Plagiarism: a Fancy Word for Unethical and/or Foolish Behavior Let's Be Blunt About Plagiarism The Latin term for kidnapper was “plagiarious.” As aspiring engineers, you need to know that kidnapping the ideas of others has consequences beyond your own prospects and reputation— it also damages your college and the honest members of your profession by loosening the bonds of trust that tie us all together. How does the University of Iowa define plagiarism? The University of Iowa has strict guidelines on plagiarism. See the Student Academic Handbook, which is posted on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences web site (http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/ix.shtml). Presentation of the ideas of others without credit to the source Use of direct quotations without quotation marks and without credit to the source Paraphrasing without credit to the source Participation in a group project which presents plagiarized material How does the University of Iowa define plagiarism? The University of Iowa has strict guidelines on plagiarism. See the Student Academic Handbook, which is posted on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences web site (http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/ix.shtml). Failure to provide adequate citations for material obtained through electronic research Downloading and submitting work from electronic databases without citation Submitting material created/written by someone else as one's own Accepting credit for a group project without doing one's share Submitting the same paper in more than one course without the knowledge and approval of the instructors involved Cite Your Sources Copying the written work of others or using any information without citing the source and listing that source on a reference page constitutes plagiarism. This may mean that you receive no credit for the assignment. In addition, you may be charged with plagiarism and your teacher or the University may take further action. Plagiarism may leave a permanent mark on your record and harm your credibility as a professional. A Source for Sources The Hanson CTC uses the American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style for all the written assignments we evaluate. No style is "better" than the other; be it MLA or APA, the key is to stay consistent and give credit where credit is due. Using APA: sample of in-text and Reference List citations In-text: Such a bridge is said to be in equilibrium, meaning that the net result of the forces and moments acting on the structure are equal to zero (Hibbeler, 2004). Reference list: Hibbeler, R.C. (2004). Engineering Mechanics: Statics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. How to avoid plagiarism (1 of 5) "Quotations." Any time you use more than three words in a row from another source, you must put those words in quotes. Follow that quotation with a citation. How to avoid plagiarism (2 of 5) Paraphrasing means that you have taken someone else's ideas, concepts or language and put them in your own words. Since writers often build on other people's ideas or borrow from other people's work to support their own scholarship, this practice is perfectly acceptable. HOWEVER, you must give credit where credit is due. If you use someone else's material and rewrite it in your own words, you must provide a citation after that paraphrased information every time you paraphrase. How to avoid plagiarism (3 of 5) Material on the Internet often seems to be whirling anonymously through cyberspace. Nevertheless, it belongs to someone--an individual, a publication, or an organization. Therefore, you must acknowledge any material you take from the Internet. Check out the APA guideline link on HCTC's web site for information on correctly citing Internet material. How to avoid plagiarism (4 of 5) Any time you use someone else's design, graphics, illustration, or photograph, you must cite that material, too. Cite the source next to the caption that describes the graphic. How to avoid plagiarism (5 of 5) If you have any questions about documenting or citing material, ask questions, you can check with the CTC. They have individuals who can help you with documentation and citation questions. A final thought. Better to cite too often than not often enough. The road to academic hell is paved with plagiarized papers. Questions? Visit the Hanson Center for Technical Communication You can find the assignments, evaluation sheets, discussions of plagiarism, and other useful stuff on the Center’s web site at http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~ctc. Hours: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, Sunday 7:00-9:00 p.m. Location: 2224 SC (in the Student Commons area) Scheduling: Appointment sign-up sheet posted on window outside door of 2224 SC