Skip to main content

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged inclusion in a student's work of material derived from the published or unpublished work of another. This constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional. "Work" includes internet sources as well as printed material.

Are the following acceptable practices?

1

Is this acceptable?

Cutting and pasting into your essay a paragraph from a website?

a)
b)
Of course not, unless it is clearly marked out as a quotation - and then it becomes a question of whether or not this is the sort of source you should be quoting.Of course not, unless it is clearly marked out as a quotation - and then it becomes a question of whether or not this is the sort of source you should be quoting.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

2

Is this acceptable?

Copying parts of a friend's essay.

a)
b)
Obviously not. Students are encouraged to discuss their work with one another and to share ideas, but that's very different from copying out sections or basing your essay on the structure and argument of someone else's. You are advised not to lend out your work or to borrow other people's, not even just to 'get the idea'.Never, however rushed or panic-stricken you are. Students are encouraged to discuss their work with one another and to share ideas, but that's very different from copying out sections or basing your essay on the structure and argument of someone else's. You are advised not to lend out your work or to borrow other people's, not even just to 'get the idea'.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

3

Is this acceptable?

Reproducing basic information from Wikipedia; there's no need to reference this because it's so basic, and in any case the guidelines say that Wikipedia shouldn't be footnoted as a source.

a)
b)
Correct. Absolutely basic information may not need referencing at all. If you think it does, then Wikipedia may give you some useful pointers but you need to find a more dependable source to cite. Copying a feeble source without proper references is as bad as any other sort of plagiarism.No. Absolutely basic information may not need referencing at all. If you think it does, then Wikipedia may give you some useful pointers but you need to find a more dependable source to cite. Copying a feeble source without proper references is as bad as any other sort of plagiarism.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

4

Is this acceptable?

Basing your essay on one that you found on an internet 'essay bank'.

a)
b)
Never acceptable, and there are risks even if you look at these sorts of essays 'just to get the idea' with no intention of copying them: (i) you may reproduce their arguments by mistake if you take notes from them, and that counts as plagiarism; (ii) they tend to be rubbish, and probably won't approach the subject in the way that's expected. Better not to do it.Never acceptable. There are risks even if you look at these sorts of essays 'just to get the idea' with no intention of copying them: (i) there are major risks of reproducing their arguments by mistake if you take notes from them, and that counts as plagiarism; (ii) they tend to be rubbish, and probably won't approach the subject in the way that's expected. Better not to do it.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

5

Is this acceptable?

Basing your essay on the argument of a book, article or website provided that you put it all in your own words.

a)
b)
Correct. This is acceptable only if your source is properly referenced at every step of the way, and even then it's pretty dubious. You should be looking to develop your own arguments, on the basis of wide reading, not reproducing someone else's. You should be discussing other people's arguments (with proper references), not copying them.No. Or, only if it is properly referenced at every step of the way, and even then it's pretty dubious. You should be looking to develop your own arguments, on the basis of wide reading, not reproducing someone else's. You should be discussing other people's arguments (with proper references), not copying them.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

6

Is this acceptable?

Accidentally reproducing key phrases from someone else's work or from a website because your notes weren't clear about which were your own words and which were paraphrases or quotations.

a)
b)
Correct. It's still plagiarism, even if it's inadvertent.No. It's still plagiarism, even if it's inadvertent.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

7

Is this acceptable?

Acknowledging a source in the text in general terms (e.g. "Ecology, as Morley argues, offers a radical new perspective...") but without a specific reference or footnote.

a)
b)
Generally correct. In certain specific circumstances it may be fine, or even preferable, provided that the source has been properly referenced earlier. For example, if Morley had been cited in the first sentence of the paragraph, it might be okay not to include a reference for subsequent mentions; on the other hand, it might not, if the first reference was very general ("pp.61-75") and the second is to a specific part of that discussion. It's all a matter of judgement. The important thing is that you should always be *thinking* about whether or not you need a reference.Well, it's better than no reference at all, but most of the time this sort of vague reference is insufficient. Not always; in certain specific circumstances it may be fine, or even preferable, provided that the source has been properly referenced earlier. For example, if Morley had been cited in the first sentence of the paragraph, it might be okay not to include a reference for subsequent mentions; on the other hand, it might not, if the first reference was very general ("pp.61-75") and the second is to a specific part of that discussion. It's all a matter of judgement. The important thing is that you should always be *thinking* about whether or not you need a reference.Your answer has been saved.
Check your answer

The key point: it counts as plagiarism even if it's inadvertent, a matter of poor academic practice rather than deliberate cheating; it may be punished less severely, but it is still punished, and likely to go on your record. Keep in mind that you will be judged above all on the basis of the work itself and whether it contains someone else's work without proper acknowledgement.

The good news: it's actually quite easy to avoid plagiarism if you don't borrow other students' essays and don't use essay banks, if you don't cut and paste material from webpages and if you're scrupulous about note-taking and referencing. 'Accidental' plagiarism usually results from working sloppily and in too much of a hurry; simply leave yourself more time.