Plagiarism

Yesterday, 15 January 2011, I attended a workshop on Plagiarism at Al-Ghazali, INSTED IIUM. Alhamdulillah there were so many participants especially from Postgraduate Students. The speaker was Prof. Dr. Ratnahwati, her name similar to my mother's name, but my mom is a Home Professor only..hehe

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is well known term to academic research. It can be defined as the act of presenting the words, ideas, images, sounds or the creative expression of others as your own. It also can be considered as cheating and deception. Read more HERE

Plagiarism can be done intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional plagiarism is when the researcher is stealing other's work, and it can be understood because it's only done with a specific intention. On the other hand, unintentional plagiarism is when the researcher is careless, quoting excessively or he doesn't have his own voice (expression, idea or point of view).

Types of Plagiarism?

• Uncited Sources: The ghost writer (unknown), The Photocopy (without acknowledgment), The Potluck Paper (combine from difference sources), The Poor disguise, Labor of Laziness, The self-stealer.
• Cited Sources: The forgotten footnote, Misinformed, Too-perfect paraphrase, Resourceful citer, Perfect crime.

When you not need to cite?

• If the researcher use his own experience, observation or reaction.
• If he compiling the results of original research.

Guideline to Cite and Quote without Plagiarism.

• Use your own words and ideas
• Give credit for copied, adapted, or paraphrased materials
• Avoid using other's work with 'cosmetic' changes
• Beware of 'common knowledge'

3 Strategies to avoid Plagiarism

• Quoting, in order to support or to disagree or to highlight or to compare & contrast.
  
• Paraphrasing, in order to express with own sentence but other's idea.
  
• Summarizing, in order to explain in a short discussion of important points.

Prof Ratnah suggests a website that explain more on example of Plagiarism. Click HERE.

NO ONE is able to plagiarize the work and creation of Allah..

Although writing is not an easy task, we should know our own voice and the most important thing is THINK~! Appreciate your own expression and be creative..

**Now finalizing all chapters. Allahumma yassir wa La Tu'assir wa Tammim bilKhair..