Preventing Plagiarism

All Perry High School juniors and seniors must complete a research paper for their English classes. The paper is a necessary component to pass the class and, thus, graduate. Unfortunately some of our students over the years have tried to turn in work that was not original, yet claim it as theirs. Plagiarism - using someone else's words or ideas and representing them as your own - is not tolerated. For 5 years I have presented in the English 11 classrooms regarding plagiarism, and every year it still occurs. Indeed, just three days after I presented this year, two students in the class turned in work that they claimed they had written; a very quick search online proved otherwise.

Writing a research paper for the first time can be very difficult. And scary. Call me crazy, but I like doing research and I like writing research papers. I have had to use many citation formats and have found it difficult keeping everything organized. That's when I asked for help, and I encourage all of you to do the same.

Some ways to ask for help:
1. Visit your teacher during zero block or after school and discuss your issue
2. Use the Resource Room during lunch and ask for assistance
3. Come see me during the day or before or after school
4. Turn in a rough draft of your paper for your teacher to read
5. Use various print and Internet resources (see below)

Do not be afraid to advocate for your needs. High school is the perfect time to learn this skill. We do not expect perfection; in fact, we expect you to need help. That's why we are here!

There are some fabulous resources that can be used to help you understand plagiarism. My favorite is plagiarism.org; in fact I use many of their worksheets when working with classes. The language and examples are very clear.

I learned today from Wikipedia that the word "plagiarism" derives "from the Latin "plagiarius," meaning "a plunderer" or, an older term, "plagium," meaning "kidnapping," or possibly "plagiare," which is "to wound"" (Wikipedia). Plainly speaking - in plagiarising, you are stealing someone else's work or idea, which hurts both them and you.

When you enter college, you will learn the committing plagiarism can be grounds for failing a class or expulsion from the school. Many colleges publish their own tips for avoiding plagiarism for student use. Some examples are UNC, Purdue, Indiana University, and Georgetown.

If you question whether or not your action is, in fact, plagiarism -- which is a specific form of academic dishonesty or cheating -- please ask for help before you turn it in to your teacher for a grade. If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please ask.