extended
essay
on-line
reference
Plagiarism - what it is and how to avoid it
 

  1. There is no mystery to plagiarism:

    plagiarism is stealing other people's work, whether it is from an unacknowledged academic source or another student.
 
 

  1. Since the exponential growth of the world wide web over the last decade, clamping down on plagiarism has become a matter of urgent concern in academic life and extensive research is being done into creating computerised detection programmes.

    
 
  1. The chief consequence of plagiarism is the devaluing of academic education and the degrees you and others have worked to obtain. If plagiarism is detected in a extended essay at the assessment stage it will be failed unconditionally.
 
 

  1. Having a learning disability such as dyslexia, being an overseas or EU student, having poor standards of literacy, or having language and spelling problems, are not excuses for plagiarism.

    Under no circumstances is there ever a 'need' to plagiarise.
 
 

  1. Paraphrase is not just changing a few words in a cited text. You need to record the idea you want to use, together with an appropriate short reference.

    One of the best ways to make sure you are paraphrasing in your own words is to turn the source you are using over and write the paraphrase from memory of what you have read.
   
 
  1. To avoid plagiarism, read your university's plagiarism policy and keep to the following rules:
  • Before starting to make notes from a book/article, write down the bibliographic information (even better, type it into your references list).
  • Put the page number beside each note you take. Try to write down ideas rather than copying text.
  • Put direct quotations between " " marks.
  • As you read you will probably come up with ideas of your own. Distinguish these by putting them between square [ ] brackets.
  • A good extended essay should be trying to prove an idea of your own (this is called 'stakeholder' work). Though you should show awareness of other thinking in the field, it is your ideas and convincing proof of them that will gain you a good grade. If you lack ideas, then you are probably working on the wrong topic.
  • Organise and plan your work with realistic milestones for getting things done. You cannot produce an 8,000 Word extended essay the night before it is due. The writing should be the final stage after the research and thinking processes are finished. Do not just 'start writing' randomly.
  • If in doubt about plagiarism just ask your supervisor. We can all tell you clearly what plagiarism is.
  
Questions regarding : Plagiarism - what it is and how to avoid it
1. Which of the following best defines plagiarism?
2. Why would this piece of text constitute plagiarism?
| E-learning team welcome suggestions |