Academic Honesty is Key to Success
in the Graduate School of Business
Dr. Brian Steverson
John L. Aram Professor of Business Ethics
Spring 2011
Agenda for Today
• Gonzaga’s Honesty Policy
• What is Academic Dishonesty?
• What is Cheating?
• What is Dishonest Conduct?
• What is Collusion?
• What is Plagiarism?
• Cultural differences and views on citation
• Proper citation of other’s work
• Methods of avoidance and detection
• Consequences and appeals
January 6, 2011
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Gonzaga’s Code of Academic
Honesty
• The University’s Mission Statement expresses Gonzaga’s self understanding in
terms of humanist, Catholic, and Jesuit traditions.
• The Statement also explains Gonzaga’s educational mission in terms of the
ideals of creativity, intelligence, self knowledge, desire for the truth, mature
concern for others, and a thirst for justice.
• The Statement makes these traditions and ideals concrete and practical by
relating them to academic programs whose goals are to teach professional
expertise and the mastery of a particular body of knowledge.
• Honesty is an essential part of these traditions, ideals, and practical goals. A
university such as Gonzaga must maintain high standards of academic honesty.
• The full policy can be found on Gonzaga’s Academic Vice President’s website
under Information for Students
• Students are responsible for reading, understanding, and following this policy
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What is Academic Dishonesty?
• Trying to gain an academic advantage through dishonest
means, whether inside or outside the classroom
• Academic dishonesty consists of any of the following
activities:
• cheating
• fabrication
• plagiarism
• facilitating academic dishonesty
Adapted from Gonzaga University’s Academic Honesty Policy (2002)
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What is Cheating?
Intentionally using or attempting to use prohibited materials, information,
or study aids in any academic exercise.
1. Obtaining a copy of a test to be given in a course
2. Bringing notes to an exam and keeping them where you
can see them
3. Communicating to another student during an exam
about the exam
4. Copying another student’s answer on an exam
5. Programming information into a portable electronic
device and bringing that device to the exam
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What is Cheating? (continued)
6. Submitting the same paper or report in two courses without
prior approval from both professors
7. Offering another’s work as one’s own
8. Taking an examination for another student or having
someone take an examination for oneself.
9. Sharing answers for a take home examination or assignment
unless specifically authorized by the instructor
10. Tampering with an examination after it has been corrected,
and then returning it for more credit.
11. Allowing others to do research and writing of an assigned
paper (including use of the services of a commercial term
paper company).
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What is Dishonest Conduct?
1. Stealing or attempting to steal an examination or answer key from the
instructor
2. Changing or attempting to change academic records without proper
sanction
3. Submitting substantial portions of the same work for credit in more than
one course without consulting all instructors involved
4. Intentionally disrupting the educational process in any manner
5. Allowing another student to copy off of one’s own work during a test
6. Providing false information to staff or faculty
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What is Collusion?
• Any student who knowingly or intentionally helps another student
perform any of the above acts of cheating, dishonest conduct, or
plagiarism is subject to discipline for academic dishonesty
• It is important to note that students found in collusion with another
student will likely endure the same penalties as the student that copied the
work.
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Plagiarism:
Defined at Gonzaga
• Plagiarism consists of intentionally or knowingly representing
the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic
exercise, written or oral.
• Compositions, term papers, lab reports, or computer
programs acquired in part or in whole from published or
internet sources, commercial sources, or from other students
and submitted as one’s own work is plagiarism.
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What are the most common types
of plagiarism?
• Buying a paper from a research service or term paper mill.
• Turning in another student’s work without the student’s knowledge.
• Turning in a paper another person has written for the student.
• Copying a paper from a source text without proper
acknowledgement.
• Copying materials from a source text, supplying proper
documentation, but leaving out quotation marks.
• Paraphrasing materials from a source text without appropriate
documentation.
• And, now with the Internet, we need to add another type of
plagiarism:
• Turning in a paper from a “free term paper” website.
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Cultural Differences
• In China, it is seen as somewhat offensive to note a
citation as it assumes that the reader has not read the
prior work.
• In the US, it is required that you properly cite work you
have gathered from others. It is considered theft of
property to not do so.
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Why is it so important to cite
sources?
• To tell the reader which ideas are not your own and to
highlight what is your own work.
• To save time for you and the reader if you want to get more
information about the specific topic. The citation directs you
right to the source.
• Enhance the credibility of your work showing where similar
research has come from.
• Protect your reputation and the negative consequences of
plagiarism.
• Present your work in an ethical way.
Adapted from Cite it Right, Fox, Johns, Keller, 2007.
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Common Knowledge is…
Common Knowledge is…
• Usually known before research or accepted as fact by most
experts (Incorporating References, 12 Mar 2001, Johnson County Community College, 27 Mar 2007
http://staff.jccc.net/pmcqueen/tips/references.htm)
• Facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to
be known by most of people.
• Easily and quickly verifiable
• Something the audience is already familiar with
• Typically included in introductory material on the subject
(Incorporating References)
Examples: presidential names and dates of office,
geographical size of states, notable dates in history, etc.
When in doubt, cite the material!
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Quotation & Paraphrasing
• Quotation: using someone’s words.
• When you quote, place the passage you are using in
quotation marks, and document the source according to a
standard documentation style.
• Paraphrase: using someone’s ideas, but putting them in your
own words.
• This is probably the skill you use most when incorporating
sources into your writing. Although you use your own words
to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source of the
information.
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Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism
• Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text especially when
taking notes. This includes:
• Another person’s idea, opinion, or theory;
• Any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings – any pieces of information – that are
not common knowledge;
• Quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words; or
• A paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written words.
• Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a few words.
• Instead, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully, cover up the text
with your hand, or close the text so you can’t see any of it (and so aren’t
tempted to use the text as a “guide”). Write out the idea in your own words
without peeking.
• Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not
accidentally used the same phrases or words, and that the information is
accurate.
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Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism
(cont.)
• It is important to note that simply copying large blocks of work
for your paper, even with proper citation, may not meet the
assignment requirements. You need to pull the material together
and add your own thoughts and conclusions at the very least.
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Methods for Detecting Plagiarism
• Turnitin.com
• Google or Yahoo
• Reference journals the faculty member reads
regularly
• Retaining old papers
It is easy to cheat, but it is even easier to get caught.
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Consequences of Dishonest
Behavior
• Not only is a student placing him/herself at risk of a
lawsuit from the author/source of the stolen material,
the student is also at risk for failure in the course
and/or dismissal from the program.
• All cases of academic dishonesty are reported to the
Associate Dean regardless of the penalty assigned.
• The appeals process can be found on the Academic
Vice President’s Office website.
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Suggested Resources for Students
• “Cite Them Right: The essential referencing guide” by
Pears and Shields
• “Cite It Right: The SourceAid Guide to Citation,
Research, and Avoiding Plagiarism” by Fox, Johns, and
Keller
When in doubt, ask!
• Ask your professor
• Ask a librarian at Foley Library
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General advice on completing a research
paper and avoiding plagiarism
• Plan ahead and allocate enough time to getting it done.
• Often it is the pressure to complete a paper that pushes
a student to cut corners.
• Allow enough time to assess the sources of information.
• Begin with a clear idea of where you are going with the
paper.
• Begin with an outline of your own thoughts on the
subject.
• As you discover sources that support or dispute your
ideas be sure to document them as to not lose track of
them.
Adapted from Cite it Right, Fox, Johns, Keller , 2007
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General advice on completing a research
paper and avoiding plagiarism (cont.)
• Keep the research assignment guidelines in sight.
• Are you required to include a certain number or type
of citations?
• Are their limitations on where you can find the
material?
• Faculty formatting preferences.
• Are you required to run the paper through TurnItIn
prior to completion?
• Use the Library and Librarians as they are great resources.
• Don’t wait until you are stuck before you inquire
about resources.
Adapted from Cite it Right, Fox, Johns, Keller, 2007
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General advice on completing a research
paper and avoiding plagiarism (cont.)
• Skim potential sources.
• Be sure you know what is in the source before you rely
on them.
• Question what you read and look for collaboration of
results.
• As you read from different authors and resources,
reflect on how they support or dispute your thesis.
• Take accurate notes and record citation information as
you work.
• Don’t wait until the end of the paper to try to pull the
list of sources together.
Adapted from Cite it Right, Fox, Johns, Keller, 2007
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Common Questions
• Do I have to cite sources for every fact I use?
• If I completed my homework and then shared it with my
friend, can I get in trouble?
• Does it matter how much was copied?
• If I write something somebody else already wrote, but I
didn’t know they wrote it, is that still plagiarism?
• If I change the words, do I still have to cite the source?
• Does intention matter?
• If I cite the source, can I still be accused of plagiarism?
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