Understanding Academic Writing and Honesty

Week 9: Referencing Correctly and Avoiding Plagiarism

• The topic of the week is referencing correctly and avoiding plagiarism.
• Academic writing relies heavily on the ideas of others.
• A substantial portion of a literature review (around 75%) often involves cited sources.
• The key element is the analysis and interpretation of those ideas.
• Students’ analysis and original contribution is paramount.
• The goal of academic writing is to demonstrate one's intellectual process through referencing.
• Referencing helps trace the origin of ideas.
• Plagiarism is the borrowing of other people's ideas without proper acknowledgment.
• Intentional or unintentional plagiarism is problematic in academic work.
• Ignorance of referencing principles isn't a valid defense against accusations of plagiarism.
• Poor academic habits such as last-minute assignment work significantly increase the risk of accidental plagiarism.
• To avoid plagiarism:
  • Understand the philosophy of referencing.
  • Properly cite all sources used.
  • Present ideas in one’s own words.

Questions for Week 9

• Why is citing a reference necessary?
• Define and provide 5 examples of "signal words."
• What are different citation styles, elements of referencing, and common reference styles specifically for engineering majors?
• What's the difference between quoting and paraphrasing?
• Describe the steps involved in effective paraphrasing.
• Identify common mistakes made in paraphrasing.

Academic Writing

• Academic writing builds upon the ideas from other scholars.
• A significant percentage of a literature review might consist of cited sources.
• The analysis and interpretation of existing ideas are crucial aspects of academic research.
• Students' analyses and original contributions are imperative.
• Academic writing involves demonstrating how one arrives at their interpretations.
• Proper evidence, in the form of references, strengthens academic arguments.

Using the Work of Others

• Develop informed opinions by building on the ideas of others.
• Transform others' work into one's own unique thinking and insights, rather than creating a summary.
• Summaries provide no original insights.
• The purpose of academic work is not simply to summarize existing material.

Referencing and Plagiarism

• Referencing involves demonstrating the origin of an idea and its integration into one's writing.
• Plagiarism involves borrowing other people's ideas and work without proper acknowledgment.
• Plagiarism also includes using someone else's work without giving them credit.

Overview

• Understanding plagiarism and how to avoid it.
• Mastering the philosophy of referencing.
• Proper citation and referencing techniques.
• Understanding paraphrasing and its elements.

Plagiarism

• Definitions of plagiarism: cheating, academic dishonesty, misconduct, intellectual property theft.
• Most plagiarism is accidental due to poor referencing styles and techniques.

Avoiding Plagiarism

• Most plagiarism arises from carelessness or laziness, such as working on assignments at the last minute.
• Copying and pasting from sources should be avoided.
• Notes should be taken in one's own words.

Referencing Terminology

• Citation: A short reference to a source within a text. Ex: (Socransky et al. 1994).
• Reference: A complete source listing. Ex: Socransky, S. S., Smith, C., Martin, L., Paster, B. J., Dewhirst, F. E. & Levin, Α.Ε. (1994) "Checkerboard" DNA-DNA hybridization. Biotechniques 17, 788–792.
• Bibliography: A list of works that were consulted but not necessarily cited within a text.

Referencing

• The foundation of academic writing involves referencing.
• Reframing how one thinks about referencing (focusing on crediting ideas).
• The purpose of referencing is to help plan and structure assignments.
• Prioritizing ideas before writing and taking notes on those ideas.

When Do We Cite a Reference?

• Cite when an idea isn't your own.
• Cite sources for data, arguments, logic, and opinions.
• Cite sources when a reader might ask "How do you know this?" .
• Cite when unsure, to confirm information.
• Common knowledge generally doesn't require citations.

What is Common Knowledge?

• Ask if you knew the idea before research.
• Ask if your peers would recognize the idea.
• Common knowledge is widely known, verifiable, and uncontroversial.

Citing

• In-text citations typically appear within or around a paraphrased segment. The placement can be active (in a sentence) or passive (at the end).
• Correctly referencing is essential to avoid plagiarism and effectively present academic work to peers and professionals.

Types of Citations & References

• In-text citations: Active and passive formats.
• Work of referencing: Information drawn from sources; includes quotation, summarization, and paraphrasing.
• Elements of referencing: Author, date, title, source.
• Common styles: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, and Vancouver among many.

Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

• Quoting: Using the exact words of a source.
• Paraphrasing: Restating the source’s content in different words; often used to synthesize several sources into an original idea.
• Summarizing: Condensing a source's key ideas. This is less common in critical writing.

When to Quote

• Use quotations when the source's exact words are crucial. This is often the case with policies, laws, or statements that hold specific meaning by themselves.
• Quotations are necessary for verbatim transcripts, or when needing an exact phrasing from specific documentation, reports, or policy documents.
• Quotations are also used for tables and figures that one wants to include verbatim.

How to Paraphrase

• Choose source material.
• Identify core ideas.
• Annotate the text with your insights.
• Outline your main ideas.
• Reread the original source to ensure accuracy.
• Evaluate changes and address concerns about plagiarism in your writing.

When are In-text References Required?

• Always provide in-text citations for direct quotes from any source.
• Citation is required when restating ideas in one's own words from a source.
• Citations are necessary in general overviews based on various articles or sources, including summaries of several articles.
• Citations are required when utilizing statistic data from research to support your argument
• Sources need not be cited for common knowledge.
• Citations are required when using an idea to explain the context of an assignment or give background to a question.

Conclusion

• Avoiding plagiarism centers on understanding referencing.
• Referencing is necessary for effective academic communication.
• Students should think in terms of ideas.
• Learn to reference and cite sources accurately via active or passive formats.
• Practice paraphrasing and summarizing.
• Plan one’s ideas and writing before constructing paragraphs.

Nộp Notebook

• Students are required to submit their notebooks according to specified guidelines (a link, filename format, and a specific due date). Failure to submit accurately will result in either a deduction or no credit for the work.

Further Instructions

• All questions should be answered when submitting your notebook.