Avoiding Plagiarism

in Research
Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood
Department of Library and Information Science
University of the Punjab

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Plagiarism – Definition

 Taking and using the thoughts, writings,

and inventions of another person as one's
own

 Using someone’s ideas without citing or

quoting; thereby, receiving credit for
someone else’s intellectual effort

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How serious is the problem?
“A study of almost 4,500 students at 25 schools,
suggests cheating is . . . a significant problem in
high school - 74% of the respondents admitted to
one or more instances of serious test cheating
and 72% admitted to serious cheating on
written assignments. Over half of the
students admitted they have engaged in
some level of plagiarism on written
assignments using the Internet.”
Based on the research of Donald L. McCabe, Rutgers University
Source: “CIA Research.” Center for Academic Integrity, Duke University, 2003.

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Why is this a problem?
 For the student
 failure to achieve academic learning outcomes
 treated as academic misconduct
 For the teacher
 a waste of time
 For the institution
 threat to reputation and value of degrees
 Quality assurance, regulations, and legislative
context

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Forms of plagiarism

 Copying from a single source

 Copying from several sources

 Paraphrasing

 Collusion

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How to avoid plagiarism
 Use quotes for

 Information that comes directly from any

source

 Words, spoken or written, that you use directly

from another person

 Make sure you document the source

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How to avoid plagiarism
 Paraphrase

 Write the information in your own words, but

do not change its meaning or intention

 Because you are using someone else’s idea,

always mention the source even if you use
your own words

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Common knowledge
 Any information, fact, or statement that is
widespread and known by a variety of people is
considered common knowledge
 John Adams was the second president of USA
 The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7,
1941

 There is no need to give credit to information that

is of common knowledge

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When should I cite?

Is it your idea? Yes

NO

Is it common knowledge? Do not cite

No

Cite it!!
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Accidental plagiarism
Using words from another source without
indicating where they came from.

 Ways to avoid accidental plagiarism:

 Careful note taking
 A clear understanding of the rules for
quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
sources

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When in doubt, cite.

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Plagiarism detection software

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Penalties for teachers, researchers and staff
 Dismissal from service
 Demotion to the next lower grade
 Warning
 Freezing of research grants
 Promotions/annual increments of the offender may be
stopped
 University may debar the offender from sponsorship of
research funding, travel grant, supervision of Ph.D.
students, scholarship, fellowship or any other funded
program
 Offender may be “Black Listed” and may NOT be eligible for
employment in any academic / research organization
 Notification of “Black Listing” of the author may be
published in the print media or may be publicized on
different websites
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Penalties for students
 Expelled/ rusticated from the University and from joining
any institution of Higher Education in Pakistan
 Relegated to a lower class
 Given a failure grade in the subject
 Fined an amount
 Given a written warning if the offence is minor and is
committed for the first time
 Degree may be withdrawn
 Notification of plagiarism by the author may be published in
the print media or may be publicized on different websites
 University may debar the offender from sponsorship of
research funding, travel grant, scholarship, fellowship or
any other funded program

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Good luck

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