Plagiarism and Unfair Means

What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as if it were your own, whether you mean to or not. ‘Someone else’s work’ means anything that is not your own idea, even if it is presented in your own style. It includes material from books, journals or any other printed source, the work of other students or staff, information from the Internet, software programs and other electronic material, designs and ideas. It also includes the organization or structuring of any such material.

Quotation or Plagiarism “Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as if it were your own, whether you mean to or not. ‘Someone else’s work’ means anything that is not your own idea, even if it is presented in your own style. It includes material from books, journals or any other printed source, the work of other students or staff, information from the Internet, software programs and other electronic material, designs and ideas. It also includes the organization or structuring of any such material.” http://www.vuw.ac.nz/home/glossary Quotation mark Reference/attribution

University of Sheffield definition http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/design/unfair “is the stealing of ideas or work of another person (including experts and fellow or former students) and is considered dishonest and unprofessional. Plagiarism may take the form of cutting and pasting, taking or closely paraphrasing ideas, passages, sections, sentences, paragraphs, drawings, graphs and other graphical material from books, articles, internet sites or any other source and submitting them for assessment without appropriate acknowledgement.”

Other unfair means Submitting bought or commissioned work (for example from internet sites, essay “banks”) Submitting work that has been completed by other students Double submission, or self plagiarism exception – literature review and transfer report “ ‘Plagiarism?’ But my friend gave me permission to use his essay and said I didn’t have to cite him.”

Collusion 2 or more people work together to produce a piece of work, which is then submitted by each of them as their own individual work Collusion does not occur where students work together as a group to produce a single piece of work

Fabrication Submitting work (e.g. laboratory data) any part of which is untrue, made up, falsified or fabricated in any way Regarded as fraudulent and dishonest

Plagiarism detection Use software to scan and match documents 6 words in same sequence as published source changes in structure of grammar and syntax Literature review, transfer report, final thesis

University Policy Where unfair means is accepted by the student, a penalty mark may be given If in doubt about a document you are preparing, you must ask for help from your supervisor or PGR tutor

University Policy If plagiarism is detected but you dispute it you will be required to produce all draft versions of any written document This includes date/time-stamped word-processing files, presentations, early hand-written drafts, lab notebooks It is your responsibility to maintain all such records

University Policy a reprimand; In serious cases the following penalties may be applied by the university: a reprimand; with the consent of the student, a requirement that the student gives an undertaking as to future conduct in such terms and containing such conditions as the Committee may prescribe, breach of the undertaking to constitute misconduct; in the case of the use of unfair means in an examination, refusal of credit for any or all units for which the student is registered or part thereof (the grade in each case being returned as zero or amended to reflect the reduced grade) or, in the case of examination of a thesis for a Higher Degree by Research, failure in the examination, with or without a right to submit a revised thesis; a fine of not more than £750; the payment of compensation in a sum not to exceed £1,000 for damage to property or loss or injury to any person caused by the student; exclusion for a stated period or permanently from any part of the University or from the use of any of the facilities of the University; suspension for a stated period from membership of the University; expulsion from membership of the University.

Summary Plagiarism is wrong so don’t do it If you are in any doubt seek help from your supervisor or PGR tutor Penalties are severe

Postgraduate Induction Course (PIC) New development for PGR students in the Faculty Delivered over 7 days from 17-25th October Introduction to core skills and experiences that PGR students are expected to gain during their research programme

Course content Icebreaker: assignment, presentations, presentation skills The Doctoral Development Programme - compulsory How to be an Effective Researcher Introduction to Scientific Thinking (DDP module MED610) Plagiarism and unfair means Introduction to Research Ethics and Integrity module - compulsory Cultural Awareness Literature searching Use of Endnote Health and Safety: Out of Hours Training Health and Safety: Lab Health & Safety Basic laboratory skills Data handling for laboratory based students Introduction to reading scientific papers and abstract writing The Research Development Framework Intensive English language training for International students http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/graduateschool/currentpg/pic/index.html

By the end of the course you will … ….be better adapted to the research environment ….have acquired basic research skills and understanding use of Endnote literature searching scientific thinking critical appraisal data handling ….have attended out of hours training course English language training also available

How to register… Complete a registration form and return it to mdhgraduateschool@sheffield.ac.uk Closing date for registration: Wednesday 12th October, 2011 There is further information in your Induction Pack http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/graduateschool/currentpg/pic/index.html