Last updated 5/6/2020
Visual: Screen opens to a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The title Walden University Writing Center and tagline “Your writing, grammar, and APA experts” appears on the screen. The screen changes to show the series title “Plagiarism Detection & Revision Skills” and the video title “Types of Plagiarism: Overt Plagiarism.”
Audio: Guitar music
Visual: The screen changes to show a slide with the following title and content: Types of Plagiarism
Audio: We have organized plagiarism into three categories or ways plagiarism can manifest in writing: overt plagiarism, passive plagiarism, and self-plagiarism. In this video, we are focusing on overt plagiarism.
Visual: The screen changes to show a slide with the following title and content: Overt Plagiarism
Copying a source word for word without attribution (quotations without citations or quotation marks)
Original Source
Plagiarism in a student’s writing
Missing Quotation Marks
Audio: Overt plagiarism is when writers have improperly cited quotations. This means the writer is copying a source word for word but without attribution. This often takes the form of quotations that don’t have citations or quotation marks. Another way to refer to overt plagiarism might be copy-and-paste plagiarism because it looks as if the author simply copied and pasted portions of a source into their writing without attribution.
Here is an example of overt plagiarism. On the left we have the quote from the original source. On the right, we have an example of overt plagiarism in a student’s writing. In this example, the student has used the same phrasing as the original source, word-for-word, but without quotation marks. Thus, the specific wording is not attributed to the source—they are not given credit where credit is due—which results in overt plagiarism.
Correction:
Audio: Let’s revise the student’s overt plagiarism by providing the required elements to cite the directly quoted material. Here, we’ve added the following: (1) a citation with the author name and year of publication, (2) quotation marks around the quoted text, and (3) the page number for the quotation.
Writers are required to include all of these elements to appropriately cite quotations and avoid overt plagiarism; if any of these elements are missing, the result is incorrect citing at best and overt plagiarism at worst.
Visual: The screen changes to show a slide with the following title and content: Strategies for Avoiding Overt Plagiarism
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Audio: Now you know what overt plagiarism is, what overt plagiarism looks like, and how to revise overt plagiarism, let’s think about strategies to help you avoid overt plagiarism.
First, be sure you’re familiar with APA citation rules. As we’ve seen, APA citations are essential to giving credit to the original source for the quotations we use.
Second, practice precise proofing and editing of your writing. It’s understandable if you don’t include perfect citations and quotation marks while writing your first draft. However, it’s essential you incorporate proofing and editing steps into your writing process to look for these omissions.
Third, use careful note taking techniques. When we are in a rush, it’s easy to copy and paste quotations from a source into our notes without separating those quotations from our own thoughts or paraphrases. This is a recipe for overt plagiarism, so when you’re taking the notes, be sure to add quotation marks and citations as you go along. This notation will reduce the likelihood for overt plagiarism.
Finally, a comprehensive writing schedule will help you avoid plagiarism too. Building in time to fully write and incorporate the other strategies is essential to avoiding overt plagiarism; if we’re too rushed to complete assignments by the deadline, we may inadvertently take shortcuts or shortchange these other strategies.
And of course, reach out to us in the Writing Center for our support. Send us an e-mail or visit us at our Live Chat hours to talk through your plagiarism questions; we’re here to support you throughout your Walden program.
Visual: The screen changes to an ending slide with slide a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The email address writingsupport@mail.waldenu.edu appears on the screen.
OASIS