Sociology 200 OpenStax

For a generation raised on the ideology of “open source” and the ability to quickly cut and paste, the concept of plagiarism may seem foreign or passé. And that, of course, can lead to trouble. This video examines the behaviors that constitute plagiarism, their consequences, and the best ways to avoid them. Showing how accidental copying as well as willful plagiarism can occur, the program lays out the dangers of cheating, then illustrates the pitfalls of nonattribution and patch writing while showing how to properly attribute and paraphrase a lengthy quotation. Copyright, trademark, and intellectual property concepts are clearly discussed, in addition to potential sources of noncopyrighted material. Common citation formats (APA, MLA, Bluebook, etc.) are listed along with the suggestion that the student confer with his or her instructor about them.

Students who’ve had a hard time with term papers and essay questions may be shocked to learn how much their postgraduation world revolves around writing. This streaming video program shows how effective written communication is possible for anyone, even those who struggle to complete a simple fax or e-mail. Methods for improvement include gauging the needs of the reader, keeping prose short and simple, emphasizing benefits, avoiding jargon and overblown language, employing a confident yet respectful tone, and more.

From Films On Demand: This program is geared to students just starting out in Sociology and sets out to make the subject more accessible by illustrating what's meant by a sociological problem, culture, socialization and identity. It looks at how societies not only shape how we behave but also how we see the world and takes apart the age old accusation that sociology is just 'common sense.'