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The University of British Columbia policy on plagiarism, which uses MLK as the WORST example of plagiarism.

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Introduction | What is plagiarism | Avoiding Plagiarism | 
Examples

PLAGIARISM

What it is, and How to Avoid It

1. INTRODUCTION

 2. WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

 3. AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

4. EXAMPLES

1. INTRODUCTION

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Each year a number of 
cases of plagiarism are brought to the attention of the Dean of 
Arts and the President’s Office. Depending on the severity of 
the offence, students found guilty of plagiarism may lose credit 
for the assignment in question, be awarded a mark of zero in the 
course, or face suspension from the University. Most cases which 
pass through the Dean’s office result in at least a temporary 
suspension from the University (permanently noted on the 
student’s transcript) and a mark of zero.

2. WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

Complete plagiarism
Near-Complete plagiarism
Patchwork plagiarism
Lazy plagiarism
Self plagiarism

Most simply, plagiarism is intellectual theft. Any use of 
another author’s research, ideas, or language without proper 
attribution may be considered plagiarism. Because such 
definitions include many shades of accidental or intentional 
plagiarism, these need to be described more fully.

Complete Plagiarism

This is the most obvious case: a student submits, as his or her 
own work, an essay that has been written by someone else. 
Usually the original source is a published journal article or 
book chapter. The use of unpublished work, including the work of 
another student, is just as serious.

In such cases, plagiarism cannot be "avoided" by paraphrasing 
the original or acknowledging its use in footnotes. The work is 
the property of another author and should not be used. See 
Example #1

Near-complete Plagiarism

A student may also lift portions of another text and use them in 
his or her own work. For example, a student might add her or his 
own conclusions or introduction to an essay. Or a student might 
scatter his or her own comments through a text taken 
substantially from another source.

These practices are unacceptable. Even with some attribution, 
the bulk of the work has been done by another. See Example #1

Patchwork Plagiarism

In many cases, a student will lift ideas, phrases, sentences, 
and paragraphs from a variety of sources and "stitch" them 
together into an essay. These situations often seem difficult to 
assess. Most essays, after all, are attempts to bring together a 
range of sources and arguments. But the line between plagiarism 
and original work is not difficult to draw. See Example #2

Lazy Plagiarism

Lazy plagiarism crops up in many student essays, and is usually 
the result of sloppy note-taking or research shortcuts. Examples 
include:

inadvertent use of another’s language, usually when the student 
fails to distinguish between direct quotes and general 
observations when taking notes. In such cases, the presence of a 
footnote does not excuse the use of another’s language without 
quotation marks.

use of footnotes or material quoted in other sources as if they 
were the results of your research.

sloppy or inadequate footnoting which leaves out sources or page 
references.

Although it may not be the student’s intention to deceive, it is 
often difficult for instructors to distinguish between 
purposeful and accidental plagiarism. See Example #3

Self Plagiarism

The use of an essay written for one course to satisfy the 
requirements of another course is plagiarism. Students should 
not use, adapt, or update an essay written for another purpose.

This is not intended to discourage students from pursuing 
specific interests. If you want to use a previously completed 
essay as a starting point for new research, you should receive 
the instructor’s approval and provide her or him with a copy of 
the original essay. If you want to use substantially similar 
essays to satisfy the requirements of two related courses, you 
should get approval from all the instructors concerned.

3. AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

research
writing
footnoting
editing

It is not hard to draw the distinction between original and 
thoroughly plagiarized work. But the "grey areas" between these 
extremes are more vexing. Students should avoid any hint of 
dishonesty by maintaining good research habits and paying 
attention to a few basic rules of writing and documentation.

Research

Most written assignments begin with the collection of research 
notes -- a combination of ideas or quotes from other sources, 
and the student’s own ideas. Whether you keep notes on index 
cards, in a loose-leaf binder, or on old envelopes in a desk 
drawer, it is important to record and organize them in such a 
way that vital information is not lost.


Keep careful and complete track of sources. Accurately copy the 
author, title, and other information about the source 
publication, including the number(s) of the page(s) from which 
notes or quotes were taken.

Distinguish carefully between your ideas and the ideas of 
others. This is a simple question of intellectual honesty. If 
you use another’s conclusions, acknowledge them. If you come to 
the same conclusions as another on your own, you should still 
acknowledge the agreement.

Distinguish carefully between your own words and those of 
others. If necessary, highlight or use coloured index cards for 
directly quoted material.

Writing

As you begin to tie your ideas together in written form, 
consider the following:


Begin by organizing your essay in an original manner. Avoid 
mimicking the pattern or order of argument used by others. 
Remember: this is your humble contribution to a debate or a body 
of research; it is not (in most case) an attempt to summarize or 
paraphrase the work of others.

As you weave the ideas and language of others into your work, 
make clear choices about the use of quoted material. In other 
words, either quote directly, or state the idea(s) in your own 
language. Do not mess around with close paraphrases or purely 
cosmetic changes. See Example #4

Read the first draft carefully. Is the distinction between your 
work and the work of others clear and unambiguous? You might 
even take an early draft and highlight all those passages that 
summarize, paraphrase, or quote other sources. Is there enough 
of your own work left in the essay?

Footnoting

Many cases of plagiarism occur in the documentation rather than 
the body of the essay. You should have a clear idea of the 
variety of purposes a footnote (or endnote) may serve, and many 
different ways you can acknowledge the work of others. For 
specific cases See Example #5. Also note the following:

Always record your source of the information; never use or rely 
on another author’s footnotes.

The footnote should allow the reader to find or check the 
material being cited. Provide exact page numbers for direct 
quotes, and a range of page numbers for more general points.

If you included more than one source or reference in a footnote, 
the relevance or order of the various sources should be clear to 
the reader.

Editing

Once your essay is complete, consider each portion that is drawn 
from another source, and ask yourself the following:

Is the idea or argument expressed entirely my own?

Is the general language or choice of words (including even 
phrases or rough paraphrases) my own?

If either answer is "no," the work must be credited to the 
original author. And if the answer to the second question is 
"no," the passage should either be quoted directly or rewritten 
in the student’s own words and credited directly.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE #1

Complete or Near-Complete Plagiarism

Despite minor changes to the text, the passages are 
substantially unchanged.

In the first case, the plagiarist also lifts the footnote from 
the original. Note that the use of even very brief passages 
(such as the "wings of aspiration") constitutes plagiarism. Use 
of such passages throughout an essay would constitute complete 
plagiarism; use of such passages occasionally would constitute 
near-complete plagiarism. [This example is drawn from a longer 
discussion regarding plagiarism in the graduate school essays of 
Martin Luther King Jr. Students interested in a well-illustrated 
discussion of student plagiarism, might want to consult this: 
"Becoming Martin Luther King -- Plagiarism and Originality: A 
Round Table," Journal of American History (June 1991, pp. 11-
123. The example used below is on p. 25.]

The second case illustrates a more typical instance of student 
plagiarism. Even the footnote to the original does not excuse 
the substantial use of the original’s language.

CASE 1

Original
It is Eros, not Agape, that loves in proportion to the value of 
its object. By the pursuit of value in its object, Platonic love 
is let up and away from the world, on wings of aspiration, 
beyond all transient things and persons to the realm of the 
Ideas. Agape, as described in the Gospels and Epistles, is 
"spontaneous and ‘uncaused’," "indifferent to human merit," and 
"creates" value in those upon whom it is bestowed out of pure 
generosity. It flows down from God into this transient, sinful 
world; those whom it touches become conscious of their own utter 
unworthiness; they are impelled to forgive and love their 
enemies....because the God of grace imparts worth to them by the 
act of loving them.* [footnote* is to Anders Nygren, Agape and 
Eros. (New York, 1932), pp. 52-56]

Plagiarized Version

As Nygren set out to contrast these two Greek words he finds 
that Eros loves in proportion to the value of the object. By the 
pursuit of value in its objects. Platonic love is let up and 
away from the world, on wings of aspiration, beyond all 
transient things and persons to the realm of the Ideas. Agape as 
described in the Gospels and Epistles, is "spontaneous and 
uncaused," "indifferent to human merit," and creates value in 
those upon whom it is bestowed out of pure generosity. It flows 
down from God into the transient, sinful world; those whom it 
touches become conscious of their own utter unworthiness; they 
are impelled to forgive and love their enemies, because the God 
of Grace imparts worth to them by the act of loving them.*
[Footnote* is to Nygren, Agape and Eros, pp. 52-56]

CASE 2

Original

The strike officially began on May 29, and on June 1 the 
manufacturers met publicly to plan their resistance. Their 
strategies were carried out on two fronts. They pressured the 
proprietors into holding out indefinitely by refusing to send 
new collars and cuffs to any laundry. Also the manufacturers 
attempted to undermine directly the union’s efforts to weather 
the strike. They tried to create a negative image of the union 
through the press, which they virtually controlled. They 
prevented a few collar manufacturers in other cities from 
patronizing the unions’ cooperative laundry even though it 
claimed it could provide the same services for 25 percent less. 
Under these circumstances, the collar ironers’ tactics were much 
less useful.

Plagiarized Version

The strike began on May 29, and on June 1 the manufacturers met 
publicly to plan their response. They had two strategies. They 
pressured the proprietors into holding out indefinitely by 
refusing to send new collars and cuffs to any laundry, and they 
attempted to undermine directly the union’s efforts to weather 
the strike. They also tried to create a negative image of the 
union through the newspapers, which they virtually controlled. 
They prevented a few collar manufacturers in other cities from 
using the unions’ cooperative laundry even though it could 
provide the same services for 25 percent less. Under these 
circumstances, the collar ironers’ tactics were much less 
useful.1

1. Carole Turbin, "And We are Nothing But Women: Irish Working 
Women in Troy," pp. 225-26 in Women of America. Edited by Mary 
Beth Norton (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1979).

EXAMPLE #2

Patchwork Plagiarism

Here two sources are combined to create a new passage. As it 
stands, the passage is clearly plagiarized. If a footnote were 
added acknowledging the sources, the substantial use of the 
language of the original passage would still open the student to 
charges of plagiarism. An example of an honest and acceptable 
use of the information derived from these sources is provided at 
the bottom of the page. Note that the "acceptable version" uses 
the facts of the original sources, but organizes and expresses 
them in the student’s own language.

Originals

Source 1:

"Despite the strong public opposition, the Reagan administration 
continued to install so many North American men, supplies, and 
facilities in Honduras that one expert called it "the USS 
Honduras, a [stationary] aircraft carrier or sorts." (Walter 
LaFeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989), 309.)

Source 2:

"By December 1981, American agents--some CIA, some U.S. Special 
Forces--were working through Argentine intermediaries to set up 
contra safe houses, training centres, and base camps along the 
Nicaraguan-Honduran border." (Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in 
Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), 139.)

Plagiarized Version
Despite strong public opposition, by December 1981 the Reagan 
Administration was working through Argentine intermediaries to 
install contra safe houses, training centres, and base camps in 
Honduras. One expert called Honduras "the USS Honduras, a 
stationary aircraft carrier or sorts."

Acceptable
In the early 1980s, the Reagan Administration made increasing 
use of Honduras as a base for the contra war. The Administration 
set up a number of military and training facilities--some 
American, some contra, and some housing Argentine mercenaries--
along the border between Nicaragua and Honduras. The country, as 
one observer noted, was little more than "a [stationary] 
aircraft carrier," which he described as "the USS Honduras."2

2. See Walter Lafeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989), 
p. 307-310 (quote p. 309); and Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in 
Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), 139.

EXAMPLE #3

Lazy Plagiarism

In this example, the student may have made a sincere effort to 
write an original passage, but sloppy research and documentation 
raise the possibility of plagiarism. Note the characteristic 
errors: confusion of original and student’s language, quotation 
marks in the wrong place, improper or incomplete footnotes.

Originals

Source 1:

"Despite the strong public opposition, the Reagan administration 
continued to install so many North American men, supplies, and 
facilities in Honduras that one expert called it "the USS 
Honduras, a [stationary aircraft carrier of sorts." (Walter 
LaFeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989), 309.)

Source 2:

"By December 1981, American agents--some CIA, some U.S. Special 
Forces--were working through Argentine intermediaries to set up 
contra safe houses, training centres, and base camps along the 
Nicaraguan-Honduran border." (Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in 
Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), 139.)

Plagiarized Version
Despite strong public opposition, the Reagan Administration 
"continued to install so many North American men, supplies, and 
facilities in Honduras that one expert called it the USS 
Honduras, a stationary aircraft carrier or sorts."3

In December 1981, American agents--some CIA Special Forces--were 
working through Argentine intermediaries to set up "contra safe 
houses, training centres, and base camps along the Nicaraguan-
Honduran border."4

3. Walter Lafeber, Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989), p. 
309

4. Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983).

EXAMPLE #4

Close Paraphrasing

Students anxious about committing plagiarism often ask: "How 
much do I have to change a sentence to be sure I’m not 
plagiarizing?" A simple answer to this is: If you have to ask, 
you’re probably plagiarizing.

This is important. Avoiding plagiarism is not an exercise in 
inventive paraphrasing. There is no magic number of words that 
you can add or change to make a passage your own. Original work 
demands original thought and organization of thoughts. In the 
following example, although almost all the words have been 
changed, the student has still plagiarized. An acceptable use of 
this material is also provided below.

Original

Shortly after the two rogues, who pass themselves off as a duke 
and a king, invade the raft of Huck and Jim, they decide to 
raise funds by performing scenes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and 
Juliet and Richard III. That the presentation of Shakespeare in 
small Mississippi towns could be conceived of as potentially 
lucrative tells us much about the position of Shakespeare in the 
nineteenth century. (Lawrence Levine, Highbrow, Lowbrow: The 
Emergence of a Cultural Hierarchy in America (Cambridge, 1986), 
p. 10)

Plagiarized Version
Soon after the two thieves, who pretend they are a king and a 
duke, capture Huck and Jim’s raft, they try to make money by 
putting on two Shakespeare plays (Romeo and Juliet and Richard 
III). Because the production of Shakespeare in tiny Southern 
towns is seen as possibly profitable, we learn a lot about the 
status of Shakespeare before the twentieth century.

Acceptable Version
As Lawrence Levine argues, casual references to Shakespeare in 
popular nineteenth century literature suggests that the 
identification of "highbrow" theatre is a relatively recent 
phenomenon.5

Note that this version does not merely rephrase or repeat the 
material from the passage cited above, but expands upon it and 
places it in the context of the student’s work.

EXAMPLE #5

Varieties of Footnotes

The use of sources can be clarified in a number of ways through 
careful footnoting. Consider the different forms of 
documentation and acknowledgement in the following:

With the election of Ronald Regan, covert operations in Latin 
America escalated rapidly.6 "The influx of American funds," 
notes Peter Kornbluh, determined "the frequency and 
destructiveness of contra attachs."7 In the early 1980s, the 
Regan Administration increasingly used Honduras as a base for 
the contra war. The Administration set up a number of military 
and training facilities--some American, some contra, and some 
housing Argengine mercenaries--along the border between 
Nicaragua and Honduras. "[T]he USS Honduras," as one observer 
noted, was little more than "a [stationary] aircraft carrier."8 
These strategies seemed to represent both a conscious 
acceleration of American involvement in the region, and the 
inertia of past involvements and failures.9

6. The following paragraph is drawn from Walter Lafeber, 
Inevitable Revolutions (New York, 1989), p. 307-310; and Peter 
Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity 
Warfare (New York, 1983), pp. 139-149.

Note: FOOTNOTE 6 provides general background sources.

7. Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low 
Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), p. 139.

Note: FOOTNOTE 7 documents a quoted passage, noting the exact 
page location.

8. Observer quoted in Walter Lafeber, Inevitable Revolutions 
(New York, 1989), p. 309.

Note: FOOTNOTE 8 documents a secondary quotation.

9. Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low 
Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), stresses the renewal of 
counterinsurgency under Reagan; Walter Lafeber, Inevitable 
Revolutions, stresses the ongoing interventionism of the U.S. 
(New York, 1989), p. 307-310.

Note: FOOTNOTE 9 distinguishes your argument from that of your 
sources.


Prepared by:

Dr. Colin H. Gordon
(Department of History, UBC)

Professor Peter Simmons
(President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline, UBC)

Dr. Graeme Wynn
(Associate Dean of Arts, UBC)

The Faculty of Arts
The University of British Columbia

http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bpg/plagiarism.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20050714033232/http://www.zoology.ub
c.ca/bpg/plagiarism.htm
                       

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The University of British Columbia policy on plagiarism, which uses MLK as the WORST example of plagiarism. "Ronny Koch" <rkoch@banmlkday.com> - 2026-01-20 14:26 +0100

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