Law & OrderLaw & OrderHow to Avoid PlagiarismHow to Avoid Plagiarism

&&

Write Winning EssaysWrite Winning Essays

© 2007 by Gian S. Pagnucci. All rights reserved.

Presentation GoalsPresentation Goals

Help improve your writingHelp improve your writing Help you avoid plagiarismHelp you avoid plagiarism Teach you some Teach you some “tricks”“tricks” of the trade to of the trade to

help you win your caseshelp you win your cases

What’s the key to writing What’s the key to writing winning essays?winning essays?

Put yourself on the casePut yourself on the case Build a strong caseBuild a strong case Get the jury on your sideGet the jury on your side ““Give ‘em that old Give ‘em that old razzle dazzlerazzle dazzle” (Richard ” (Richard

Gere’s as a lawyer in Gere’s as a lawyer in ChicagoChicago))

What is plagiarism?What is plagiarism?

Derived from the Latin word “plagiarius,” Derived from the Latin word “plagiarius,” meaning “to kidnap” meaning “to kidnap” (Woodward, 1997, p.138)(Woodward, 1997, p.138)

An avoidable mistakeAn avoidable mistake TheftTheft Waste of evidenceWaste of evidence

Choose Your Cases CarefullyChoose Your Cases Carefully

Pick a topic that interests youPick a topic that interests you Pick a topic built around a Pick a topic built around a Yes or NoYes or No

argumentargument Pick an “academic” topicPick an “academic” topic You can’t win every caseYou can’t win every case

Trick #1Trick #1

Pick the Pick the losinglosing side side

Plan Your CasePlan Your Case

What main points will get people to agree What main points will get people to agree with your side?with your side?

What counter arguments will the “defense” What counter arguments will the “defense” raise?raise?

Map out your argument planMap out your argument plan Avoid surprisesAvoid surprises

Trick #2Trick #2

Write a First Draft of your paper Write a First Draft of your paper BEFOREBEFORE you begin your researchyou begin your research

Research Your CaseResearch Your Case

Library research (academic journals)Library research (academic journals) Web articlesWeb articles Government web sitesGovernment web sites Electronic databases: ERIC (Educational Electronic databases: ERIC (Educational

Research International Clearinghouse)Research International Clearinghouse)

Trick #3Trick #3

Write out Write out full bibliographic entryfull bibliographic entry EVERY EVERY time you find ANYTHINGtime you find ANYTHING

Check out the booksCheck out the books Xerox the articlesXerox the articles Print out the web pagesPrint out the web pages

Evaluate Web EvidenceEvaluate Web Evidence

Who is providing the information?Who is providing the information? Why are they telling us?Why are they telling us? Why should we believe them?Why should we believe them? Does anyone Does anyone elseelse agree with them? agree with them?

Trick #4Trick #4

The The moremore sources, the better sources, the better

Revise Your CaseRevise Your Case

Decide where your evidence goes in your Decide where your evidence goes in your paperpaper

Use at least 3 experts for each main point Use at least 3 experts for each main point in your argumentin your argument

Save your Save your bestbest evidence for last evidence for last

The Three-StepThe Three-StepDocumentation MethodDocumentation Method

Introduce your sourceIntroduce your source Quote or paraphrase your sourceQuote or paraphrase your source Use a “coming away statement” to exit Use a “coming away statement” to exit

your source your source (McPherson, 2000, p. 1)(McPherson, 2000, p. 1)

Introduce Your SourceIntroduce Your Source Give the author’s nameGive the author’s name Mention author’s credentialsMention author’s credentials Link upcoming material to your referencesLink upcoming material to your references Examples:Examples: According to Edel Reilly, whenever there is a According to Edel Reilly, whenever there is a

possibility of a student suffering, teachers have the moral possibility of a student suffering, teachers have the moral obligation to intervene (30).obligation to intervene (30).

Edel Reilly contends that, whenever there is a possibility of Edel Reilly contends that, whenever there is a possibility of a student suffering, teachers have the moral obligation to a student suffering, teachers have the moral obligation to intervene (30).intervene (30).

Edel Reilly argues that if students are suffering, teachers Edel Reilly argues that if students are suffering, teachers must respond morally to that suffering: “The heart of must respond morally to that suffering: “The heart of teaching is working to understand all student needs, even teaching is working to understand all student needs, even those needs focused on emotional concerns from beyond those needs focused on emotional concerns from beyond the bounds of the classroom” (30).the bounds of the classroom” (30).

Quoting SourcesQuoting Sources

Use quotes sparingly because they tend to Use quotes sparingly because they tend to bore readersbore readers

Quote something Quote something memorablememorable or unique or unique Use “quotation marks” around an author’s Use “quotation marks” around an author’s

exact words, even for short phrasesexact words, even for short phrases Off set quotes four lines or longerOff set quotes four lines or longer Include page numbers for quotesInclude page numbers for quotes

Paraphrasing SourcesParaphrasing Sources

Restate someone else’s ideas using your own Restate someone else’s ideas using your own words (but mention to whom the words (but mention to whom the ideaidea belongs) belongs)

Use about the same length as the original Use about the same length as the original source, but don’t use the same wordssource, but don’t use the same words

Read several paragraphs of original source Read several paragraphs of original source before paraphrasing to gain distance from the before paraphrasing to gain distance from the authors’ own wordsauthors’ own words

Change the sentence structure of the original Change the sentence structure of the original text, not just a few wordstext, not just a few words

Use “quotation marks” around words you can’t Use “quotation marks” around words you can’t change change (Woodward, 1997, pp. 138-139)(Woodward, 1997, pp. 138-139)

Sample ParaphrasesSample Paraphrases Original TextOriginal Text

““Acknowledge the ideas, not just the words, of other Acknowledge the ideas, not just the words, of other writers. If you are stating an idea that is not commonly writers. If you are stating an idea that is not commonly accepted in a field, the author of the idea should be accepted in a field, the author of the idea should be identified” (Woodward, 1997, p. 139).identified” (Woodward, 1997, p. 139).

Inappropriate ParaphrasingInappropriate Paraphrasing Acknowledge the Acknowledge the conceptsconcepts, not just the , not just the languagelanguage, of other , of other

authorsauthors. If . If expressingexpressing a a conceptconcept not widely not widely acceptedaccepted in a in a field, the field, the writerwriter of the idea should be of the idea should be notednoted..

Effective ParaphrasingEffective Paraphrasing When you want to paraphrase, simply restate an author’s When you want to paraphrase, simply restate an author’s

ideas using your own words, but give the author credit for ideas using your own words, but give the author credit for the idea.the idea.

Make a Coming Away Make a Coming Away CommentComment

Restablish your own authoritative voiceRestablish your own authoritative voice Conclude paragraphs with your own thinking and Conclude paragraphs with your own thinking and

your own wordsyour own words Summarize paragraphs and offer closureSummarize paragraphs and offer closure Clarify where one source ends and the next Clarify where one source ends and the next

beginsbegins Keep you in charge of the paperKeep you in charge of the paper Example:Example: This view permeates all of Reilly’s This view permeates all of Reilly’s

thinking about how teachers and students thinking about how teachers and students should relate to one another.should relate to one another.

Revise Your Paper AgainRevise Your Paper Again

Add all sources using the 3 Step Add all sources using the 3 Step Documentation MethodDocumentation Method

Make sure you have handled Make sure you have handled countercounter argumentsarguments

Alphabetize references list based on the Alphabetize references list based on the sources you usedsources you used

Trick #5Trick #5

Open your case with a Open your case with a startlingstartling quote quote

Get Feedback on Your CaseGet Feedback on Your Case

ClassmatesClassmates FriendsFriends Writing CenterWriting Center ProfessorsProfessors

Revise Revise AgainAgain

Work in reviewer’s suggestionsWork in reviewer’s suggestions Read aloud to hear writing styleRead aloud to hear writing style Check for small errorsCheck for small errors

Trick #6Trick #6

LongerLonger papers usually get better grades papers usually get better grades

ReferencesReferences

Real SourcesReal Sources McPherson, Linda, 2000. “The Three-Step Method for McPherson, Linda, 2000. “The Three-Step Method for

Improving Documentation Style.” Indiana, PA: Indiana Improving Documentation Style.” Indiana, PA: Indiana University of Pennsylvania.University of Pennsylvania.

Woodward, Jeanette A., 1997. Woodward, Jeanette A., 1997. Writing Research Writing Research Papers. Investigating Resources in CyberspacePapers. Investigating Resources in Cyberspace. . Lincolnwood, Illinois: National Textbook Company.Lincolnwood, Illinois: National Textbook Company.

Fictional SourceFictional Source Reilly, Edel M., 2003. Reilly, Edel M., 2003. The Teacher’s LifeThe Teacher’s Life. Indiana, . Indiana,

PA: IUP Press.PA: IUP Press.

Good LuckGood Luck&&

Good WritingGood Writing Control the courtroomControl the courtroom: Remember, keep : Remember, keep

your own voice at the forefrontyour own voice at the forefront Take charge of your witnessesTake charge of your witnesses: Give : Give

other people credit for their words and other people credit for their words and ideasideas

Make your case air tightMake your case air tight: Support your : Support your own points with sources and undercut the own points with sources and undercut the counterargumentscounterarguments