1. Proper Citation and Attribution
Avoiding Plagiarism
Lois S. Sadler and Janene Batten
Yale University School of Nursing
2010

2. What is PLAGIARISM?
 Use of another person's work without
acknowledgment with the intent to pass it
off as your own

3. What is PLAGIARISM?
 Use of another person's work without
acknowledgment with the intent to pass it
off as your own
 Buying, stealing, borrowing, or otherwise
obtaining all or part of a paper; hiring
someone to write a paper

4. What is PLAGIARISM?
 Use of another person's work without
acknowledgment with the intent to pass it
off as your own
 Buying, stealing, borrowing, or otherwise
obtaining all or part of a paper; hiring
someone to write a paper
 Submitting the same paper for more than
one class

5. It is a serious offense
It’s easier to track than you
think.
 Instructors reading your work have a very
sound knowledge of the field of interest you
are writing about, and can recognize the use
of other’s work.
 It is easier than ever to find the source of
plagiarized material.

6. When is plagiarism most likely to
happen?
 When assignments or papers are left to the
last minute….plan ahead and stage your
work to avoid last minute writing….
 When students are stressed by multiple life or
academic pressures and try to take short cuts
 When students are not careful about their
note-taking, or instead of note-taking, copy
and paste actual text into their electronic
notes folder or paper draft….NEVER DO
THIS!

7. Consequences of
Lack of or Inadequate Attribution
YSN - Policy #33
Disciplinary Procedures of the School of
Nursing
 http://intranet.nursing.yale.edu/Intranet/Policies/default.aspx?id=33
 Hearing
 If proven to have plagiarized penalties include
 reprimand
 probation
 suspension
 expulsion
 In addition YSN may refer students for prosecution

8. Correct Attribution
Students must acknowledge the work
of others when they are creating their
own works.

9. How to Avoid Plagiarism
 proper and complete citation of
 original source of the work
 ideas
 words
 concepts
 data
 Images
This applies to paraphrasing or summarizing the
work of others as well as direct quotations.
If in doubt, always ask!

12. Source: Public Health Image Library
http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/home.asp

16. How to avoid – Research
 keep accurate information about sources
 never copy and paste text from another
source unless you quote it and cite it as a
quote
 if your conclusions are same as someone
else’s acknowledge consensus

17. How to avoid – Helpful Tools
 Citation Management Tools
 EndNote ($)
 RefWorks (Free from the Library)
 http://www.med.yale.edu/library/education/guides/subcat
egory/citations
 Quosa
 Organizes and indexes all your articles and documents
 http://www.med.yale.edu/library/education/guides/quosa

18. How to avoid – Writing
 organize your work in an original way
 give exact attribution
 use quotation marks and include page number
when necessary
 citations should allow reader to find
material quoted
*see APA Manual 6th Edition pp. 171-172

19. How to avoid – Editing
Ask yourself
 is the language my own, even paraphrasing?
 is this my original idea?
If not, acknowledge source or rewrite to reflect
your thoughts and wording

20. How to Cite
“”
When in doubt
CITE!

21. Citation Resources in detail!
APA Manual 6th Edition!
 Required for courses and writing
assignments
 Medical Library Info Room
 REF20 BF76.7 P83 2010
 List price $28.95 ($16 on Amazon)

22. Citation Resources in detail!
 Dedicated links
 Nursing Librarian’s APA site
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/nursing/research/apa.html
 APA Style.org
Style help http://www.apastyle.org/apa-style-help.aspx
Tutorials http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/index.aspx#false
 General Counsel Office - Copyright
http://ogc.yale.edu/legal_reference/copyright.html
 Copyright Law and Fair Use
http://www.copyright.gov/

23. Not APA Style??
If writing for a journal that requires a different
style (other than APA)
 principles are the same
 consult the specific guidelines for authors
concerning the actual citation format
 Check the Journal’s/Publisher’s site
 Manuscript submission
 Instructions to Authors

24. Images
There are databases should you need images:
 Image Resources
http://guides.med.yale.edu/images
 Before using any images please check
copyright statements for each site
 Always cite images found on the Internet

25. Academic Integrity Module
MANDATORY
Complete the YSN Academic Integrity Module
 reviews the basic principles of academic
integrity
 required for all students as part
of the registration process….

26. Consequences of Lack of Attribution or
Inadequate Attribution -- #1
 YSN
 Policy #32 Personal Conduct Policy is signed by
all students at entry into YSN
 Policy #33 Disciplinary Procedures of the School
of Nursing
 In most cases, when lack of attribution is documented by the
faculty, failure of the assignment occurs, followed by the
procedure as outlined in Policy #33

27. Consequences of Lack of Attribution or
Inadequate Attribution -- #2
 Within the University
 Graduate School refers all allegations to the
Graduate School Committee on Regulations and
Discipline. May result in dismissal from the
University.
http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/academics/ethics.html
 Academic Fraud at Yale University
http://www.yale.edu/grants/policies/academic-fraud.html

28. Consequences of Lack of Attribution or
Inadequate Attribution -- #3
 In the larger academic and clinical
community
 Professional careers are ended or severely
damaged- Stephen Ambrose, Doris Kearns
Goodwin…others

29. Resources and References
 American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
 American Psychological Association. (2007). APA style guide to electronic
references. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 Yale College Writing Center --
(http://www.yale.edu/bass/writing/sources/plagiarism/what.html)
 Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
(http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/academics/integrity.html)
 YSN Personal Conduct Policy
 Policy #32
http://intranet.nursing.yale.edu/Intranet/Policies/default.aspx?id=32
 Policy # 33
http://intranet.nursing.yale.edu/Intranet/Policies/default.aspx?id=33