IT343 Plagiarism Guidelines

Definition of Plagiarism

"Plagiarism encompasses the following:

1. Presenting as one's own the words, the work, or the opinions of someone else without proper acknowledgment.
2. Borrowing the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of material, or the pattern of thought of someone else without proper acknowledgment." (GMU 1997-1998 Catalog, at www.gmu.edu/catalog/9798/honorcod.html)

Specific Guidance

Quoting (using the exact same words) as a source

You must utilize

1. Quotation marks to indicate that it is a quote, and
2. A cite to the source of the quote, including page number if one exists in the original source - this can be done in a variety of ways, e.g. in the text in parentheses, as a footnote (bottom of page) or endnote (end of document or chapter).

If the quote is lengthy, all lines in the quote are generally indented from the left margin (sometimes also from the right margin). Some instructors apparently tell their students that if the quote is extremely short (e.g. 5 words), then it is not necessary to indicate that it is a quote.

Paraphrasing a source

If I am paraphrasing a source, i.e. using different words but attempting to express a sequence of ideas from a source, then I must also acknowledge the source, although I do not utilize quotation marks. It is not sufficient to merely list the source in a list of references, but one must include, at the end of the paraphrase, the source and page number (if one exists in the original source). One must also be clear about the where the paraphrase begins. One way to indicate the beginning is with an introductory phrase such as "As suggested by Pegram"

If you write about one of the IT 343 cases, and paraphrase the case document, the best procedure is to acknowledge the source and failure to acknowledge the source in such a case may result in a minor deduction. However, since the cases are relatively short and well known to the instructor, the fact that you are paraphrasing will be clear to the instructor and thus this is not a serious matter.

However, if the source is something different, such an article you find on the internet, failure to acknowledge the source then becomes a serious matter and can result in a referral to the Honor Committee.

For further information on plagiarism, see the GMU Writing Center Web Page resources page at http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources.php