Policy on Plagiarism

Plagiarism is not acceptable. Whether it's intentional or an accident, it's still considered plagiarism and the same penalties will apply.

What is Plagiarism and how do I avoid it?

Plagiarizing is more than copying text or "word for word" and trying to pass it off as your own. Many people feel that by paraphrasing they avoid plagiarism, but if the paraphrase contains another person's idea, it's still plagiarism. We recommend you study the following cites to gain a firm understanding of what plagiarism is:

• http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
• http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html

So what happens if you need to use another person's idea or writing to support your work? Then you need to cite your sources. How do you do that? Review the following links:

• To cite you sources from the web, use this site: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Style.html
• To find out how to cite sources from a book, use this site: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/citing.html
• To cite sources within your paper, used this site: http://library.uww.edu/GUIDES/MLACITE.htm

The Research Process

The process of doing research for this class is as follows:

• Go to various websites and gather information
• Take notes about what you are researching
• Note the exact website to be used in "citing your sources" (www.yahoo.com, www.google.com, or other search engines do not count as sources; we need the exact site)
• Begin writing your assignment in your own words

Go to various websites and gather information. We are more concerned with the effort you put into a lesson, then rushing through a lesson to complete the course. The idea of writing in your own words is to develop your own thinking processes and to improve your written communication and creative skills. Be creative and honest with your written assignments. If you have any questions at all during your writing process, please ask. That is what we are here for, and we are more than happy to assist.

It's important that you understand what plagiarism is and how you can avoid it. All work you submit must be in your own words, and should be your original ideas. If you use other ideas to support your own ideas, then you must cite your sources. Copying work from another website or student is plagiarism.

Penalties

If you plagiarize, you will get a failing grade for that lesson, and be required to rewrite the plagiarized paper (in your own words). You may even be required to write another paper about plagiarism. This will lower your final grade. This is stated in Lesson 5 of the student orientation. It is your responsibility to check your work and ask questions