Understanding plagiarism is the key to avoiding it. The basic definition is presenting someone else's ideas (words, images, data, etc) as your own. As you collect research for a project, keep careful records of where you found the information. Add notes on what is a direct quote, paraphrased or summarized. Then cite all the information you found from your research. Any idea which is not your own needs to be cited.
There are many resources to help students understand and avoid plagiarism. The video from the Common Craft website provides a very clear explanation. The Student Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism contains some helpful tips.
UMass Boston has a Student Code of Conduct which contains a section of academic honesty.
The University defines academic dishonesty to include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Submitting as one’s own an author’s published or unpublished work (e.g. material from a journal, Internet site, newspaper, encyclopedia), in whole, in part, or in paraphrase, without fully and properly crediting the author.
- Submitting as one’s own work or materials obtained from another student, individual, or agency without full and proper attribution.
- Submitting as one’s own work material that has been produced through unacknowledged or unauthorized collaboration with others.
- Submitting substantially the same work to more than one course without prior approval from all instructors involved: i.e., dual or multiple submission.
- Using any unauthorized material during an examination, such as notes, tests, calculators, cell phones, PDAs, or other electronic or mechanical communication devices. Abuse of cellular devices with photographic capabilities and use of devices for purposes of photographing test questions or other notes and materials are also prohibited.
- Obtaining answers to examination questions from another person with or without that person’s knowledge; furnishing answers to examination questions to another student; using or distributing unauthorized copies of or notes from an examination.
- Submitting as one’s own an examination taken by another person; or taking an examination in another person’s place.
- Gaining or seeking to gain unauthorized access to, or altering or destroying the paper or electronic files of a student, faculty member, or staff member for the purpose of gaining better academic standing and success.
- Failing to adhere to professional standards or ethics of a discipline and/ or violating the rules of an agency in the course of completing field work, internship, practicum, student teaching, or clinical placement.
- Interfering with an instructor’s ability to evaluate accurately a student’s competence or performance; misleading any person in connection with one’s academic work.
