Nobody wants to get caught using somebody else's ideas and/or words without proper citing (plagiarism) but it happens all the time. Many colleges and universities have text-checking tools that look for plagiarized materials in student papers. The University of Pittsburgh even has a tool for researchers to submit their manuscripts prior to journal submission to check for plagiarized material! And, yes, plagiarism affects researchers quite often with potentially very negative consequences that can include loss of research funding, demotion, and even separation from the institution. Retraction Watch maintains a database in which you can look up retracted articles by author, subject, and even reason. Give it a try-- do a lookup for plagiarism. There are too many to view.
From: Purdue University
Fortunately for us, OWL also helps with citing. Plan on using the AMA style unless told otherwise for any item you turn in for your PH Science Academy project. One of the really great things about OWL is that you can use an auto-citation builder tool for Web cites, books, and articles. Remember: You are ultimately responsible for correctly citing your items. Make sure you use the citation generator responsibly.
It's tempting to Google a topic, then select items from the first page that pops up. But there are sites that present false, fake, and/or misleading information, and too often people pass on that false, fake, and/or misleading information.
Your job is to choose wisely but we don't expect you to make up the rules as you go. First, on each of the topics (left side menu), we have provided you with authoritative and reliable resources for that topic.
But, if you want to Google, we have also provided you with resources (below) to help you evaluate sites that you find on your own.
As always, if you have any questions, you can ask Helena for assistance.
From librarians at the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library, #CheckYourFacts provides a great overview on the importance of understanding where the information is coming from. How many of these cognitive biases influence your thinking? (Scroll down the page to see all 20 of them!) Is there really evidence of alien life? You be the judge!
Produced by: MediaShift
"The “SMELL” test won’t make you foolproof, but it can help you become a savvy information detective. Apply it to any content purporting to be factual from any source — face-to-face, to Facebook, to Fox, the New York Times, and online “to infinity and beyond.” On some major issues, fact-checking websites will sniff out bias for you, e.g., Factcheck, Politifact, and Snopes. But most of the time, you’re on your own."
Introducing The SMELL Test
S stands for Source. Who is providing the information?
M is for Motivation. Why are they telling me this?
E represents Evidence. What evidence is provided for generalizations?
L is for Logic. Do the facts logically compel the conclusions?
L is for Left out. What’s missing that might change our interpretation of the information?