Page 223 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

190 Part 3 Putting Theory Into Practice

and the date we found it, which is very important as Web sites are constantly
changing

We always leave space to add information to each citation as we read the
source.
All of this information is needed for the formal speech outline. It is easier to
prepare the outline if this information is handy rather than having to go back to
fi nd it later. In Appendix A we provide samples of how to correctly cite sources
according to the systems developed by the American Psychological Association
(APA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA).

Recording Information and Avoiding Plagiarism

As we gather materials, we fi nd it is essential to carefully record the support-
ing materials for our speeches. In Chapter 8 we discuss the types of evidence
you will want to record—facts, statistics, quotations from experts, and the like.
Whether we write our information on 4 by 6 inch note cards, sheets of note-
book paper, or on our computers, accuracy is essential. At the same time, it is
important to record information in a way that ensures it will be honestly cited
and represented in our speeches. It is especially important that our sources are
apparent to our audiences, as discussed in the box, “Speaking of . . . Orally Cit-
ing Sources.”
With the Internet, the temptation is to simply cut and paste material from
the Web pages that we fi nd. This is simple and accurate, but there is one big
downside. As discussed in Chapter 4, there is an increasing problem in society
with the use of material written by others without proper attribution. USA Today
recently dismissed a fi ve-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, newspaper reporter Jack
Kelley, when it was learned that he had plagiarized and fabricated numerous sto-
ries. As Blake Morrison of USA Today reports, there was “strong evidence Kelley
fabricated substantial portions of at least eight major stories, lifted nearly two
dozen quotes or other material from competing publications, lied in speeches he
19
gave for the newspaper and conspired to mislead those investigating his work.”
Numerous other highly publicized cases of plagiarism have damaged the careers
not only of reporters but of many noted academics as well.
As professors, we’ve regrettably discovered numerous instances of plagiarism.
In many cases, the culprit was a downloaded bit of text that the student failed to
properly cite in a speech or paper. For example, when asked to write a personal
brief essay about her chosen major, one student simply downloaded the descrip-
tion of Communication Studies from another university’s Web site. Presumably
she knew we would recognize the language from our own Web site, so she found
a department elsewhere from which to crib her paper. The language didn’t seem
natural, so we did a simple Google search for some of the unusual phrases. The
result was a clear case of plagiarism, which was reported to the university’s au-
thorities. Other students have cited the source in the References or Works Cited
of their papers but not indicated which words were direct quotes and which were
their own words. In this situation, it’s often sloppy recording during the research
phase that is at fault.
How can students avoid this type of accidental yet potentially serious plagia-
rism? Here are some specifi c recommendations.