Plagiarism is the act of passing off concepts or content that have been produced previously as new, original work. In practical terms, in academic writing, this usually means quoting or paraphrasing the work of other scholars without proper citation. See the Rosemont Student Handbook for a full definition of what is considered plagiarism by the College and a description of its consequences.
What Is Plagiarism? | Plagiarism vs Paraphrasing | Copyleaks Plagiarism Checker |
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Plagiarism is when you pass someone else's work off as your own. It can be intentional or unintentional. |
Paraphrasing is when you use your own words to rewrite a passage written by someone else. In doing so, you cannot change the meaning of the original passage. | Rosemont College uses Copyleaks Plagiarism Checker, which is integrated into Canvas Assignments. This system is not intended to be punitive, but rather help students develop the skills needed to understand what is plagiarism and what is not. |
Can I plagiarize without meaning to? -YES
Every student has a responsibility to be attentive to citation concerns. Ignorance is no excuse, and unintentional plagiarism is still a serious academic offense.
Can I plagiarize from myself? - YES
If you reuse work that has been submitted for a previous class to satisfy a current class requirement (or republish work that has already appeared without indicating that fact), it still constitutes plagiarism and will be treated accordingly.
How do I know if I'm plagiarizing?
Plagiarism can be intentional and obvious, such as buying or copying a paper.
Plagiarism can be unintentional, such as:
Information on identifying plagiarism and best practices, as well as practice exercises to help with learning to avoid plagiarism.
An extensive list of links to informational sites, quizzes, and more information on plagiarism and on general academic integrity.
A research guide on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism from the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
A lengthy list of right and wrong examples of citing information.
Information on defining, recognizing, and avoiding plagiarism.
Gives an overview of plagiarism and how to avoid it when citing sources.
Computer game created to help you recognize and avoid plagiarism.
Several sample passages to test yourself on plagiarism.
A tutorial on how to avoid plagiarism and research ethically, Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia University.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, copyright "is the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (such as a literary, musical, or artistic work." |
Copyright isn't straight forward, but is very complex. It is divided into three parts: copyright, fair use, and public domain. Copyrights are granted for the life of the author, plus 70 years. For corporations, it's 95-120 years past the creation date. However, some copyright items can be used under fair use policy. Other items might be in the public domain, meaning they are no longer copyrighted.
Copyright | Fair Use | Public Domain |
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