TTU DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY:  ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SOURCES IN TERM PAPERS

PLAGIARISM: In a paper a student must show the source of factual data that is not generally known (the date of the Declaration of Independence is generally known) and acknowledge ANY expression or idea which is not his/her own. When students submit papers under their names, they are stating that the form and content of the essays, in whole and in part represent their own work and ideas, except where clear and specific reference is made to other sources. Even where there may be no conscious intention to deceive, the failure to make appropriate acknowledgment constitutes plagiarism.


GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SOURCES:

1. Quotations: ANY quotation--even of a phrase--must be placed in quotation marks and the precise source (author, title, place and date of publication, page or pages) cited in a footnote or in the text. It is not acceptable to omit the quotation marks and the precise acknowledgment merely because you have inserted your own ideas and phrases in a quotation or rearranged its order. Any sentences or phrases which are not your own must be set off by quotation marks and the source referred to specifically in a footnote or in the text.

2. Paraphrase: ANY material, which you paraphrase or summarize, must also be specifically acknowledged. A thorough rewording or rearrangement of an author's text does not release you from this responsibility. "Close paraphrases, where five or more words are used from the reference work without use of quotation marks, may constitute plagiarism." Occasionally students claim that they read a source long before they wrote their papers and have unwittingly duplicated some of its phrases or ideas: this is not a valid excuse, because it is your responsibility to take adequate notes so that you may record debts of phrasing or ideas where they are due. Nor is it acceptable to assume that you have fulfilled your obligation to acknowledge your sources simply by listing them in your bibliography or introduction. A specific use of someone else's work, whether by quotation or paraphrase, must be acknowledged by a specific reference in a footnote or in the text.

3. Ideas: ANY ideas which you borrow should also be specifically acknowledged in a footnote or in the text. This is the most difficult requirement to observe, because the distinction between an author's idea and your own use or elaboration of it is not always clear. Nevertheless, it is your responsibility to make this distinction to the best of your ability, by specifically acknowledging the sources of ideas which are not your own.

It has sometimes happened that a student in preparing an essay has consulted an essay or a body of notes on a similar subject by another student, either of his own or of a preceding class. In general, this practice is not desirable. A student should rather make it a point not to consult any materials of this sort. If, however, he has done so, he must state the fact and indicate clearly the nature and extent of his obligation. The name of the author of an essay so consulted should be given, and the student should be ready to show the essay to his instructor, if requested to do so. It has occasionally happened that a student has revised and rewritten for presentation an essay of his own, written in school or in an earlier year of college. This may sometimes be a useful exercise for him; but if he has done so, that fact should be clearly stated, and the earlier essay submitted together with the final version.

4. Bibliography: All the sources which you have consulted and found useful in the preparation of your essay or report should be listed in the bibliography.

EXAMPLE OF PLAGIARISM

To help prevent any misunderstanding, the following example of plagiarism is provided for your information. Portions which have been copied directly are capitalized and particularly close paraphrase has been underlined. Source: Penguin Classics edition of Voltaire's Candide, translated by John Butt.

Original Version: Ridiculous as it seemed to her, she was still in love with life, in spite of everything she had been through. And that was true of the rest. Even Martin, who comes as near as any character to speaking with Voltaire's voice, is resigned rather than dejected, and takes a cynical pleasure in bursting bubble after bubble of hope as it springs in Candide's breast . . . . He pays a visit to a noble Venetian, who has all that money can buy and yet disdains it all, 'You must admit,' says Candide to Martin, 'that there is the happiest man alive, because he is superior to all he possesses ' ; but Candide admits, when pressed, that it is an empty life where nothing gives pleasure.

(Mis)Use of Source: Even though it seemed ridiculous to the old woman herself, SHE WAS STILL In lOVE WITH LIFE. Martin, who can be said to be Voltaire's voice in the story, IS RESIGNED RATHER THAN DEJECTED AND TAKES great PLEASURE in smashing every ounce of hope Candide contracts. One good example of this is where Candide and Martin go to see Count Pococurante. This man is supposed to be worry-free, and Candide believes this. Martin is in his glory when the Count rips apart all the arts. Nevertheless, Candide says, "YOU MUST ADMIT THAT THERE IS THE HAPPIEST MAN ALIVE, BBCAUSE HE IS SUP8RIOR TO ALL HE POSSESSES."

Commentary: The student plagiarized his paper from the Introduction to Candide. He claimed that his work was not dishonest because he was drawing from the "book" on which he was reporting. In fact he was drawing from the introduction to the book and the ideas of John Butt, the translator. Very few words are copied, but he has relied completely on the ideas and examples of his source. The result is misrepresentation and thus plagiarism.

Notice that he has simply modified the phraseology to correspond to his own style of writing. He has changed Butt's wording ("and takes a cynical pleasure in bursting bubble after bubble of hope as it springs in Candide's breast") in an attempt to make it sound more natural ("and takes great pleasure in smashing every ounce of hope Candide contracts"). He has looked up the name of the "noble Venetian")" and changed the wording to "Count Pococurente."

Students must realize that such material must be acknowledged and that failure to give proper credit is dishonest. The writer of the paper was supposed to be recording his critical interpretation of Candide, but he has in fact simply repeated the ideas of John Butt.