This brief tutorial will discuss academic integrity and plagiarism at Central Michigan University.

Plagiarism According to CMU

According to the CMU Policy on Academic Integrity, "plagiarism is intentionally or carelessly presenting the work of another as one's own. It includes submitting an assignment purporting to be the student's original work which has wholly or in part been created by another person. It also includes the presentation of the work, ideas, representations, or words of another person without customary and proper acknowledgement of sources."

Plagiarism Can Be ...

Plagiarism can be either intentional, or inadvertent due to carelessness. Regardless, either way, it is still plagiarism and subject to university sanction when discovered.

Types of Plagiarism

There are three types of plagiarism. One is direct quotes. Another is paraphrasing, and another is using someone else's unique ideas.

Direct Quotes

For direct quotes, if you use someone else's writing without putting it in quotes, you have blatantly plagiarized. Even if you add the source in your bibliography, it is still considered plagiarism if you do not put the quotes around what you are taking.

Paraphrasing

Another place to be careful when you are looking for plagiarism is paraphrasing. Be careful about rewriting someone else's words. If your sentences use many of the same words and grammatical structure as the original source, it could be construed as plagiarism. Just put the text in your own words. You'll still need to cite it even when you paraphrase!

Original Ideas

Give credit to the unique ideas of others. If you present the ideas of another person without crediting him or her, you have plagiarized. Obvious ideas, like known facts, don't have to be credited. When in doubt, attribute.

Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

Here are some tips for avoiding plagiarism:

• Always enclose quotes from text within quotation marks! Never forget to do this as this is the easiest way to get accused of plagiarism
• Plan ahead so you have enough time to write adequately. Students who wait until the last minute to write a paper may have difficulty getting it done in time, and may be tempted to plagiarize.
• Keep a running list of sources, (a bibliography), as you do your research.

When Paraphrasing ...

When you are paraphrasing, to avoid plagiarism, be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing words. Rewrite the phrase in your own words and credit the original source. Double check what you have written by comparing it to the original source.

Recycling Papers

Another thing which is not allowed at CMU is the recycling papers.

From the Policy on Academic Integrity: "Students may not normally submit any academic assignment, work, or endeavor in more than one course for academic credit of any sort. This will apply to submissions of the same or substantially the same work in the same semester or in different semesters." If you write a paper for one course, you are not allowed to turn it in to another course.

Work can be reused with the permission of the instructor. If you want to take a paper you have already submitted, you can talk to the instructor about ways it can be changed and submitted as a new work. Often, some prior work is reused in a thesis or a dissertation. However, before recycling any work which you have already received credit for, make sure that you have the permission of the instructor.

Fabricating Data

Another thing which is not allowed is the fabrication of data.

From the Policy on Academic Integrity: "Fabrication is the use of invented, counterfeited, altered or forged information in assignments of any type including those activities done in conjunction with academic courses that require students to be involved in out of classroom experiences."

So, when you are writing the paper, make sure that you are actually using real facts and not anything that you are making up!

Questions?

If you have any questions, talk with a Reference Librarian at the Central Michigan University Library system.