Wikipedia:Plagiarism/Examples

Several universities offer examples of the need to use in-text attribution to avoid plagiarism.

Harvard University[edit]

Source (Michael Brown): "Political transitions brought about by the collapse of authoritarian rule, democratization, or political reforms also make states particularly prone to violence."

Plagiarism: "In fact, political transitions brought about by the collapse of authoritarian rule, democratization, or political reforms also make states particularly prone to violence."

Acceptable 1: "In fact, Brown notes that 'political transitions brought about by the collapse of authoritarian rule, democratization, or political reforms also make states particularly prone to violence.'"

Acceptable 2: "In fact, as Michael Brown suggests, violence often results from the end of an authoritarian government and its replacement with a more democratic society."

Source (Pyatt 2000): "The minds of children are 'wired' to acquire language automatically (undergoing exactly the same stages, no matter what the language is). From ages 1-5, kids can acquire any possible language (from English to Chinese to Hawaiian), and acquiring multiple languages is no problem, provided children have enough exposure. From 5-10, kids still have an easy time, but once adolescence hits, most people lose the ability to pick up languages easily."

Inappropriate paraphrase: "The minds of [infants] are ["configured"] to acquire language automatically (undergoing exactly the same [processes],[regardless of language]). From ages 1-5, kids can acquire any possible language (from English to [Tibetan] to[Navaho]), and acquiring multiple languages is [not difficult], provided children [are exposed to them enough]. From 5-10, kids still [can learn languages easily], but once adolescence [begins], most people lose the ability to [acquire]languages easily."

Acceptable paraphrase [using Harvard referencing]: "According to Pyatt (2000), the ability to acquire new languages is strong in childhood but weakens by adolescence thanks to the way the young brain is inherently 'wired' ... Ruuskanen (2003) further elaborates that 'there appears to be a "window" of language learning' which Ruuskanen further notes 'opens at about 10 months.'"

Source (Linebaugh, P., The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century (London, 1991), p. 213.): "From a class perspective this put them [highwaymen] in an ambivalent position. In aspiring to that proud, if temporary, status of ‘Gentleman of the Road’, they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society. Yet their boldness of act and deed, in putting them outside the law as rebellious fugitives, revivified the ‘animal spirits’ of capitalism and became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London, a serious obstacle to the formation of a tractable, obedient labour force. Therefore, it was not enough to hang them – the values they espoused or represented had to be challenged."

Plagiarism 1: "Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London, posing a serious threat to the formation of a biddable labour force.

Plagiarism 2: "Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen exercised a powerful attraction for the working classes. Some historians believe that this hindered the development of a submissive workforce."

Non-plagiarized 1: "Peter Linebaugh argues that although highwaymen posed no overt challenge to social orthodoxy – they aspired to be known as ‘Gentlemen of the Road’ – they were often seen as anti-hero role models by the unruly working classes. He concludes that they were executed not only for their criminal acts, but in order to stamp out the threat of insubordinacy."

Non-plagiarized 2: Peter Linebaugh argues that highwaymen represented a powerful challenge to the mores of capitalist society and inspired the rebelliousness of London’s working class.