5+Copyright

5 Copyright DON’T PLAGIARIZE “You Quote It, You Note It!” ( [] ) addresses the necessity for proper research techniques including starting early and finding good resources; paraphrasing, quoting, and the how’s and why’s of each; citation requirements for different situations, and help that is available to learners.

The layout and design of the site is effective. The overall theme and goal are presented upfront, as is the approximate time the tutorial will take for the learner to complete. From there, the learner is given the opportunity to choose a character to tour the site as. Each of the characters has a particular area of study and therefore each has a particular need or focus for his or her plagiarism information.

Although the characters are college-aged, the information is accessible to any age doing research. Often, elementary-aged kids are asked to do research, but are never made aware that copy-and-paste methods should not be used. This tutorial would be accessible, with modifications or additions to make examples more relatable to their requirements and reading levels, to a group of third graders.

Dylan is a first year student and has to write a paper comparing a novel and a film. He has chosen John Steinbeck’s //The Pastures of Heaven.//

Emma has had a research paper assigned and has chosen genetically modified foods.

Tyler is a business student who is working on an airline industry profile and is overwhelmed by the amount of information he has found.

Maiko is undecided in her major, but knows she will have research papers. She also knows she is unsure what plagiarism is.

Each of the students, like many of the undergraduates, has been warned about plagiarism, but, again like many undergraduates, is unsure what plagiarism is, what it is not, nor do they how to avoid it in many cases. Each of these topics is presented in the tutorial overview.

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM? Regardless of which character is chosen to lead the learner through the tutorial, the basic format of the tutorial is the same. Each begins with a section describing what plagiarism is and what plagiarism is not in a quiz format. Examples are given, and learners are able to choose if example is or is not plagiarism. Simply by clicking the guess, the explanation of why answer is or is not correct is revealed. Learners can explore each option without repercussion learning from the right //and// the wrong choice. The tutorial provides specific examples of what IS plagiarism, including reusing papers, having others write papers, and purchasing or downloading papers as well as potential consequences for committing plagiarism. The tutorial offers tips for how to avoid plagiarism, especially when it comes to research, focusing on beginning early.

A scenario is presented: the student has a paper due in two days; options for what the student should do (from get busy to turn in an old paper) as well as explanations for why each option is good or bad.

The tutorial moves to a third section that focuses on documenting sources (with a link to a definition of documenting). Again, scenarios are presented including what to do when the student can’t find the original document he or she wants to use. Common knowledge is addressed, giving learners choices of what is common knowledge versus what needs to be cited, with explanations for each of three examples (which also include correct citation of each). Learners’ potential misconceptions about what is plagiarism, including paraphrasing, putting items in quotation marks, and “public domain” use of web information are illustrated, again, along with explanations of each potential problem and how to avoid the problem in the first place. Citation styles are briefly mentioned, making it a point to urge learners to ask each professor which is preferred.

The tutorial concludes with information on quoting and paraphrasing. Examples specific to each area of study are given for learners to decide if his or her chosen character has committed plagiarism. Very concrete examples, plus how to fix problems, are provided. A brief summary of information and links to other resources conclude the tutorial.

TEACHING IMPLEMENTATION In teaching research, proper citation is an essential component to my Composition I class. I have multiple examples of citations and encourage students to bring in their own resources. As a class, we address different components of citation, such as where and how to find the elements of a citation and putting them in the proper order, but adding a component such as this tutorial, students could discuss the different elements of not only citation, but also different methods by which students can use the information they have found. The options given, and the explanations provided for each option, whether right or wrong, launch effective discussion for //why// particular items are right or wrong, not just that they are.

EVALUATION Following my own presentation on and discussion of research, I will (as I DO intend to use this presentation this semester) have students bring in their own resources they intend to use for documentation. As a class, we will go through the tutorial, discussing the elements addressed, such as why students were expected to have already found resources when their papers aren’t due for another two weeks, what plagiarism is exactly, and elements of good quotes and paraphrases that will back up students’ writings when used, and cited, properly. We will also address the recent changes MLA format citation has undergone, and why it is important for students to use the proper (given and preferred) citation, comparing its use to guidelines set forth by future job setting and boss’ preferences.

Students will be expected to interact and participate in the discussions leading up to and following each part of the tutorial. Additionally, following the tutorial, students will choose appropriate quotes and sections to paraphrase. Upon choosing, students will work in teams to build proper citation (for both in-text and a Works Cited page) for each quote or paraphrasing. Their final paper will incorporate quotes, paraphrasing, and proper citation, for which students will be provided a link not only to this URL, but also to other resources, such as Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (owl.english.purdue.edu), to allow for other learning styles and resource citation formats not address during the class period(s).