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PlagiarismFrequently Asked QuestionsI know that "common knowledge" does not have to be cited, but what is "common knowledge?"Common knowledge is general information that your readers may know or could easily locate in any number of reference sources. If you knew a piece of info BEFORE you started reading about your research topic, it is common knowledge. If a piece of information that was new to you when you began your research is referred to again and again in all your sources--cite the first article you read it in. Examples:
Won't the professor give me a bad grade if every sentence in my paper has quotes and/or citations?Your paper should consist of combinations of:
So you are being graded on:
To avoid the look of constant quotes and citations:This paragraph .... Hands-free phones are not any safer in vehicles than other cell phones. Crashes involving cell phones may "result from a driver's limitations with regard to attention rather than dexterity." ....can be improved by using the author's name in the paraphrase: Redelmeier found that hands-free phones were not any safer in vehicles than other cell phones. He suggests that crashes involving cell phones may "result from a driver's limitations with regard to attention rather than dexterity." What if I honestly don't have anything to say about this topic?Think about it some more. What if I can't think of a better way to explain something than the author I'm paraphrasing from?Your professor knows you are an undergraduate and that the author of the article or book you are citing can probably say it better than you. But there is no skill in quoting, so TRY to paraphrase instead. Your professor would rather you paraphrase badly than quote (or plagiarize, certainly!) If you are absolutely certain you can't paraphrase from a source, then go ahead and quote it, but CITE IT correctly! Example:This: In 1882 Williams published History of the Negro Race in America, 1619-1880. "This made him the first major historian of African-American ancestry." ² At the end of... Becomes this, when paraphrased: In 1882 Williams published History of the Negro Race in America 1619-1880. According to biographer John Franklin Hope, this book was the first serious history book ever written by an African-American. ² At the end of his... So how do I make "smooth transitions" between my ideas and the quotes/paraphrases?Use "signal phrases" to introduce your quotes. They make your paper more pleasant to read and easier to understand than "dropped quotes." For example, this paragraph with a dropped quotation...... In 2000, the legislature of Suffolk County passed a law restricting drivers' use of hand-held phones. "The bill prohibits the use of a cell phone while driving unless it is equipped with an earpiece or can act like a speakerphone, leaving the driver's hands free." ....can be improved by adding a signal phrase: In 2000, the legislature of Suffolk County passed a law restricting drivers' use of hand-held phones. According to journalist Tina Kelley, "The bill prohibits the use of a cell phone while driving unless it is equipped with an earpiece or can act like a speakerphone, leaving the driver's hands free." Here's another example of signal phrase, this time used to signal a paraphrase: One driver, Peter Cohen, says that when he was rear-ended, the guilty party emerged from his vehicle still talking on the phone. Source material for this page :
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