Help from the Writing Center

As you start to write the first draft of your paper, be mindful of the proper ways to use and acknowledge sources. Here at Stockton, the Office of the Provost puts out a brochure entitled, “Academic Honesty at Stockton.” The information contained in the brochure is intended to alert students to the seriousness of plagiarism, and most important, help them steer clear of the charge in the first place.



Students can easily avoid suspicion if they are rigorous and pay attention to the correct methods of documentation. All borrowed information (facts, ideas, direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries) needs to be clearly documented. The traditional system of footnotes or endnotes has given way to a more efficient method of in-test citations, which identify the source in parentheses within the text and refer the reader to a Works Cited or References page at the end of the paper. The two most common systems currently in use are from the Modern Language Association (MLA), which is used in English and the humanities, and the American Psychological Association (APA), which is often preferred by social scientists. Scholars in other disciplines, especially the sciences, often use style manuals specific to their individual disciplines. If your professor has not stipulated which style she prefers, ask her, and make sure you follow the guidelines carefully.


Intentionally copying or downloading someone else’s work and presenting it as your own without proper documentation is the most blatant form of plagiarism, but you are also guilty of plagiarism even if you unintentionally borrow too heavily from your sources.

Here are some examples:

ORIGINAL SOURCE:

Research suggests that elderly women who have close emotional relationships with their dogs can lower their blood pressure by simply petting their pets or engaging in light play. Dogs also provide company and protection for women living alone, and walking a dog regularly provides cardiovascular activity, thus lowering risk for a number of health problems. (from Brooks, Maureen. “Pets and Health.” Healthy Woman. July 2008: 21-25)

UNACCEPTABLE PARAPHRASE:

Research suggests that old women who have emotional ties with their dogs can lower their blood pressure by petting their dogs or playing with them. Dogs are useful as company and protection for women who live alone. Also, walking a dog each day is good cardiovascular activity, therefore lowering a woman’s risk for a number of physical problems (Brooks 22).

It’s easy to see that this version borrows too heavily from the original source material. A few words are changed or omitted, but the essential sentence structure remains the same. Note that this student would be guilty of plagiarism even though the source is cited because the student has virtually copied from the source. Remember, a good way to avoid borrowing too heavily from an author’s language is to look away from the text while you are taking notes. Close the book- try to summarize in your own words. You can then open the book and check for accuracy. This way you won’t be tempted to take down the author’s words or sentence structure as your own. Here is an acceptable summary of the information presented in the original source:

ACCEPTABLE SUMMARY:

Maureen Brooks, in her article, “Pets and Health,” suggests that taking care of a dog has many healthful side effects for older women. According to Brooks, dogs can help women lower their blood pressure, fight loneliness, and stay fit (22).

Note that this version is in the student’s voice, not the author’s. The student summarizes the information from the source and presents it in his own language using his own sentence structure. Since the student has taken information from a source, the passage needs to be cited. Note that since the author’s name is introduced in a signal phrase, only the page number needs to be included in the in-text citation.

Another problem area for many inexperienced research writers involves using direct quotes effectively. Many students overuse direct quotes, or simply “drop” quotations into their papers without introducing or integrating them. Here are some examples:

DROPPED QUOTATION:

Many people believe that pets are beneficial. “Research suggests that elderly women who have close emotional relationships with their dogs can lower their blood pressure by simply petting their pets or engaging in light play” (Brooks 22).

This student writer has cited her source, and has avoided any charge of plagiarism, but by “dropping” the quotation into her text, without warning or explanation, she shows her inexperience. Note how much better the integrated passage reads:

INTEGRATED QUOTATION:

Maureen Brooks, psychologist and author of the recent article, “Pets and Health,” argues that older women who enjoy “close emotional relationships with their dogs” will find that their blood pressure decreases after physical contact with their dogs. According to Brooks, the physical contact may be as simple as petting the dog or “engaging in light play” (22).

In this version, the student writer uses a signal phrase to introduce the original source. A signal phrase allows your reader to go from your words to the quoted material smoothly. Signal phrases usually contain the author’s name and prepare the reader for the direct quote. Note that when the author’s name is used in a signal phrase, the in-text citation need only contain the page number. Also note that the student here is selective in choosing which parts of the original source she wants to quote, rather that plopping the entire passage into her text.

Consult a reference text for precise bibliographic formats. We recommend you obtain a copy of Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker. This text has been adopted by the Writing Program for all W1 courses, and it contains two sections devoted to research writing and documentation. There are excellent sample research papers (both MLA and APA format). After working hard so hard throughout the research process, make sure you maintain your high standards all the way through to the Works Cited or References page.

Plan on lots of rewriting, and remember the Writing Center. Remember that good writing usually comes from sweat and revision. And all writers benefit from careful, attentive readers. The tutors at Stockton’s Writing Center will read your essays, offer feedback, and answer any questions you have about documentation or proper format. All tutors receive training in information technology. We recommend that you stop by early in the process, to avoid last-minute crisis, but we will welcome you and try to help, whatever shape your paper is in!