Published on
November 12, 2021
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
February 25, 2022.
Plagiarism can be a tricky subject to teach. Students may think of plagiarism as a deliberate action—e.g., copy-pasting something from Wikipedia or turning in a paper they didn’t write—but it’s important to communicate that plagiarism often occurs accidentally.
We have compiled a variety of resources targeted at educators and professionals seeking to teach high school or college students about plagiarism. These include sample lecture slides, videos, in-depth examples, quizzes, and downloadable worksheets.
The examples below illustrate common instances of accidental plagiarism, with solutions to help you submit your work with confidence. Most of these types of plagiarism are quite easy to detect with a reliable plagiarism checker.
Published on
October 18, 2021
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
July 26, 2022.
If you use someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting them, you could be committing plagiarism. The consequences of plagiarism vary based on the severity of the offense.
Consequences of mild, moderate, and severe plagiarism
Level of plagiarism
Examples
Likely consequence
Mild
Source cited in text but left out of reference list
Quotation marks omitted around a quote
Grade penalty or automatic zero
Moderate
Text copied from a source with a few words changed
Source paraphrased without citation
Failing grade on course
Severe
Patchwork of different texts passed off as original
Paper written by someone else
Academic probation or expulsion
Plagiarism can also have serious consequences in high school and during the college application process. Many high schools use plagiarism checkers and treat plagiarism the same way colleges do, and admissions officers will typically disregard your application if they find you’ve plagiarized any part of it.
Published on
October 10, 2021
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
August 5, 2022.
Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting the original author. Sometimes plagiarism involves deliberately stealing someone’s work, but more often it happens accidentally, through carelessness or forgetfulness.
When you write an academic paper, you build upon the work of others and use various credible sources for information and evidence. To avoid plagiarism, you need to correctly incorporate these sources into your text.
You can avoid plagiarism by:
Keeping track of the sources you consult in your research
Paraphrasing or quoting from your sources (and adding your own ideas)
Crediting the original author in an in-text citation and in your reference list
Published on
August 27, 2021
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
July 22, 2022.
The CRAAP test is a method to evaluate the credibility of a source you are using.
When conducting research, it’s important to use credible sources. They ensure the trustworthiness of your argument and strengthen your conclusions.
There are a lot of sources out there, and it can be hard to determine whether they are sufficiently credible, but doing so is an important information literacy skill. To help, librarians at California State University developed the CRAAP test in 2004.
What is the CRAAP test?The CRAAP test has 5 main components
Currency: Is the source up to date?
Relevance: Is the source relevant to your research?
Authority: Where is the source published? Who is the author? Are they considered reputable and trustworthy in their field?
Accuracy: Is the source supported by evidence? Are the claims cited correctly?
Purpose: What was the motive behind publishing this source?
Published on
August 26, 2021
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
August 19, 2022.
A credible source is free from bias and backed up with evidence. It is written by a trustworthy author or organization.
There are a lot of sources out there, and it can be hard to tell what’s credible and what isn’t at first glance.
Evaluating source credibility is an important information literacy skill. It ensures that you collect accurate information to back up the arguments you make and the conclusions you draw.
Published on
August 13, 2021
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
October 10, 2022.
Mixed methods research combines elements of quantitative research and qualitative research in order to answer your research question. Mixed methods can help you gain a more complete picture than a standalone quantitative or qualitative study, as it integrates benefits of both methods.
Mixed methods research is often used in the behavioral, health, and social sciences, especially in multidisciplinary settings and complex situational or societal research.
Mixed methods research question examples
To what extent does the frequency of traffic accidents (quantitative) reflect cyclist perceptions of road safety (qualitative) in Amsterdam?
How do student perceptions of their school environment (qualitative) relate to differences in test scores (quantitative)?
How do interviews about job satisfaction at Company X (qualitative) help explain year-over-year sales performance and other KPIs (quantitative)?
How can voter and non-voter beliefs about democracy (qualitative) help explain election turnout patterns (quantitative) in Town X?
How do average hospital salary measurements over time (quantitative) help to explain nurse testimonials about job satisfaction (qualitative)?
