Fair Use and Academic Honesty (Plagiarism)
FAIR USE With so many resources available to you online, it is necessary to consider fair use. Without giving credit to your sources and using documentation in your writing, you are in danger of being academically dishonest which can lead to serious penalties. ACADEMIC HONESTY The HCC college catalog and student handbook emphasize "academic honesty... is expected of all students." Definition Academic honesty means the use of one's own thoughts and materials in the writing of papers, taking of tests, and other classroom related activities. Students intentionally aiding other students in any infraction of the academic honesty policy are considered equally guilty. Students are expected to give full credit for the borrowing of other's words or ideas. Intentional or unintentional use of another's words or ideas without acknowledging this use constitutes plagiarism. There are four common forms of plagiarism:
MORE ON PLAGIARISM Beware!!! Plagiarism, the borrowing of another's ideas or words without crediting the author, is the most common cause of failed research papers. Any information that is borrowed form another source must be cited as a reference. If it is not, that's plagiarism. Sometimes plagiarism is blatant. For instance, copying another student's paper or copying an author's words or ideas and passing them off as your own are both examples of intentional plagiarizing. This is a serious offense because it is equivalent to stealing; in this case, it is stealing thoughts and words. However, the more common type of plagiarism is unintentional. Students frequently summarize or paraphrase a source without giving credit to the author; this is also plagiarism. Even though the student does not intend to steal the ideas or words, the offense is just as serious as blatant plagiarism. At Howard Community College, plagiarism is taken very seriously, and the penalties for plagiarism are harsh. For the first offense, the student receives an "F" grade on the assignment and his/her name is forwarded to the Division Chairperson. Then, the Vice President of Student Services will notify the student in writing of the consequences of this infraction. For the second offense, the student receives and "F" grade for the course and is dropped form the course and barred from further class participation. The Division Chairperson forwards the name to the Vice President of Student Services who will meet with the student. A third offense "will result in disciplinary action as determined by the Student Judicial Process" (Student Handbook). To avoid plagiarism, be sure to specify the sources of all borrowed materials. All summaries, paraphrases, and quotations must be documented. Tips for Using Your Own Words and Avoiding Plagiarism
Documentation Resources - APA, MLA, & Internet This handout from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab is based on The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th edition). Also from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab, this handout includes sections from The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (3rd Edition). Internet Citation Information Check this link by Janet Walker at Columbia University for guidelines to citing the Internet. Contact Us Phone: 443-518-1320 Email: DGreene@howardcc.edu, cwatts@howardcc.edu , or pshah@howardcc.edu Enhancing Student Success. |