Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution

Preventing Honor Code Violations

Plagiarism

Well what is plagiarism? Plagiarism.org explains the definition in four parts:

  1. to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
  2. to use (another's production) without crediting the source
  3. to commit literary theft
  4. to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

Paraphrasing

Learning to paraphrase correctly is critical in preventing plagiarism. There is an important difference between changing around a few words and paraphrasing. To paraphrase correctly you should not only put the ideas into your own words, but also add your views and comparisons from your research. You should try and shy away from regurgitating what you have read, and instead make it your own.

Citing

Citing correctly is a key component in preventing honor code violations. The University of Florida Libraries website has guides for each style including APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.

List of Citing Style Guides
http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/hss/ref/style.html

You may also want to take into consideration the quality of your sources. There is a lot of information online that should not be used for academic purposes. If you research online and do not find an author, it does not mean that you can use the information without a proper citation.

There are also programs such as RefWorks and EndNote that can help you with your citing and bibliography. These programs help in storing and sorting all of your references.

RefWorks
http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/refworksufpage.html

EndNote
http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/endnoteweb.html

Don't forget that there are always librarians to assist you!

Prevention Tips

  1. If you observe a violation of the Honor Code, report it to any of the following:
    • The faculty member teaching the course
    • The Director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, (352) 392-1261 ext. 207
  2. Make it difficult and unacceptable for other students to cheat by:
    • Covering your work during exams
    • Giving discouraging glances to students trying to cheat
    • Refusing to give away old term papers
    • Refusing to discuss an exam with students in other sections
  3. Accept responsibility for academic integrity by:
    • Confronting students you suspect of cheating and raising the issue of academic honesty and integrity
    • Providing positive peer pressure

Resources

  1. Plagiarism.org
  2. Indiana Writing Tutorial Services
    http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ewts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
  3. The Owl at Purdue
    http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/