ACADEMIC WRITING:

WHAT AND HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

123rf.com Dr. Ni Komang Arie Suwastini

English Education Department
Faculty of Language and Arts
Ganesha University of Education
Startupbros.com

https://www.york.ac.uk/media/study/schoolsandcolleges/sixth-form-
resources/how-to-improve-your-academic-writing.pdf
 Outline

• Definition of Academic Writing

• Features of Academic Writing
• What to Write: Choose and Research
• How to Write: Structure
• How to Write: Avoiding Plagiarism
What is
an Academic Writing?

• Anything that you write for academic purposes: school

assignments, school project reports, college papers,
reports, thesis, articles submitted to teachers, lecturers,
journals, books, conference, etc.
 Definition of Academic Writing by USC (

“Academic writing refers to a particular style of

expression that researchers use to define the
intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and
their expertise.”

Retrieved from http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/

academicwriting, October 27, 2016
Features of Academic Writing by USC
• Formal and logical structure coherent and cohesive Oncharfeverati.freedns.org

• Neutral, unbiased tone

• Concrete words, specific meanings.
• Clear use of language: (semi) formal, no contractions (don’t, it’s,
hasn’t)
• Academic conventions: no plagiarism!
• Evidence-based arguments: understanding of the subject dictated by
scholarly sources.
• Thesis-driven: purpose and perspective of writing (to establish, to
prove, to disapprove, to compare…)
• Complexity: describing complex ideas as clearly as possible
• Higher-order thinking: cognitive process, comprehension, problem
solving, exposition of abstract ideas and concepts.
Retrieved from http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/academicwriting, October 27, 2016
 Features of Academic Writing
by UEFAP (Gillet, 2015)

• Complexity of grammar
• Formality of language, avoid:
– no colloquial expressions: stuff, sort of, a lot of, things, etc.
– abbreviated forms: don’t, can’t, ain’t
– two words verbs: dellay, not put off; expose, not bring up.
– sub-headings, numbering and bullet points
• Precision: 30 students, not the whole class; 14 days, not a couple of weeks
• Objectivity: facts before opinion; impersonal language, structure
• Explicitness: whose argument, similar or different, reasons
• Accuracy: academic terminologies of the fields.
• Hedging: your standpoint, based on sound arguments supported by
scholarly exposition.
• Responsibility: provide evidence of your claims and arguments.

Retrieved from http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm October 27, 2016

 Features of Academic Writing
by Duke University

• Avoid colloquial language: more formal language.

– Original: Group work can be problematic because a chain is only as strong as
its weakest link.
– Revised: Group work can be problematic when not everyone contributes
equally, causing the project’s quality to suffer.
• Omit contractions: do not versus don’t.
Use passive voice judiciously.
• Minimize the use of split infinitives: “to run quickly,” NOT “to quickly
run.”
• Provide page numbers so your readers can easily navigate through
your paper, should they desire.
• Use the citation style your professor prefers if your paper requires
citations
Retrieved from http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/index.html, October 27, 2016
 What to Write?
• WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT THIS TOPIC?
– 5w+H, context, historical and cultural influence
• WHAT SEEMS IMPORTANT TO ME ABOUT THIS TOPIC
– What point should I focus on? Why?
• HOW DOES THIS TOPIC RELATE TO OTHER THINGS
THAT I KNOW
 To help readers undertsand
• WHAT I DON’T KNOW ABOUT MY TOPIC?
– What do I need to know? How?

Retrieved from:
https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/Handouts/What%20is%20an%20Academic%20Paper.pdf
 How to make your topic academic:
• Summarize: highlight points that becomes the
focus of your writing
• Evaluate: read, understand, respond toward a
certain standard
• Analyze: form arguments by breaking the
whole into parts for closer examination and
more concrete examples
• Synthesize: find connections between ideas.

Retrieved from http://www.depts.washington.edu/owrc , October 27, 2016

 How to Write: The Structure

• IntroductionMain/bodyConclusion
Paragraph Short Essay Extended Essay Thesis Books

Topic Introductory Introduction: Chapter for Chapter for

Sentence Paragraph Rationale Introduction: Introduction
paragraphs + Headings for Rationale,
thesis paragraph problems, purpose

Supporting Body Disccussions Chapters for theoretical Chapters for

Sentences Paragraphs under headings, and empirical review, Discussions
a heading in methoodology, findings Or Book
several and discussion Chapters with
paragraphs extended essays

Concluding Concluding Concluding Concluding chapter Concluding

Sentence Paragraph paragraph(s) chapter
 PLAGIARISM:
WHEN YOU CANNOT PRETEND
YOU DO NOT KNOW THE RULES

Plagiarismchecker.net
 PLAGIARISM (Bailey, 2011)
• Taking ideas or words from a source without
giving credit (acknowledgement) to the author
• Is seen a a theft: an academic crime
 Why students should
avoid plagiarism (Bailey, 2011)
• Copying the work of others will not help you
develop your own understanding
• To show that you understand the rules of the
academic community
• Plagiarism is easily detected by teachers and
computer softwares
• It may lead to failing a course or even having
to leave college

writers.ae
 How to Quote Properly
(Bailey, 2011)
Lixiang935.wordpress.com

1. Summary and citation

2. Quotation and summary

 linked to a list of references at the end of the main text.

 What should be included in the reference?

AUTHOR DATE TITLE PLACE OF PUBLISHER

PUBLICATION
Bailey, S. (2011) Academic Writing. A Handbook Abingdon Routledge
for International Students. 3rd
Edition.

Adopted from Bailey (2011)

Some Example of Referencing Style
• APA (AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION): most used in social
sciences.
• MLA (Modern Language Association): most used in liberal arts and
humanities
• Harvard Referencing Style: author date referencing, no standard, need to
be very consistent when using it. See further
http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/OnlineLibrary/StudySkills/ReferenceStyles.aspx
?tab=tab1

• The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th edition, 2010.

• OSCOLA, by Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford: ,mostly used in law.
• IEEE: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) most used in
engineering disciplines. 

Retrieved from:
http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/OnlineLibrary/StudySkills/ReferenceStyles.aspx,
October 27, 2016
See Further http://www.citethisforme.com/guides
 APA
• Contributors' names (Last edited date). Title of
resource. Retrieved from http://Web address
for OWL resource
• Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K.,
Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., & Brizee, A.
(2010, May 5). General format.

See furtherhttp
://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
 MLA Referencing Style
The order of information of cited work:
• Author.
• Title of source.
• Title of container,
• Other contributors,
• Version,
• Number,
• Publisher,
• Publication date,
• Location.
SEE FURTHER:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/
747/01
/
 The Chicago Manual Style
Entries include: the author (or editor, compiler,
translator), title, and publication information.

See further
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/about16.
html

Retrieved from
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/, October
27, 2016
 Harvard Referencing Style
• The Harvard referencing style is an example of author-date referencing. The
Harvard style is very common and is used across most subjects.  
• With the Harvard system, when you cite someone else's work (by including a
quotation or by paraphrasing their work), you need to include the author's
last name and the date of publication in brackets after the citation in the
body of your paper. The full reference to the work is then included in an
alphabetic reference list or bibliography at the end of your paper.  
• There is no definitive form of Harvard referencing as there is no organisation
that sets standards for the style.
• Despite its name, the style is not linked to Harvard University. 
• As there is no standard, there are variations of the Harvard style.
• As with all referencing styles, it is important that you apply the version of
the Harvard style that you choose consistently.

http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/OnlineLibrary/StudySkills/ReferenceStyles.aspx
, October 27, 2016
 Avoiding Plagiarism (Bailey, 2011)
• Quotation should not be over-used
• Paraphrase and summarize to show that you
understand what you read, while you
acknowledge the author of your source.

– Paraphrase= substantially
different language, but the
same content.
– Summarizing: reduced
romana-kaml.at
volume, the same content
 Avoiding Plagiarism (Bailey 2016)
• What Bailey (2011) says:
“…[sic], so you must learn to paraphrase and summarize in order to
include others’ ideas in your work. This will demonstrate your
understanding of a text ..[sic],” (Bailey, 2011: 33)

• An alternative of how I quote Bailey (2011):

According to Bailey (2011), to avoid plagiarism, you should
paraphrase and summarize to show that you understand what
you read, while you acknowledge the author of your source.
• An alternative of how you quote me:
A student can avoid plagiarism by paraphrasing and summarizing to
acknowledge the source and to show the student’s understanding
toward the source that he/she has read (Bailey, 2011 in Suwastini, 2016)