Plagiarism

Plagiarism is taking credit for someone else’s words or ideas by not quoting or citing those words or ideas.  Using six or more consecutive words from another paper or web site and passing them off as your own by not quoting them is plagiarism. Taking data or graphs from another work without citation also is plagiarism.  Paraphrasing by changing only a few words in the text here and there without citation is plagiarism.  If you do any of these things, you are in violation of the UNCW Code of Student Life and Academic Honor Code.

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense.  If you plagiarize, you lose the respect of your colleagues and your professors.  It will be something you will remember and regret for the rest of your career, and that your professor will always remember about you as well.  Don’t be stupid.  If you plagiarize, you are cheating.  Any student caught plagiarizing on written assignments will automatically receive an F in the course and will be reported to the Dean of Students.  Expulsion from the university may occur as well.

Useful web sites on plagiarism and how to avoid it, with examples, can be found at:

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html

http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html