How to Recognize Plagiarism

Word-for-word plagiarism is committed when a writer takes a sequence of 7 or more words from
another source, but fails to identify the quoted passage, fails to provide the full in-text citation crediting
the author(s), and fails to provide the bibliographic reference.
Example:
Original
Source
Material: Technology
has
significantly
transformed education at several major turning points in our history.
In the broadest sense, the first technology was the primitive modes
of communication used by prehistoric people before the
development of spoken language. Mime, gestures, grunts, and
drawing of figures in the sand with a stick were methods used to
communicate -- yes, even to educate. Even without speech, these
prehistoric people were able to teach their young how to catch
animals for food, what animals to avoid, which vegetation was good
to eat and which was poisonous.

Source: Frick,
T.
(1991).Restructuring education
through technology. Bloomington,
IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational
Foundation.

Plagiarized Version

Correct Version

In examining technology, we have to remember

that computers are not the first technology people
have had to deal with. The first technology was
the primitive modes of communication used by
prehistoric people before the development of
spoken language.

In examining technology, we have to remember that

computers are not the first technology people have
had to deal with. Frick (1991) believes that "... the
first technology was the primitive modes of
communication used by prehistoric people before
the development of spoken language" (p. 10).
Reference:
Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through
technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa
Educational Foundation.

Explanation: This
version
is word-for-word
plagiarism. The student copied, word-for-word,
text from the original source material. No credit
was given to the author of the text
and quotation marks werenot used. Also, the
student did
not
providethe full
in-text
citation and reference.

Explanation: Note in this example that the quoted

passage begins with the author and year of the
publication (in-text citation).Quotation marks are
used to indicate that this passage is a word-for-word
quotation from the original document. The full intext citation also includes the page number of the
passage quoted (the locator). The full bibliographic
reference tells the reader where the source of the
quotation can be found.

Paraphrasing plagiarism is committed when a writer summarizes an idea taken from another source
and fails both to cite the author(s) and to provide the corresponding reference. If the summary contains a
sequence of 7 or more words taken from that source which is not properly acknowledged, then word-forword plagiarism is also committed.
Example:
Original Source Material: Developing complex skills in the
classroom involves the key ingredients identified in teaching
pigeons to play ping-pong and to bowl. The key ingredients
are: (1) inducing a response, (2) reinforcing subtle
improvements or refinements in the behavior, (3) providing for
the transfer of stimulus control by gradually withdrawing the
prompts or cues, and (4) scheduling reinforcements so that the
ratio of reinforcements in responses gradually increases and
natural reinforcers can maintain their behavior.
Plagiarized Version

Source: Gredler, M. E. (2001).Learning

and
instruction:
Theory
into
practice (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Correct Version

The same factors apply to developing complex

skills in a classroom setting as to developing
complex skills in any setting. A response must be
induced, then reinforced as it gets closer to the
desired behavior. Reinforcers have to be
scheduled carefully, and cues have to be
withdrawn gradually so that the new behaviors
can be transferred and maintained.

According to Gredler (2001), the same factors apply

to developing complex skills in a classroom setting
as to developing complex skills in any setting. A
response must be induced, then reinforced as it gets
closer to the desired behavior. Reinforcers have to
be scheduled carefully, and cues have to be
withdrawn gradually so that the new behaviors can
be transferred and maintained.
Reference:
Gredler, M. E. (2001). Learning and instruction:
Theory into practice (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Explanation: This
example
is paraphrasing
plagiarism. The student has only moved the
original author's words around, while summarizing
the main ideas. The student did not credit the
original author by an in-text citation, nor did she
or he provide thebibliographic reference.
A reader would not have a direct way of
recognizing that this idea came from another
source, since, without clear acknowledgement of
that source, the writing appears to be the
student's own ideas expressed in his or her own
words.

Explanation: This example has been paraphrased

properly and is not considered plagiarism. The
author was cited at the beginning of the passage,
and the full referencefor the citation was provided.
Sinceparaphrasing occurred, quotation marks were
not used. Nothing was directly quoted.

Patterns of Plagiarism
Below are 15 patterns of plagiarism, followed by 3 patterns of non-plagiarism. Click on each pattern name
to see a prototypical example. Key: wfw=word-for-word plagiarism; para=paraphrasing plagiarism
1. Clueless Quote: wfw because no quotes, no citation, no reference
A clueless quote is word-for-word plagiarism that takes text from another author with no proper
acknowledgement of his or her words.
Original Source Material:

Source:

Five first principles are elaborated: (a) Learning is promoted when

learners are engaged in solving real-world problems. (b) Learning is
promoted when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for
new knowledge. (c) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is
demonstrated to the learner. (d) Learning is promoted when new
knowledge is applied by the learner. (e) Learning is promoted when
new knowledge is integrated into the learners world.

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First

principles of
instruction.Educational
Technology Research and
Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Plagiarized Version:

Correct Version: Not plagiarized

Learning is promoted when students are engaged

in solving real-world problems,existing knowledge
is activated as a foundation for new knowledge,
new knowledge is demonstrated to the
learner,new knowledge is applied by the
learner, andwhen new knowledge is integrated
into the learners world.

Merrill (2002) claims that "learning is promoted

when students are engaged in solving real-world
problems, ... existing knowledge is activated as a
foundation for new knowledge, ... new knowledge is
demonstrated to the learner, ... new knowledge is
applied by the learner, and ... when new knowledge
is integrated into the learners world" (p. 43).
Reference:
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of
instruction. Educational Technology Research and
Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Explanation: This is word-for-word

plagiarism because seven or more words are
copied from the source, there are noquotation
marks, there is no full in-text citation, and there
is no reference.

Explanation: Merrill is credited by use ofquotation

marks around his words(punctuation and ellipses
added), full in-text citation with the locator, and by
the full bibliographic reference.

2. Crafty Cover-up: proper paraphrase but wfw also present, includes a proper paraphrase, but also
includes word-for-word plagiarism that lacks quotation marks, and the locator.
Original Source Material:
Five first principles are elaborated: (a) Learning is promotedwhen
learners are engaged in solving real-world problems. (b) Learning is
promoted when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for
new knowledge. (c) Learning is promoted when new knowledge is
demonstrated to the learner. (d) Learning is promoted when new
knowledge is applied by the learner. (e) Learning is promoted when
new knowledge is integrated into the learners world.

Source:
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First
principles of
instruction.Educational
Technology Research and
Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Plagiarized Version:

Correct Version: Not plagiarized

Merrill (2002) claims that learning is promoted

when first principles of instruction are
implemented. Students should solve authentic
problems, arranged from simple to complex. For
each problem, existing knowledge should first be
activated, then new knowledge is demonstrated to
the learner, new knowledge is applied by the
learner, and new knowledge is integrated into the
learners world.
Reference:
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of
instruction. Educational Technology Research and
Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Merrill (2002) claims that learning is promoted when

first principles of instruction are implemented.
Students should solve authentic problems, arranged
from simple to complex. For each problem, existing
knowledge should first be activated, then "new
knowledge is demonstrated to the learner, ... new
knowledge is applied by the learner, and ... new
knowledge is integrated into the learners world" (p.
43).
Reference:
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of
instruction. Educational Technology Research and
Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Explanation: This is word-for-word

plagiarism because seven or more words are
copied from the source, and quotation marksare
missing. The locator for the full in-text
citation is also missing.
Part of the text is properly paraphrased and
includes the in-text citation and reference, but
another part is still word-for-word plagiarism.

Explanation: Merrill is credited by use ofquotation

marks around his words(punctuation and ellipses
added), full in-text citation with the locator, and by
the full bibliographic reference. Merrill's ideas
areparaphrased properly, since the in-text
citationand reference are included.

3. Cunning Cover-up: para because no citation, no reference

4. Deceptive Dupe: wfw because no quotes, no citation, but has reference
5. Delinked Dupe: wfw because no reference, even though quotes and citation
6. Devious Dupe: correct quote but wfw also present
7. Dippy Dupe: wfw because quotes missing, even though full citation and reference
8. Disguised Dupe: looks like proper para, but actually wfw because no quotes, no locator
9. Double Trouble: both wfw and para, although has reference
10. Linkless Loser: wfw because citation and reference lacking, although has quotes and locator
11. Lost Locator: wfw because missing locator, although has quotes, citation, and reference
12. Placeless Paraphrase: para because no reference, although citation present
13. Severed Cite: para because reference but no citation
14. Shirking Cite: wfw because lacks locator and reference, although quotes and citation present
15. Triple D--Disguised Disconnected Dupe: wfw--looks like proper para, but no quotes, no
reference, no locator
Examples: Patterns of Non-Plagiarism
1. Correct Quote: takes another's words verbatim and acknowledges with quotation marks, full intext citation with locator, and reference

2. Proper Paraphrase: summarizes another's words and acknowledges with in-text citation and
reference
3. Parroted Paraphrase: appears to be paraphrasing, and technically may not be plagiarism,
but ... ???
Practice: 1 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: A nave mental model in the
context of computer programming is that a computer is
an intelligent system, and that giving directions to a
computer is like giving directions to a human being.

(A) One kind of mental model for the computer is

the nave model. A nave mental model in the
context of computer programming is that a
computer is an intelligent system. This model is
nave because giving directions to a computer is
like giving directions to a human being.
Reference:
Merrinboer, J. J. van. (1997). Training complex
cognitive skills. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational
Technology Publications.

Source: Merrinboer,
J.
(1997).Training
complex
skills.Englewood
Cliffs,
NJ:
Technology Publications.

J.

van.
cognitive
Educational

(B) One kind of mental model for the computer is

the nave model. According to van Merrinboer
(1997), "A nave mental model in the context of
computer programming is that a computer is an
intelligent system, and that giving directions to a
computer is like giving directions to a human
being" (p. 145).
Reference:
Merrinboer, J. J. van. (1997). Training complex
cognitive skills. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational
Technology Publications.

Practice: 2 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: In the traditional behavioral Source: Driscoll, M. P. (2000).Psychology
paradigm, feedback is the consequence of a response, of learning for instruction(2nd ed.).
typically reinforcement for an appropriate behavior.
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

(A) Feedback is not conceived identically among

the various schools of thought in instruction. "In the
traditional behavioral paradigm, feedback is the
consequence of a response, typically reinforcement
for an appropriate behavior" (Driscoll, 2000, p. 65).
Reference:
Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of learning for
instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn
& Bacon.

(B) Feedback is not conceived identically among

the various schools of thought in instruction. In the
traditional behavioral paradigm, feedback is the
consequence of a response. That response is
typically reinforcement for an appropriate behavior.

Practice: 2 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: In the traditional behavioral Source: Driscoll, M. P. (2000).Psychology
paradigm, feedback is the consequence of a response, of learning for instruction(2nd ed.).
typically reinforcement for an appropriate behavior.
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

(A) Feedback is not conceived identically among

the various schools of thought in instruction. "In the
traditional behavioral paradigm, feedback is the
consequence of a response, typically reinforcement
for an appropriate behavior" (Driscoll, 2000, p. 65).
Reference:
Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of learning for
instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn
& Bacon.

(B) Feedback is not conceived identically among

the various schools of thought in instruction. In the
traditional behavioral paradigm, feedback is the
consequence of a response. That response is
typically reinforcement for an appropriate behavior.

Practice: 3 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: Instructional design theory
requires at least two components: methods for facilitating
human learning and development (which are also called
methods of instruction), and indications as to when and
when not to use these methods (which I call situations).
Although the term "context" has a similar meaning in lay
language and is often used in education, not all aspects of
the context influence which methods should be used.
Therefore, I use the term "situation" to refer to those
aspects of the context that do influence selection of
methods.

(A) Two components must be present in an

instructional design theory. The first component is
methods for facilitating human learning and
development. The second is those aspects of the
context that do influence selection of methods, or
the situation.
Reference:
Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). What is instructional design
theory and how is it changing? In C. M. Reigeluth
(Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models
volume II: A new paradigm of instructional
theory. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Source: Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). What is

instructional design theory and how is it
changing?
In
C.
M.
Reigeluth
(Ed.),Instructional-design
theories
and
models volume II: A new paradigm of
instructional theory. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.

(B) Two components must be present in an

instructional design theory. The first component
(methods) describes how human learning will be
supported, and the second component (situation)
describes when certain methods ought to be used
(Reigeluth, 1999).
Reference:
Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). What is instructional design
theory and how is it changing? In C. M. Reigeluth
(Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models
volume II: A new paradigm of instructional
theory. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Practice: 4 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: If one were going to be
limited to a single method, then certainly the verbal
report from a respondent would be the choice. With no
other device can an investigator swing his attention into
so many different areas of substantive content, often
simultaneously, and also gather intelligence on the
extent to which his findings are hampered by population
restrictions.

Source: Webb, E., Campbell, D., Schwartz, R.

& Sechrest, L. (1966).Unobtrusive measures:
Nonreactive
research
in
the
social
sciences. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.

(A) In gathering verbal reports from subjects the

investigator can swing his attention into many
different areas of substantive content, and gather
intelligence on the extent to which his findings are
hampered by population restrictions.
Reference:
Webb, E., Campbell, D., Schwartz, R. & Sechrest, L.
(1966). Unobtrusive
measures:
Nonreactive
research in the social sciences.Chicago, IL: Rand
McNally.

(B) The advantages claimed for verbal reports as a

form of data gathering are that "an investigator
[can] swing his attention into so many different
areas of substantive content, often simultaneously,
and also gather intelligence on the extent to which
his findings are hampered by population
restrictions"
(Webb,
Campbell,
Schwartz
&
Sechrest, 1966, pp. 172-173).
Reference:
Webb, E., Campbell, D., Schwartz, R. & Sechrest, L.
(1966). Unobtrusive
measures:
Nonreactive
research in the social sciences.Chicago, IL: Rand
McNally.

Practice: 5 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: LCD [Learner-Centered
Design] thus extends existing design by (a) facing
comprehensive cognitive complexity as a central concern,
(b) extending design to the system's information content,
and (c) visualizing all users (students, workers,
consumers young and old) as distributed learners seeking
understanding.

(A) In explaining how he proposes to extend the

current view of design, Reeves (1999) adds three
primary
components
to
design,
including
fundamental emphasis on human cognition,
designing content equally with interface, and
considering everyone who will use the design to be
a learner.
Reference:
Reeves, W. (1999). Learner-centered design: A
cognitive view of managing complexity in product,
information, and environmental design. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Source: Reeves,
W.
(1999). Learnercentered design: A cognitive view of
managing
complexity
in
product,
information,
and
environmental
design.Thousand
Oaks,
CA:
Sage
Publications.

(B) Learner-centered design expands current

design by acknowledging total cognitive complexity
as a core concern, expanding design to the
information content of the system, and seeing all
users
as
distributed
learners
who
seek
understanding.
Reference:
Reeves, W. (1999). Learner-centered design: A
cognitive view of managing complexity in product,
information, and environmental design. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Practice: 6 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: At this stage the reading
strategy adopted by the reader depends on the particulars of
the task. The tendency to 'get on with it' seems firmly
established in users of manuals and the present sample
reported moving freely from manual to system in order to
achieve their goal. Only three readers manifested any
tendency to read around an area or fully read a section
before moving on and even these admitted that they would
be tempted to skim, and tend to get bored if they felt that
they were not resolving their problems and only read
complete sections if all else failed.

Source: Dillon,
A.
(1994). Designing
usable electronic text: Ergonomic aspects
of human information usage.London:
Taylor & Francis.

(A) Dillon
(1994)
summarizes
research
he
conducted to demonstrate that the readers of
technical documentation manuals do not read
those manuals in linear order. They are impatient to
be about their work, jump from the text to the task
and back, and only stop to read in-depth if they
have no other choice.
Reference:
Dillon, A. (1994). Designing usable electronic text:
Ergonomic
aspects
of
human
information
usage. London: Taylor & Francis.

(B) The readers of technical documentation

manuals do not read those manuals in linear order.
They are impatient to be about their work, jump
from the text to the task and back, and only stop to
read in-depth if they have no other choice.
Reference:
Dillon, A. (1994). Designing usable electronic text:
Ergonomic
aspects
of
human
information
usage. London: Taylor & Francis.

Practice: 7 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original
Source
Material: Interactive
multimedia
instruction brings mediated instruction from more than one
source to bear on an instructional problem which the learner
experiences as integrated (although sometimes complex)
medium. We can think of it in terms of many single inputs,
with one multi-channel output. The instruction may contain
motion images from a video disc, computer animation, text
screens, and sound from a compact disk, for example, but
the instruction is a tapestry woven from these sources. The
learner experiences the tapestry, not the individual threads.

(A) Designers had realized by the mid-1990s that

the various forms of media, previously viewed as
separate, were put together in multimedia
instruction to form an integrated experience for
learners.

Source: Schwier, R., & Misanchuk, E.

(1993). Interactive
multimedia
instruction. Englewood
Cliffs,
NJ:
Educational Technology Publications.

(B) Designers had realized by the mid-1990s that

the various forms of media, previously viewed as
separate, were put together in multimedia
instruction to form an integrated experience for
learners (Schwier & Misanchuk, 1993).
Reference:
Schwier, R., & Misanchuk, E. (1993).Interactive
multimedia
instruction. Englewood
Cliffs,
NJ:
Educational Technology Publications.

Practice: 8 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.

Original Source Material: By instruction I mean any Source: Driscoll, M. P. (2000).Psychology of

deliberate arrangement of events to facilitate a learner's learning for instruction(2nd ed.). Needham
acquisition of some goal. The goal can range from Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
knowledge to skills to strategies to attitudes, and so on.
The learners can be adults or children of any age,
background, or prior experience. The setting in which
learning takes place can be formal, school-based, on-thejob, or in the community - wherever programs for learning
are being designed and implemented.

(A) The definition of instruction is broad, including

any deliberate arrangement of events to facilitate a
learner's acquisition of some goal, including the
learning of:

(B) Driscoll (2000) defines instruction broadly as

"any deliberate arrangement of events to facilitate
a learner's acquisition of some goal" (p. 25). She
includes learning knowledge, skills, strategies and
attitudes in a partial list of possible goals for

 Knowledge
Skills
Strategies
Attitudes (Driscoll, 2000)
Reference:
Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of learning for
instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn
& Bacon.

learning.
Reference:
Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of learning for
instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn
& Bacon.

Practice: 9 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: Media experiences equal human
experiences .... People's responses show that media are
more than just tools. Media are treated politely, they can
invade our body space, they can have personalities to match
our own, they can be a teammate, and the can elicit gender
stereotypes. Media can invoke emotional responses, demand
attention, threaten us, influence memories, and change
ideas of what is natural. Media are full participants in our
social and natural world.

(A) Reeves and Nass (1996) describe many

experiments they have carried out to test the
theory that people interact with media as if it were
other people. They have shown in multiple ways
that even when people know objectively that
images of people on television screens are not real,
or that computers are machines instead of human
beings, we treat these things as if they were real -were human.
Reference:
Reeves, B., & Nass, C. (1996). The media equation:
How people treat computers, television, and new
media like real people and places. Cambridge, MA:
Cambridge University Press.

Source: Reeves,
B.,
&
Nass,
C.
(1996). The media equation: How people
treat computers, television, and new
media
like
real
people
and
places. Cambridge,
MA:
Cambridge
University Press.

(B) People interact with media as if it were other

people. Even when people know objectively that
images of people on television screens are not real,
or that computers are machines instead of human
beings, we treat these things as if they were real -were human.

Practice: 10 of 10
Please read the original source material carefully and then select the entry, either (A) or (B), that you think
has not been plagiarized.
Original Source Material: While computers are very Source: Frick,
T.
(1991). Restructuring
good at certain tasks, such as diagnosing equipment education through technology.Bloomington,
malfunctions or performing mathematical functions, they IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
are morons at doing things your dog or cat can do, such
as recognizing you and acknowledging your presence.
Computers lack qualitative intelligence, that is, the ability
to identify those features that make each of us unique
and different.

(A) Computers can do some things and not others.

They do not have the ability to identify those
features that make each of us unique and different,
but they are very good at diagnosing equipment
malfunctions
or
performing
mathematical
functions.
Reference:
Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through
technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa
Educational Foundation.

(B) Computers can do some things and not others.

Frick (1991) explains that "While computers are
very good at certain tasks, such as diagnosing
equipment
malfunctions
or
performing
mathematical functions .... [they] lack qualitative
intelligence, that is, the ability to identify those
features that make each of us unique and different"
(p. 30).
Reference:
Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through
technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa
Educational Foundation.