It is vitally important that when you use the work of someone else, you cite it correctly. Your learning journal for each unit must contain a References section that lists all the sources you need to cite in your journal.
For non-web sources such as books, journal articles, and conference papers, we recommend that you use the APA standard for citation. Information about this can be found at the Write Site.
For web-based sources, it is good practice to provide a live hyperlink to the actual page that you are citing—not just the site on which it can be found. You should also make a note of the date when the page was accessed.
We strongly encourage sharing and welcome intelligent (and properly acknowledged) reuse of ideas, content, and systems. But, as in any course at Athabasca University, we strongly frown upon plagiarism, collusion, and other forms of academic misconduct. In the unlikely event that you feel tempted to cheat, we will come down on you like a pile of very sharp bricks.
If you use the work of others, whether explicitly using the same content or merely basing your ideas on theirs, you must properly list and cite your sources in all cases. It is better to do too much than too little. Failure to properly cite sources may lead to anything from censure and loss of marks in very minor cases of forgetfulness (e.g., if you provide reference to a source in your bibliography list but do not cite at the point at which you use it) to expulsion from the course and a permanent stain on your academic record if uncited work is used. We have access to automated and semi-automated tools for plagiarism detection and may use them.
The good news is that there is plenty of information online to help prevent this from happening, including our own Write Site, which offers great advice on the subject, and in our own school and faculty policies. We know that in the majority of cases, people who are guilty of academic misconduct are simply unaware of what is correct and how to avoid the pitfalls. If you have not already done so, please visit the Write Site or explore other online sources explaining plagiarism, collusion, and other forms of academic misconduct, and remember that by signing on to one of our courses, you have explicitly agreed that you will behave with total academic honesty throughout.
First of all, tell them about it! In most cases, academic misconduct is unintentional and, if you let people know that you have identified a problem, they will nearly always try to fix it.
If they don’t fix it, tell us! If you suspect a fellow student of academic misconduct, then it is important to inform us of your suspicions, because there is a slight chance that we may not recognize it ourselves, and the reputation of the course (and hence of your own qualification) depends on the course maintaining high standards of reliability and trustworthiness. This is not snitching: it is for your own benefit and for the benefit of everyone on the course to ensure that the highest standards are maintained. Cheating benefits no one: the person cheating fails to learn, and your qualification loses value as a result.
From the Athabasca University document on academic integrity:
“Students registered in Athabasca University courses are considered to be responsible scholars and are therefore expected to conform to the highest standards of academic integrity in all written assignments, including examinations.”
Specifically, you cannot copy text from a source and present it as your own words.
Any quoted text should be displayed as a quotation (as I did in the first paragraph above) with a clear citation of the source. You also need to cite sources that you paraphrase, i.e., rephrase in your own words. Sources you cite must also be listed as a reference. Purdue’s Online Writing Lab lists examples of how to list and cite sources using APA style, which is preferable for COMP 667.
Specifically, the first penalty is a reduction in grade. If the misconduct is repeated, further penalties may include a failing grade in the course or suspension or expulsion from Athabasca University. All instances of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology.
Be certain that the words you submit as your own words are indeed your own words. You can paraphrase and quote (with proper attribution), but you cannot copy other people’s words and present them as your own.
Warning: Plagiarism-detection software may be used on submitted assignments to insure compliance.
Finally, this tutorial developed by the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies at Athabasca University is a useful introduction to all aspects of citation, plagiarism, policies, etc.
If you have any questions about plagiarism, please post them on the COMP 667 General Discussion Forum for discussion.
Updated June 04 2018 by FST Course Production Staff