Plagiarism and Academic Honesty Tutorial

Library with hanging bulbs by Janko Ferlic. Used under (CC BY-NC 2.0); image resized from original.

This tutorial will familiarize you with issues surrounding plagiarism and will help you understand the importance of using information responsibly and with integrity.

By completing this tutorial, you will:

• learn the definition of plagiarism
• identify situations where plagiarism could occur
• understand why citing referenced or quoted works is a part of standard academic practice
• locate several ways to get assistance with citing your sources

The Checkpoint in each section gives the reader an opportunity to check their understanding of the concepts covered. Students can turn in the results of these quizzes to their professor to show what they have learned about plagiarism. Because there is no one way to define the concept of plagiarism, the Checkpoints also let students make a list of questions to ask their professor to determine how they interpret some of the issues.  Be sure to complete all three Checkpoints.

By following the guidelines in this tutorial, you can feel confident that you are upholding CSUSM's Academic Honesty Policy. 

(Organization of tutorial adapted from UNC University Libraries)

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Directly quoted from the CSUSM University Catalog:

Academic Honesty

"Each student shall maintain academic honesty in the conduct of his or her studies and other learning activities at CSUSM. The integrity of this academic institution, and the quality of the education provided in its degree programs, are based on the principle of academic honesty.

The maintenance of academic integrity and quality education is the responsibility of each student within this university and the California State University system. Cheating and plagiarism in connection with an academic program at a campus is listed in Section 41301, Title 5, California Code of Regulations, as an offense for which a student may be expelled, suspended, put on probation, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction.

1. Student Responsibilities

A. Students are responsible for knowing and understanding the rules of Academic Honesty as outlined in the university catalog, to include fabricating information and data, cheating, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarizing.

B. Students are responsible for communicating with the professor if they do not understand how the policy applies to a particular class or assignment. Students are responsible for utilizing the library resources (e.g. the plagiarism tutorial, consulting a librarian, or referring to a style guide) on academic honesty and plagiarism to fully understand the differences between a citation, giving credit, original writing, and plagiarism."