About Plagiarism

The College of Business and Public Administration

Old Dominion University

By Dean Nancy Bagranoff

What is it?

The Old Dominion University (ODU) Catalogue (2004-2006, p. 14, F) defines plagiarism as follows:

A student will have committed plagiarism if he or she reproduces someone else's work without acknowledging its source; or if a source is cited which the student has not cited or used.  Examples of plagiarism include:  submitting a research paper obtained from a commercial research service, the Internet, or from another student as if it were original work; making simple changes to borrowed materials while leaving the organization, content, or phraseology intact; or copying material from a source, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotation marks.  Plagiarism also occurs in a group project if one or more of the members of the group does none of the group's work and participates in none of the group's activities, but attempts to take credit for the work of the group.

Hints for Avoiding Plagiarism:

·          More than three words is plagiarism.  This is a good yardstick to use when wondering whether or not quotes are appropriate. 

·          One source is not "common knowledge."  Common knowledge does not require citation.  But something is not common knowledge if you have found just one source for the information.

·          When in doubt, cite!  If you have any doubt about whether or not to cite a source, err on the side of making the attribution.

·          If your co-author sounds surprisingly eloquent, make sure the contribution is their own.  We often work in groups and co-author papers and projects.  You should ask the question of your co-author if you doubt the work is their own.  In group work, you are responsible for the project/paper in its entirety.

·          Look away.  When you are writing, do not have open books or papers in front of you as you type.  Read your sources, and then put what you have read into your own words. 

·          Writing is hard work.  Paraphrasing is relatively easy, writing is hard.  Learning to be a good writer is part of what your college education is about.  Staring at an empty screen in MS Word does become less daunting over time!

·          Just because it's on the Internet, doesn't mean it's yours. The Internet is a fantastic resource and search engines are terrific research tools.  But what you find on the Internet was written by someone.  You must cite Internet web sites, and if you use a quote, use appropriate quotation procedures. 

·          Use a Style Guide.  Purchase a style guide and refer to it.  Your teacher may suggest one or look for one at Amazon.  Popular and timeless guides are by the American Psychological Association, Strunk and White, and Kate Turabian.

The High Cost of Plagiarism

In your professional career, you will find that reputation is everything.  Plagiarism can ruin your reputation and cost you your professional career, along with the respect of your peers and family.  Plagiarism at Old Dominion University is an act of academic dishonesty that has serious consequences.  Note that plagiarism is specifically covered in the ODU Honor Pledge. Refer to the Student Handbook and Student Affairs for details about sanctions and penalties for this behavior.