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Introduction to Environmental Sustainability (21:375:215)

This guide was created specifically for Dr. Karina Schafer's class - Spring 2024; original guide created by Bonnie Fong, updated by Jenica Ibarra

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is defined as stealing and using the ideas of another as one's own.  In the academic world, this is considered a very serious charge and, for students, it can lead to dismissal, and, for faculty, it can result in the loss of one's job and/or one's standing in the profession.  When we discussed bibliographies as a test for a reliable information source, we expected the citations to be an accurate reflection of the item's content.  If they are not, how can we make an informed decision?  Plagiarism can be avoided by precision in citing your sources.  When in doubt, cite!

What about AI?

The use of generative AI in higher education is an evolving (and, if you ask me, fascinating) phenomenon. Here are some tips from this humble librarian:

 

  • Your professor is the boss - consult your professor and syllabus for policies on the use of generative AI in coursework and assignments.

 

  • Pitfalls of generative AI:
    • Beware of references cited by AI - these references are often completely fabricated and don't actually exist, even though they may sound legitimate.
    • Bland - lacking in human voice
    • Submitted a paper generated by AI is PLAGIARISM!

 

  • Possible ethical uses of AI in higher education (again, your professor has the final word!)
    • Brainstorming - Generative AI can be helpful for brainstorming or narrowing a topic or for brainstorming search terms.
    • Improving tone - Generative AI is pretty good at changing the tone of your writing - i.e. "Here is a draft email, make it sound more personable and friendly" or "Here is a draft of my project proposal, make it sound more professional."
    • Organizing notes
    • Checking and improving grammar

EndNote Basic or EndNote Online or EndNote Web

EndNote basic is a cloud-based and limited version of EndNote. It was previously called (often still being referred to as) EndNote online or EndNote web. 

EndNote basic is free to use and it enables you to collect, manage and share reference directly from EndNote basic or from a desktop library via syncing. It also allows you to cite references while writing a paper and identify an appropriate journal to submit your manuscript for publishing.

To use EndNote basic, you need first to create a free online account by either going to http://endnote.com and clicking Login on the top right of the screen, or going to https://myendnoteweb.com directly to log in.

EndNote basic/online allows you to:

  • Search up to 25 favorite databases (note: you can change databases in the favorite list)
  • Save and organize up to 50, 000 references that you collected
  • Download a plug-in for Microsoft Word to insert references in your paper in a style you choose
  • Choose from up to 25 favorite styles including APA 6th, AMA (JAMA) and many others to format references
  • Use the Match feature to identify a suitable journal for your research to be published

EndNote basic is an abridged verion of EndNote Desktop, except it is free and cloud based. It does not have all the features that the desktop version has. 

Exporting References to EndNote Web

I. Directions for exporting references from the ProQuest Environmental Science Collection to EndNote Web:

  • In the ProQuest Environmental Science Collection:
    • select references of interest
    • click the 'All save & exports options' button (green button with ellipsis)
    • select EndNote
    • save the file
  • In EndNote Web:
    • under Collect, select Import References
      • Browse for the saved file
      • Import Option: ProQuest
      • To: select a group to place the references in
      • click Import

II. Directions for exporting references from the Academic Search Premier database to EndNote Web:

  • In the Academic Search Premier database:
    • select references of interest (by clicking on blue folders on the right)
    • open the yellow Folder (on the upper-right of the page)
    • Select all (or a selection of items in the Folder)
    • click the Export button along the right panel
    • select Direct Export to EndNote Web
    • click the Save button
  • In EndNote Web:
    • under References, open up the Unfiled group
    • Sort by: Added to Library – newest to oldest
    • select the appropriate references, then choose the appropriate group to move it to under the Add to group… pull-down menu

III. Directions for exporting references from the Scopus database to EndNote Web:

  • In the Scopus database:
    • select references of interest
    • click the Export button near the top of the results
    • select EndNote (RIS)
      • Optional: select Abstract & Keywords and/or any other information you’re interested in
    • click the Export button
    • save the file
  • In EndNote Web:
    • under Collect, select Import References
      • Browse for the saved file
      • Import Option: Scopus
      • To: select a group to place the references in
      • click Import