How to avoid plagiarism : a resource pack for the students of the Faculty of Education

Abstract

What do lecturers and tutors mean when they say: 'You must not plagiarize' and 'Always remember to reference your work'? We mean: "You cannot take someone else's words, ideas or data and use them in your assignments so that they appear as though they are your own words, ideas or data." All universities have a policy about plagiarism. This policy describes ‘plagiarism’ as a form of academic dishonesty, and it is considered a serious act of academic misconduct. To understand the significance of plagiarism you must first understand one of the basic principles within western academic tradition. This tradition says that the original words, ideas or data of an author or scholar belong exclusively to them. In other words, the original author actually owns his or her words, ideas or data. At university, you are expected to base much of your learning on the research and writings of others, many of whom will be well-known and respected in your professional area. In fact, an important way to gain credit for your own thinking and research is to support your learning with the original ideas of other writers and scholars. However, just remember, when you do this in your assignments you must acknowledge that fact. In this way you demonstrate your own scholarship, as well as gain credit for developing your thinking and learning. If you fail to acknowledge the contribution of others to the development of your learning, you will be seen as taking the credit for their work. This is seen as dishonest, and if you do this you could be accused of plagiarism.