Cognitive Psychology: By Stephen R. Schmidt, MTSU

Statement on Plagiarism

(Sign this form and return it with your completed paper.)

Definition:

"Quotation marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Summarizing a passage or rearranging the order of a sentence and changing some of the words is paraphrasing. Each time a source is paraphrased, a credit for the source needs to be included in the text. . . The Key element of this principle is that an author does not present the work of another as if it were his or her own work. This can extend to ideas as well as written words (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 1995, pp. 292-294)."
 

Plagiarism in this Course:

Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course.  If I find that you have plagiarized material in your paper, you will receive a zero on the paper.  For most students, this will result in an Fin the course.  Because some students may use sources that are difficult for me to find, each of you must provide photocopies (or electronic copies) of all materials that were used in the preparation of your paper.  These will enable me to fairly judge your work as your own. 

The University policy on plagiarism is available on-line at: http://www.mtsu.edu/judaff/integrity.shtml

Excerpt:

Academic Misconduct Defined
Academic Misconduct. Plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, or facilitating any such act. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Plagiarism. The adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works of another person as one’s own without proper acknowledgment.

(2) Cheating. Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or hours.

(3) Fabrication. Unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.

(4) Facilitation. Helping or attempting to help another to violate a provision of the institutional code of academic misconduct.

How to avoid Plagiarism:

Follow the rule that if you borrow more than three words, you should put the words in quotation marks and give a complete citation (Author, year, and page number) for the source.

Take notes while researching your paper.  In these notes put all words and phrases lifted from your source in quotes and record the author, year of publication, and the page number (e.g., James, 1890, p. 670).

Write your paper from your notes with the original source out of view. Writing the paper with the original source sitting in front of you makes it too easy to lift whole phrases from the source.

Do not use a paper you have written for another course.  This is "self plagiarism."
 

Further Information:

Plagiarism:  http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

Avoiding Plagiarism and Lazy Writing:  http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072887648/student_view0/plagiarism.html

I have read and understand the above statement on plagiarism:   ________________________      Date: _________

Printed name: ________________________ 

Last Modified 5/05/2009

return