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