Plagiarism | First-Year Writing Program

John Carroll University is committed to the ideals of intellectual honesty and integrity and is respectful of intellectual property. All members of the John Carroll University community are expected to maintain honesty in their academic work.

The word plagiarism comes from the Latin word plagiarius, meaning “kidnapper.” When someone plagiarizes, they’re stealing someone, not just their ideas. In that spirit, first-year composition courses teach students the ethcial implications of plagiarism. On this page, you will find information about what constitutes plagiarism, how to avoid plagiarism, what its penalties are, and who is affected by plagiarism.

Plagiarism Defined
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person’s writing or of his or her words, ideas, facts, and arguments. Plagiarism is never acceptable in University writing.

Resources

The following sites provide resources for instructors and students to help avoid plagiarism in the writing classroom.

Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices
This statement from the Council of Writing Program Administration is intended to provide helpful suggestions and clarifications so that instructors, administrators, and students can work together more effectively in support of excellence in teaching and learning.

Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: Avoiding Plagiarism
Useful site includes information and handouts about academic writing, about actions that might be seen as plagiarism, about choosing when to give credit, as well as exercises for practice.

Rochester Institute of Technology
Annotated list of links to websites for students and faculty to assist in avoiding plagiarism.

Washington State University – Plagiarism
Comprehensive site that includes information about cultural differences with plagiarism, technology and plagiarism, teaching strategies, as well as teacher and student viewpoints.

Indiana University
Provides numerous handouts on avoiding plagiarism, on using sources, and on how to incorporate sources into student writing.

Plagiarism Policies and Definitions from Area Schools
The following links provide additional information about how other local colleges and universities define and address plagiarism at their institutions.