Especially in an online class like this one–where the writing requirements are intense, the readings sometimes difficult, and online resources readily available–the lure to use others’ words in your writing assignments is strong.
I don’t want to scare you or paralyze you in your writing. But it is very important for you to understand what constitutes plagiarism because it is a serious breach of academic integrity, and can result in very serious penalties (including failing the course, with a permanent mark on your transcript showing that plagiarism was the reason for failure).
Penn State’s Teaching and Learning with Technology offers a detailed Plagiarism Tutorial for Students. I encourage you to spend a few minutes acquainting yourself with the types of plagiarism (especially Cut and Paste Plagiarism), the reasons why students commonly do it, and the penalties.
The English Department’s “On Plagiarism” provides a useful discussion of more subtle forms of plagiarism, including plagiarism by paraphrase and mosaic plagiarism.
Sometimes plagiarism is accidental. Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing how to quote and cite material. Please contact me if you have any questions about what does and does not constitute academic dishonesty or plagiarism.
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