Avoiding plagiarism (from D. Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, 4th Ed., p. 84-85)

Original source: Early colonists viewed the lion as a threat to livestock, as a competitor for the New World’s abundant game, and most importantly, as the personification of the savage and godless wilderness they meant to cleanse and civilize. --Kevin Hansen, Cougar, p.1

Plagiarism: Early colonists took a dim view of the lion. According to Kevin Hansen, they saw it as a threat to livestock, as a competitor for the New World’s abundant game, and most importantly, as the personification of the savage and godless wilderness they meant to cleanse and civilize.

Borrowed language in quotation marks: Early colonists took a dim view of the lion. According to Kevin Hansen, they saw it “as a threat to livestock, as a competitor for the New World’s abundant game, and most importantly, as the personification of the savage and godless wilderness they meant to cleanse and civilize.”

Original source: The park [ Caspers Wilderness Park] was closed to minors in 1992 after the family of a girl severely mauled there in 1986 won a suit against the county. The award of $2.1 million for the mountain lion attack on Laura Small, who was 5 at the time, was later reduced to $1.5 million. --Reyes and Messina, “More Warning Signs,” p. B1.

Plagiarism: Unacceptable Borrowing: Reyes and Messina report that Caspers Wilderness Park was closed to children in 1992 after the family of a girl brutally mauled there in 1986 sued the county. The family was ultimately awarded $1.5 million for the mountain lion assault on Laura Small, who was 5 at the time.

Acceptable Paraphrase: Reyes and Messina report that in 1992 Caspers Wilderness Park was placed off-limits to minors because of an incident that had occurred there some years earlier. In 1986, a five-year-old, Laura Small, was mauled by a mountain lion and seriously injured. Her family sued the county and eventually won a settlement of $1.5 million. (B1)

Another acceptable paraphrase: In 1992, officials banned minors from Caspers Wilderness Park. Reyes and Messina Explain that park officials took this measure after a mountain lion attack on a child led to a lawsuit. The child, five-year old Laura Small, had been severely mauled by a lion in 1986, and her parents sued the county. Eventually they received an award of $1.5 million (B1).


More on plagiarism

From http://www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action.htm:

Affirmative action generally means giving preferential treatment to minorities in admission to universities or employment in government & businesses. The policies were originally developed to correct decades of discrimination and to give disadvantaged minorities a boost. The diversity of our current society as opposed to that of 50 years ago seem to indicate the programs have been a success. But now, many think the policies are no longer needed and that they lead to more problems than they solve.

One notable example is a case currently being argued in the Supreme Court concerning admissions to the University of Michigan. The school has a policy of rating potential applicants on a point system. Being a minority student earns you more than twice as many points as achieving a perfect SAT score. Three white students have sued citing this as raced-based discrimination. School officials say that diversity is desirable and affirmative action is the only way to achieve true diversity.

The following sections explore the issue and show how things are much more complicated.

From student paper:

Affirmative action is commonly known as a policy giving special treatment to minorities during employment decisions or higher education admissions. The policies were first developed to correct years of discrimination and to give disadvantaged minorities a lift. Society’s current state of diversity has changed over that past 50 years due to the help of affirmative action. However currently, many seem to think the policies are no longer needed and proved to be causing harm to society, but who cares right? At least now society and the school systems are diverse. The University of Michigan has a policy that rates applicants on a point system. In this system, being a minority student earns you more than twice as many points as achieving a perfect SAT score. Three white students have sued arguing they were discriminated against because of their race. School representatives say that diversity is desirable and affirmative action is the only way to achieve true diversity.

Is this plagiarism? What would you do if you were the instructor?