Plagiarism Policy

There's nothing wrong with using the words or thoughts of others or getting their help--indeed it is good to do so--so long as you explicitly acknowledge your debt. But it is plagiarism when you pass off the work of others as though it were your own. For example:

• copying passages from someone else's writing without using quotation marks and giving the author credit;
• paraphrasing someone else's writing without giving credit;
• using someone else's facts or ideas without acknowledgement;
• handing in work for one course that you handed in for credit for another course without the permission of both instructors.

When you use published words, data, or ideas, you should acknowledge your use in a citation. For proper citation forms, see Andrea Lunsford's The Everyday Writer, or any good handbook.

When you use friends' or classmates' words, data, or ideas, you can use regular citations as above--or just thank them in a note at the end (for example, "I am grateful to my friend so-and-so for the argument I use in my third paragraph.")

When friends or classmates just give you helpful reactions to your draft or give you stimulating suggestions that you don't use, you don't have to acknowledge their help; but it is gracious to do so, and most writers do.

The larger point is this: Scientists, academics, and indeed almost all writers depend on the writing of others as they engage in their own work. Dishonesty destroys necessary trust and undermines the possibility of working together as colleagues. We cannot advance knowledge if we pass off the work of others as our own--and it will even hinder our learning process if we do so. Yet of course it is a good thing to strengthen our writing and learning by using material by others--so long as we acknowledge that use, and so long as we use that material as a building block for our own thinking rather than a substitute for our own thinking.

The University insists that instructors report every case of plagiarism to the Academic Honesty Board which keeps a record of all cases. The recommended penalty for plagiarism is failure for the course. Individual instructors may request more severe penalties such as suspension from the University.

Remember too that unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism. Now that you have received this notice, you cannot plead ignorance. Therefore if you have any questions about the proper acknowledgment of help, be sure to ask your instructor.

It is Writing Program policy that instructors not accept papers unless they are accompanied by all notes and drafts. When you are asked to revise an earlier draft, you may not change topics unless you check with your instructor.

Prepared for the Writing Program by Peter Elbow, drawing on documents used at New York University and SUNY Stony Brook.