Citing Your Writing: The Official Spartan Guide
Introduction
“In an attempt to contribute to an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect on our campus, I, as a student at Athens Academy, do solemnly pledge to uphold the school's motto, Excellence with Honor, by promising to respect the property, academic work, and individual rights of my fellow students, the faculty, and staff. I will maintain a personal code of honesty in my school life by which I shall not lie, I shall not cheat, I shall not steal, I shall not plagiarize the work of others, and I shall take appropriate action in the event I witness a violation. I make this pledge to signify my commitment to our honor system.”
Every year all Athens Academy students sign a formal document promising to follow the above pledge in their school lives. Every year, however, students break their pledge by committing plagiarism. Three out of four times a student is convicted by the Judiciary Board, he or she has committed plagiarism.
Do students plagiarize on purpose? Sometimes. We believe, however, that in their rush to meet a deadline, most students cross the confusing border between original work and plagiarism accidentally. Many realize their mistake only after turning in their work.
Our goal in writing this booklet is to make sure this never happens to you. This booklet explains what plagiarism is, how to avoiding it by citing sources, when to cite sources, and what to do if you find yourself in a bad situation. Use this booklet as a reference in addition to your teachers, friends, librarians, and Judiciary Board members. We’re all here to help.
Sincerely,
The 2012-2013 Judiciary Board
“In an attempt to contribute to an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect on our campus, I, as a student at Athens Academy, do solemnly pledge to uphold the school's motto, Excellence with Honor, by promising to respect the property, academic work, and individual rights of my fellow students, the faculty, and staff. I will maintain a personal code of honesty in my school life by which I shall not lie, I shall not cheat, I shall not steal, I shall not plagiarize the work of others, and I shall take appropriate action in the event I witness a violation. I make this pledge to signify my commitment to our honor system.”
Every year all Athens Academy students sign a formal document promising to follow the above pledge in their school lives. Every year, however, students break their pledge by committing plagiarism. Three out of four times a student is convicted by the Judiciary Board, he or she has committed plagiarism.
Do students plagiarize on purpose? Sometimes. We believe, however, that in their rush to meet a deadline, most students cross the confusing border between original work and plagiarism accidentally. Many realize their mistake only after turning in their work.
Our goal in writing this booklet is to make sure this never happens to you. This booklet explains what plagiarism is, how to avoiding it by citing sources, when to cite sources, and what to do if you find yourself in a bad situation. Use this booklet as a reference in addition to your teachers, friends, librarians, and Judiciary Board members. We’re all here to help.
Sincerely,
The 2012-2013 Judiciary Board
What Is Plagiarism?
The word “plagiarism” comes from a Latin verb meaning “to kidnap.” To plagiarize is to represent the words or ideas of another person without properly citing your source. Here are real-life examples:
- Cutting and pasting online text without citing the source
- Paraphrasing or rewording online text without citing the source
- Using another person’s drawings, charts, or data in an assignment or lab without citing the source
- Turning in a friend’s homework assignment as your own
- Using SparkNotes or CliffNotes
Choosing Your Style
Plagiarism is best avoided by properly citing your sources. You must cite the source of any other person’s sentences, phrases, pictures, graphs, or data that you have used in your work. Your teacher will require you to cite these sources using the MLA, APA, or Chicago styles. Each style is different.
MLA is used in Language Arts classes. It employs parenthetical citations within the paper to refer to a list of sources called the Works Cited page. Every entry in the Works Cited page must follow MLA format. Chicago is used in Humanities courses. It employs superscripts within the paper to refer to a footnote at the bottom of the page or an endnote at the end of the paper. Every entry in the footnotes or endnotes must follow Chicago format. APA is used in Social Science courses. All papers must include a title page and abstract. It uses superscripts within the paper to refer to your list of references at the end of the paper. Each reference should follow APA format.
To learn more about each style, talk with your teacher or refer to the Online Resources mentioned under "Tips for a Deadline."
MLA is used in Language Arts classes. It employs parenthetical citations within the paper to refer to a list of sources called the Works Cited page. Every entry in the Works Cited page must follow MLA format. Chicago is used in Humanities courses. It employs superscripts within the paper to refer to a footnote at the bottom of the page or an endnote at the end of the paper. Every entry in the footnotes or endnotes must follow Chicago format. APA is used in Social Science courses. All papers must include a title page and abstract. It uses superscripts within the paper to refer to your list of references at the end of the paper. Each reference should follow APA format.
To learn more about each style, talk with your teacher or refer to the Online Resources mentioned under "Tips for a Deadline."
Using Your Style
The hardest part of the citation process is deciding what sentences or phrases are your own and which are derived from a source and must be cited. It’s easy to decide if you can figure out whether the sentence or phrase in question is a direct quotation, a paraphrase, or an original work.
A Direct Quotation expresses another person’s ideas in his or her own words. All direct quotations must be cited and closed in quotation marks, whether the quote is a key word, a phrase, or a whole sentence. For example:
In Elizabethan England, belief in witchcraft was so common that it was “not only unpolite, but criminal to doubt it” (Johnson, 147).
A Paraphrase expresses another person’s ideas in your own words. Each paraphrase must be written entirely in your own words; simply switching the order of words or sentences within a direct quote does not make it a paraphrase. All paraphrases must be cited, but do not need to be closed in quotation marks. For example,
When viewing the supernatural in Shakespeare’s plays, we must remember that what looks merely spooky to a modern audience was terrifying to Elizabethans (Johnson, 147).
An Original Work expresses your own ideas in your own words. Original work does not need to be cited or put in quotation marks.
If you can’t decide whether a sentence or phrase is a direct quote, paraphrase, or original work, remember this simple rule: When in doubt, cite!
A Direct Quotation expresses another person’s ideas in his or her own words. All direct quotations must be cited and closed in quotation marks, whether the quote is a key word, a phrase, or a whole sentence. For example:
In Elizabethan England, belief in witchcraft was so common that it was “not only unpolite, but criminal to doubt it” (Johnson, 147).
A Paraphrase expresses another person’s ideas in your own words. Each paraphrase must be written entirely in your own words; simply switching the order of words or sentences within a direct quote does not make it a paraphrase. All paraphrases must be cited, but do not need to be closed in quotation marks. For example,
When viewing the supernatural in Shakespeare’s plays, we must remember that what looks merely spooky to a modern audience was terrifying to Elizabethans (Johnson, 147).
An Original Work expresses your own ideas in your own words. Original work does not need to be cited or put in quotation marks.
If you can’t decide whether a sentence or phrase is a direct quote, paraphrase, or original work, remember this simple rule: When in doubt, cite!
Tips for a Deadline
Most students who plagiarize do so for lack of time. Buried under homework assignments, extracurricular activities meetings or practices, and family obligations, they decide in a split-second to compromise their honor. We all feel the pressure of a time crunch sometimes.
Try these alternatives rather than compromising your honor:
· Turn in the assignment a day late (normally for a 10 point penalty).
· Talk with your teacher. Explain your situation and any extenuating circumstances; he or she may give you a deadline extension.
· Take a lower grade.
Follow these tips to help you avoid the time crunch and the temptation to plagiarize:
1. Don’t procrastinate until the day, night, or hour before a deadline.
2. Know exactly what sources and citation style each teacher expects you to use in his or her class. If you are not sure whether a written assignment will be covered by the Honor Statement and subject to plagiarism regulations, ASK YOUR TEACHER.
3. Remember Dr. Reid’s advice: “When in doubt – ask questions! You cannot be guilty of plagiarism until you submit the work for evaluation.”
4. Campus Resources
a. Your teacher
b. Knowledgeable friends, Judiciary Board members
c. The Media Center staff (especially Dr. Mandyck)
d. The Peer Editors in the Writing Center
5. Online Resources
a. Media Center Online Resources (NoodleBib, EasyBib, etc.):
b. Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Try these alternatives rather than compromising your honor:
· Turn in the assignment a day late (normally for a 10 point penalty).
· Talk with your teacher. Explain your situation and any extenuating circumstances; he or she may give you a deadline extension.
· Take a lower grade.
Follow these tips to help you avoid the time crunch and the temptation to plagiarize:
1. Don’t procrastinate until the day, night, or hour before a deadline.
2. Know exactly what sources and citation style each teacher expects you to use in his or her class. If you are not sure whether a written assignment will be covered by the Honor Statement and subject to plagiarism regulations, ASK YOUR TEACHER.
3. Remember Dr. Reid’s advice: “When in doubt – ask questions! You cannot be guilty of plagiarism until you submit the work for evaluation.”
4. Campus Resources
a. Your teacher
b. Knowledgeable friends, Judiciary Board members
c. The Media Center staff (especially Dr. Mandyck)
d. The Peer Editors in the Writing Center
5. Online Resources
a. Media Center Online Resources (NoodleBib, EasyBib, etc.):
b. Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Consequences of a Bad Choice
Plagiarism has serious consequences. After the decision has been reviewed by a faculty committee and by the Associate Headmaster, a student convicted by the Judiciary Board of plagiarism as a first offense will very likely receive the following consequences described in the School’s Policy Manual:
“A parent conference will be held immediately. The student will receive a grade of ‘0’ on any academic work involved with the option of making up the work up to a determined grade-usually 60%. The student will lose the privilege of representing the school for a determined number of days. The student will lose his or her student privileges for a determined number of days. The student will lose all elected or appointed representative positions. The student will receive in-school detention, at-home suspension, and/or community service requirements. Expulsion is left to the discretion of the headmaster.” A second or third offense will incur more severe consequences than those listed above.
These consequences are severe, so think ahead, and if you are tempted, think twice. Give yourself time to made a good decision.
“A parent conference will be held immediately. The student will receive a grade of ‘0’ on any academic work involved with the option of making up the work up to a determined grade-usually 60%. The student will lose the privilege of representing the school for a determined number of days. The student will lose his or her student privileges for a determined number of days. The student will lose all elected or appointed representative positions. The student will receive in-school detention, at-home suspension, and/or community service requirements. Expulsion is left to the discretion of the headmaster.” A second or third offense will incur more severe consequences than those listed above.
These consequences are severe, so think ahead, and if you are tempted, think twice. Give yourself time to made a good decision.
Special Thanks
I am so very grateful to the 2011-2012 Judiciary Board Members for their determination and efforts to keep this project alive over the last year. I am especially grateful to Daniel West, the project’s leader, Nick Brown, Karishma Sriram, and Torie Owers for their hard work. My thanks also go to our Media Specialist, Dr. Maura Mandyck, Department Heads Jeff Stachura, William Leonard, and Randy Reid, and several others who were so supportive and helpful in sharing information and ideas with the Judiciary Board.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Patterson
Faculty Advisor to the Judiciary Board
Sincerely,
Richard J. Patterson
Faculty Advisor to the Judiciary Board
This handbook was created by:
The 2011-2012 Judiciary Board Members
Project Leader: Daniel West, ‘12
Writing Committee: Karishma Sriram, ‘12, Nick Brown, ’12, and Torie Owers, ‘12
Project Leader: Daniel West, ‘12
Writing Committee: Karishma Sriram, ‘12, Nick Brown, ’12, and Torie Owers, ‘12
2012 - 2013 Judiciary Board Members
Student Body President & Judiciary Board Chair:
Houston Gaines
Seniors
Frank DuBose (4th year)
Perry Rupert (3rd year)
Alternate: MacKinsey Cole (3rd year)
Juniors
Shannon Hodgson (3rd year)
Rooshi Patel (3rd year)
Alternate: Nilu Vyas (3rd year)
Sophomores
Mary Glenn Dillard (2nd year)
William Leverett (2nd year)
Alternate: Rhea Chatterjee (2nd year)
Freshmen
Colin Murphy
Kayla Cherry
Alternate: Joanne Timberlake
Houston Gaines
Seniors
Frank DuBose (4th year)
Perry Rupert (3rd year)
Alternate: MacKinsey Cole (3rd year)
Juniors
Shannon Hodgson (3rd year)
Rooshi Patel (3rd year)
Alternate: Nilu Vyas (3rd year)
Sophomores
Mary Glenn Dillard (2nd year)
William Leverett (2nd year)
Alternate: Rhea Chatterjee (2nd year)
Freshmen
Colin Murphy
Kayla Cherry
Alternate: Joanne Timberlake