Avoiding Plagiarism

Read the CAD Pages 23-24 for an in-depth explanation of Plagiarism.

  • Plagiarism occurs when an author uses someone else’s exact WORDS (more than 4-5 in a row) and does not put quotes around them.
  • Plagiarism is still present when an author uses someone else’s exact WORDS (more than 4-5 in a row) and cites this information, but does not put quotes around them.
  • Plagiarism also occurs when an author uses someone else’s IDEAS – i.e., information gained from the readings – and puts it in their own words, but does not cite this information.

Taking a large segment of another author’s work and inserting a few of one’s own words such as “the” or “when”, such as in the example below, is also unacceptable:

Spread of knowledge, the dispersion of advanced technologies, and the movements of people. When combined with...

Everything OTHER than the underlined words above is not the student’s idea. This practice is unacceptable. In this case, it would be better just to use the quote, although fully paraphrasing the information and citing it would be a better practice.

  • One other form of plagiarism can occur when authors fail to provide their own synthesis, analysis, and critical thinking, and instead strings quotes and paraphrases from other authors to try to answer the question. When students do the ASA properly, no more than about one-third of the essay should be support quotes or paraphrased information. Everything else should be the student’s own synthesis of the readings and one’s own critical thought and analysis.

So how can students avoid plagiarism?

Paraphrasing and Quotations

A frequently observed problem with USAWC students in their initial classes is an overreliance on quotations. In general, students should seek to paraphrase wherever possible – using their own words to express another’s ideas – rather than using quotations. Students should generally only use quotations when the specific words used by the original author are of such a unique character that the words themselves provide flavor and context for the information presented. It is important to note however, that this does not circumvent the need to cite properly or to place quotation marks around direct lifts longer than 5 words. It is also important to note that students often mistake the words for being such unique character, when, in fact, with a little effort, they could paraphrase the information to be as good or perhaps even better than the original.

Including an author’s words verbatim without quotation marks (or block quote indentation) is plagiarism even if accompanied by a source citation. Nor should students seek to replace only a word or two and pass this off as their own paraphrased ideas (see plagiarism below). For both paraphrase and quotation, students must carefully provide complete source documentation information.

Students will almost always find that paraphrasing allows them to answer the questions posed in USAWC written assignments much more directly than by trying to apply a quotation that originally conveyed a different idea in a different context. The art of paraphrasing is important to master; it enables writers to incorporate other’s ideas while giving the original source proper credit. Good writers rely upon paraphrase to strengthen their claims by (a) providing supporting evidence, (b) grounding arguments in intellectual history, (c) exploring issues raised in prior research, and (d) briefly identifying issues that are being supported or refuted. Effective use of paraphrase prevents authors from overuse of direct quotations, a practice which detracts from an author’s argument and is associated with weak writing. In addition, being able to put a concept into one’s own words is a higher form of learning, per Bloom’s Taxonomy, than just quoting the information. Being able to paraphrase means the student comprehends the information well enough to say it differently.

Brief Quotation

Students should enclose brief quotations in quotation marks (“”) and accompany the quotation with a superscript citation number (footnote number) after the closing quotation mark, as in the following example:

Ike Skelton observed that "our nation showed the ability to persevere."2
2 Skelton, Whispers of Warriors, 79.

For further information about the USAWC standard for footnote format, please refer to the CAD. In general, USAWC footnoting format conforms to The Chicago Manual of Style.

Short Paraphrase

The absence of quotation marks signals a paraphrase, or the author’s use of their own words to restate the concept. Paraphrase requires a re-stating of the author’s position in one’s own words; this does not mean that the author can simply rearrange some words and replace others with synonyms. When paraphrasing, the author should strive to describe the concept in their own words, to help gain fuller comprehension of the topic. Example paraphrase of the above-quoted example:

During the Cold War era, government officials and the American public demonstrated a sustained and impressive commitment in the face of numerous obstacles and fears.3
3 Skelton, Whispers of Warriors, 79.

Paraphrase with Quotation

While the War College encourages the use of full paraphrasing, there are times when students will wish to capture the meaning and spirit of a source. This technique involves paraphrasing to capture the main ideas, and then accompanying this paraphrased section with a partial quotation to portray the character of the original text, as in:

During the Cold War era, government officials and the American public demonstrated a sustained and impressive commitment in the face of numerous obstacles and fears. This commitment is, as Ike Skelton observed, “a great testimony to the character of the American People and the quality of the leaders who guided the Nation through often trying times.”4
4 Skelton, Whispers of Warriors, 79.

Common Knowledge

Common knowledge, or open-source knowledge, does not require a footnote. For example, to write that US involvement in WW II began in late 1941 and continued until well into 1945 does not require a footnote, even if consulting a source regarding the dates. This kind of information is common knowledge.

If, however, a writer directly quotes, word for word “that US involvement in WW II began in late 1941 and continued well into 1945,” the quote requires a footnote, because it is a quote. One must question, however, why a student would directly quote what is notably common knowledge. Those not well-versed in source documentation risk exposure to charges of sloppy research, bad judgment, poor information, and even plagiarism when they quote from sources excessively. It is important to properly document all quoted or paraphrased sources used in every paper or assignment, but students should strive to contribute their own knowledge, analysis, and critical thinking to the paper, none of which should show up as plagiarism.

It is important to remember that when in the midst of a course, and, after reading several sources, particular information rapidly springs to mind, this does not give license to pass such information off as “common knowledge.” Common knowledge is usually information students already knew when beginning the course.

Academic Integrity

The USAWC upholds the highest standards of academic integrity. Any activity that compromises the academic integrity of the institution and/or subverts the educational process constitutes academic misconduct and may prompt administrative action, including lowering of a grade, disciplinary action, or disenrollment. Violations of academic integrity typically fall into one of four categories:

  1. Plagiarism: the act of taking someone else’s ideas, writings, or other intellectual products and passing them off as one’s own.
  2. Cheating: utilizing unauthorized access to or unauthorized materials in violation of established rules.
  3. Misrepresentation: submitting a single work for more than one graded requirement without permission or acknowledgement.
  4. Fabrication/Falsification: unauthorized creation, alteration, or reporting of information in an academic activity, including artificially creating, altering, or omitting data, information, or sources.

See USAWC Memorandum 623-1, Student Assessment, Appendix C for more information. Section for our awards