PLAGIARISM is the presentation of the ideas or words of someone else as if they are one's own original ideas or work. Plagiarism is intellectual theft. It is illegal. Perpetrators can be prosecuted.

Plagiarism is also unethical and just plain loathsome in all work, but especially so in sociology papers. After all, as sociologists we know that the vitality of a community (such as a college) depends on personal honesty and trust among members. Trust is a form of social capital that communities use to accomplish their goals. As Francis Fukuyama reminds us,

Trust is the expectation that arises within a community of regular, honest, and cooperative behavior, based on commonly shared norms, on the part of other members of that community. ...the most effective organizations are based on communities of shared ethical values. (1995:26)

Plagiarism destroys trust, so don't do it. Ever.

To avoid plagiarism in your work, you must acknowledge and cite sources of ideas or words. Use quotation marks along with a citation for a short direct quotation. A longer direct quotation (over about four lines) is usually indented without quotation marks but with a citation. You must cite a source, however, even if you summarize or paraphrase someone else's ideas or words without quoting directly.

Use bibliographic references to cite sources and a references or works cited page to give full bibliographic information about sources.

For more information . . . .

See The Skidmore Guide to Writing (Expository Writing Committee 1999) for advice on quoting, citing, and documentation as well as details on how to cite your sources. See the American Sociological Society's Style Guide (1997) for citation formats used in sociology. Click here for this Sociology Web site's description of citation formats you should use in sociology papers.

Click here for The Ethics of Scholarship on the Dean of Studies web site. For still more information on plagiarism, see "The Skidmore Honor System" in the Student Handbook.

Be sure to talk with your professor if you have any doubts at all about whether you are properly acknowledging your sources. As noted in The Ethics of Scholarship, "most academic integrity problems can be avoided if you simply ask your teachers for clarification before submitting your work" (Dean of Studies Staff 1999:3). Staff in the Office of the Dean of Studies are also good people with whom to discuss concerns about plagiarism.

References

American Sociological Association. 1997. Style Guide. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association.

Dean of Studies Staff. 1999. The Ethics of Scholarship. Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY: Skidmore College.

Expository Writing Committee. 1999. The Skidmore Guide to Writing. Saratoga Springs, NY: Skidmore College.

Fukuyama, Francis. 1995. Trust: The Social Virtue and the Creation of Prosperity. New York: Free Press.

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Created June 2000