there some kinds of information that I do not need to document?
Yes. Common knowledge and facts you can find in almost any encyclopedia or basic reference text generally don’t need to be documented (such as, John F. Kennedy became president of the United States in 1960). This distinction can get a little tricky because it isn’t always obvious what is and is not common knowledge. Often, you need to spend some time in a discipline before you discover what others take to be known to all. When in doubt, cite the source.
If I put the information from my sources into my own words, do I still need to include citations?
Yes. Sorry, but rewording someone else’s idea doesn’t make it your idea.
Paraphrasing is a useful activity because it helps you to better understand what you are reading, but paraphrases and summaries have to be documented and carefully distinguished from ideas and information you are representing as your own.
If I don’t actually know anything about the subject, is it okay to hand in a paper that is taken entirely from various sources?
It’s okay if (1) you document the borrowings and (2) the assignment called for summary. Properly documented summarizing is better than plagiarizing, but most assignments call for something more. Often comparing and contrasting your sources begins to give you ideas so that you can have something to contribute. If you’re really stumped, go see the professor.
You also reduce the risk of plagiarism if you consult sources after—not before—you have done some preliminary thinking on the subject. If you have become somewhat invested in your own thoughts on the matter, you will be able to use the sources in a more active way, in effect, making them part of a dialogue.
Is it plagiarism if I include things in my paper I thought of with another student or a member of my family?
Most academic behavior codes, under the category called “collusion,” allow for students’ cooperative efforts only with the explicit consent of the instructor.The same general rule goes for plagiarizing yourself—that is, for submitting the same paper in more than one class. If you have questions about what constitutes collusion in a particular class, be sure to ask your professor.
What about looking at secondary sources when my professor hasn’t asked me to? Is this a form of cheating?
It can be a form of cheating if the intent of the assignment was to get you to develop a particular kind of thinking skill. In this case, looking at others’ ideas may actually retard your learning process and leave you feeling that you couldn’t possibly learn to arrive at ideas on your own.
Professors usually look favorably on students who are willing to take the time to do extra reading on a subject, but it is essential that, even in class discussion, you make it clear that you have consulted outside sources. To conceal that fact is to present others’ ideas as your own. Even in class discussion, if you bring up an idea you picked up on the Internet, be sure to say so explicitly.
C. CITING SOURCES: Four Documentation Styles by Reference Librarian Kelly Cannon
The four most common styles of documentation are those established by:
the American Psychological Association (APA),
the Council of Science Editors (CSE),
the University Press of Chicago, and
the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Note: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries offer authoritative examples of basic citations of electronic and print resources in all four styles at http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/.
For citation examples not given at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries website, it is advisable to consult the various organizations’ printed manuals—Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition), the Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition),