Academic Offenses in General
& Organic Chemistry Labs
University of Kentucky
Department of Chemistry
What is Plagiarism?
• Plagiarism is taking someone else’s
words or ideas and passing them off
as your own.
• It does not matter whether it was
done intentionally or accidentally.
Plagiarism
• Plagiarism constitutes theft of
intellectual property and is against
the law.
• When you use another person’s
words or ideas without an
appropriate form of attribution, you
are plagiarizing.
Examples
• The examples given in the
presentation are not all-inclusive of
every possible scenario for
academic offenses.
• This list contains some of the more
common problems that have been
seen in the laboratories.
Examples Involving Data
• Changing quantitative or qualitative data
to improve the outcome of the experiment
• Using data collected during a previous
semester
• Using data from another student without
written permission from the Laboratory
Supervisor
• Using product from another student
without written permission from the
Laboratory Supervisor
Examples Involving Text
• Copying text from another student’s
lab reports
• Student reusing their own text from
a previous semester
• Sharing information and/or text with
another student
• Failing to reference sources and use
quotations marks when needed
Examples Involving Exams
• Bringing unauthorized material to an
exam, whether it is used or not,
including, but not limited to
– Cheat sheets
– Writing exam material on desk
– Use of an electronic device
– Storing information in calculator
memory
Other Examples
• Graphs, tables, images, and/or
equations copied from another
student (including lab partners)
• Copying and pasting images,
reactions, equations, and/or
mechanisms from lecture notes,
websites, or other sources
Other Academic Offenses
• Falsifying an excused absence
Avoiding Plagiarism
• Student must carefully acknowledge
exactly what, where and how he/she
has used other’s work.
• If the words of someone else are
used, the student must put quotation
marks around the passage in
question and add an appropriate
indication of its origin.
Avoiding Plagiarism
• Making simple changes while
leaving the organization, content and
phraseology intact constitutes
plagiarism.
• You must change both the words
and the sentence structure.
• You must reference the source of
information for paraphrased or
quoted material.
Working with Lab Partners
• Regardless of whether experiments
in the lab are done alone or with
other students, lab reports are to be
written individually.
Working with Lab Partners
• It is okay to work with other students to
– Discuss the experiment
– Work on calculations to the point of
understanding
– Discuss the concept(s) being covered
• Once you understand the material, you
should part ways and work
independently to write your lab report.
– Calculations in report should be your work
– Create your own graphs, tables, drawings,
etc.
Penalties
• Rule 6.4 of the University Senate is
contained in the Students Rights &
Responsibilities.
• The rule contains a complete
explanation of all procedures related
to academic offenses.
• These rules were revised and went
into effect in Fall, 2006.
Penalties
• Rule 6.4.3 grants discretion to the
instructor in assigning a penalty.
• For students in General and Organic
Chemistry Labs, the minimum penalty is
a zero on the assignment and a
reduction in the course grade by at
least one letter grade.
• There will be a record of an academic
offense in your academic record.
Penalties
• For more serious offenses, even if it is a
first offense, the instructor can assign an
E or recommend a penalty of XE for the
course.
• A second offense will receive a harsher
penalty as outlined in Senate Rule 6.4.
The penalty for a second or subsequent
offense will depend on the penalty of the
previous offense(s), regardless of when
or where the prior offense occurred.
Who is penalized?
• Penalties can be given to both the
student committing the offense and
any other student who is an
accessory to the offense (i.e.
providing the lab report, data, or
product) regardless of intent.
Helping a Friend
• If you give your report or information
to another student, they can forward
the information to as many people
as they choose without your consent
or knowledge.
• Keep your work to yourself and help
your friend by explaining a concept
to them rather than giving them your
work.
Detection
• Lab reports will be scanned against
other reports submitted during the
current and previous semesters.
• Teaching assistants will report any
suspicious work to the laboratory
supervisor.
• Proctors will be present at all exams.
Is it worth it?
• The Department of Chemistry takes
this matter very seriously and will not
tolerate academic offenses in any
way.
• Without exception, academic
offenses will be treated according to
Rule 6.4 of the University Senate.
Worth losing your degree?
Your job?
• If you plagiarize in college and don’t
get caught before you graduate,
you’re not safe.
• Your degree can be revoked if
plagiarism is detected after you
graduate.
Plagiarism after College
• A list of plagiarism cases can be
found by clicking here
• Consequences include lost jobs,
revoked degrees, tarnished
reputations, and failed presidential
campaigns.