Avoiding Plagiarism
SMU Graduate & Professional Programs Policy
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else's words, ideas, or data
as one's own. When a student submits work for credit that includes the words,
ideas, or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged
through complete, accurate, and specific citations, as well as quotation marks
if verbatim statements are included. By placing their name on work submitted
for credit, students certify the originality of all work not otherwise identified
by appropriate acknowledgements ("Academic Dishonesty," Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Catalog and Student Handbook).
Plagiarism is a very serious academic and ethical issue. Most universities
impose penalties on students or staff who plagiarize, whether the plagiarism
is deliberate or inadvertent.A few students plagiarize in an attempt to cut
corners or to cover academic deficiencies. Other students, unfortunately, plagiarize
because they don't understand the concept of plagiarism and the methods for
avoiding it. In either case, students are held accountable for their actions,
and the penalty could be as severe as dismissal from the institution. Follow
the rules of citation and documentation carefully, and make sure you understand
what is meant by paraphrasing.
Tips on Avoiding Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your
own. If you use another author’s words you must attribute the work to
its original source (its author, composer, etc.).
- If you borrow an idea from, or directly quote from, another person’s
work, you must cite the source of that idea or quote.
- Phrases borrowed word-for-word from another author must be placed in quotation
marks and followed by the page number from the original source.
- You must cite a source even if you don’t quote directly from it.
- Paraphrase with care. Inadequate paraphrasing can be another form of plagiarism,
even with documentation provided.
In APA style, a citation consists of author’s last name and date of
publication. A full citation appears on the References page.
Online Resources
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