Academic Integrity

Prepared by Philip A. Pecorino, Ph.D.

Professor, Philosophy

Notice to QCC Students from your Instructor

The college has an academic integrity policy and program.  http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/Governance/AcademicSenate/COAI/Docs/Academic_Integrity_Document.pdf

You may be severely penalized for violations of academic integrity.  Learn about it and observe the principles.  Among other things you must avoid plagiarism.

In this course, the penalty for violations of academic integrity is as follows:
1. First offense - the student receives the grade of "0" for the assignment and the possibility of more severe action at the discretion of the instructor.
2. Second offense - the student receives an "F" in the course and a Violation of Academic Integrity Report is filed with the Dean of Students.

There are Internet research papers required for this course. One of the requirements for these papers is that you locate websites and incorporate information from these websites in your paper. You must not only properly cite all information you use, but you are also expected to put the information into your own words. Each paper has a required minimum length, and direct quotes from other sources are not counted in determining the "word-count" length of your paper.

 If your paper contains material that is copied or paraphrased from any website, or from a paper previously submitted that material will be identified. If it is not properly documented, or if the quotation marks are absent, the material will be considered plagiarized.

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism occurs when one steals or uses the ideas or writings of another and presents these writings or ideas as his or her own.

Some examples of plagiarism:
Buying a paper from a research service or term paper mill.
Turning in another student's work with or without that student's knowledge.
Turning in a paper a peer has written for you.
Copying a paper from a source (text or web) without proper acknowledgment.
Copying materials from a source, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotation marks.
Paraphrasing materials from a source without appropriate documentation.
Turning in a paper from a "free term paper" website. "
The above information was taken and paraphrased from:
http://ollie.dcccd.edu/library/Module4/M4-VII/plagar.htm
 

Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else's words, ideas or data as one's own work without acknowledging the source. When a student submits work for credit that includes the words, ideas or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references and, if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well. By placing his/her name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments. Plagiarism covers unpublished as well as published sources, including internet-accessed materials. Examples of plagiarism include but are not limited to:

Quoting another person's actual words, complete sentences or paragraphs, or entire piece of written work without acknowledgment of the source;

 Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes.

Using another person's ideas, opinions, or theory even if it is completely paraphrased in one's own words, without acknowledgment of the source

Borrowing facts, statistics or other illustrative materials that are not clearly common knowledge without acknowledgment of the source

Copying another student's essay test answers

Copying, or allowing another student to copy a computer file that contains another student's assignment, and submitting it, in part or in its entirety, as one's own

Working together on an assignment, sharing the computer files and programs involved, and then submitting individual copies of the assignment as one's own work

• Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.

 When in doubt about rules concerning plagiarism, students are urged to consult with individual faculty members, academic departments, or recognized handbooks in their field.
 

FORMS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS[1]

 There are a number of ways that violations of academic integrity can occur. Principal among them are the four types listed below. It should be noted, however, that misconduct in any of these categories or combination of categories may be subject to disciplinary measures if it is deemed by the Office of Student Affairs, based on reports submitted by the Academic Departments, that the conduct rises to the level of disciplinary misconduct.

 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else's words, ideas or data as one's own work without acknowledging the source. When a student submits work for credit that includes the words, ideas or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references and, if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well. By placing his/her name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments. Plagiarism covers unpublished as well as published sources, including internet-accessed materials. Examples of plagiarism include but are not limited to:

Quoting another person's actual words, complete sentences or paragraphs, or entire piece of written work without acknowledgment of the source;

 Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes.

Using another person's ideas, opinions, or theory even if it is completely paraphrased in one's own words, without acknowledgment of the source

Borrowing facts, statistics or other illustrative materials that are not clearly common knowledge without acknowledgment of the source

Copying another student's essay test answers

Copying, or allowing another student to copy a computer file that contains another student's assignment, and submitting it, in part or in its entirety, as one's own

Working together on an assignment, sharing the computer files and programs involved, and then submitting individual copies of the assignment as one's own work

• Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.

 When in doubt about rules concerning plagiarism, students are urged to consult with individual faculty members, academic departments, or recognized handbooks in their field.

 Fabrication

Fabrication is the use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings. Examples of fabrication include but are not limited to:

 Citation of information not taken from the source indicated. This may include the incorrect documentation of secondary source materials

Listing sources in a bibliography that are not directly used in the academic exercise

Submission in a paper, thesis, lab report or other academic exercise of falsified, invented, or fictitious data or evidence, or deliberate and knowing concealment or distortion of the true nature, origin or function of such data or evidence

Submitting as your own any academic exercises (e.g., written work, printing, musical composition, painting, sculpture, etc.) prepared totally or in part by another

 Cheating

Cheating is an act or an attempted act of deception by which students seek to misrepresent that they have mastered information on an academic exercise that they have not mastered. Examples of cheating include but are not limited to:

 Copying from another student's test paper

Allowing another student to copy from a test paper

Unauthorized use of course textbook or other material such as a notebook or notes in any form to complete a test or other assignment

Collaborating on a test, quiz or other project with any other person(s) without authorization

Using or possessing specifically prepared but unauthorized materials during a test, e.g., notes, formula lists, notes written on the student's clothing, study aids, electronic or other devices or any unauthorized communication during an academic exercise, preparing answers or writing notes in an exam booklet before an examination.

Using electronic instruments, such as cell phones, pagers, etc., to obtain or transmit or to share information, when prohibited

Participating in any academic exercise such as a test using the name of another person or permitting someone else to participate in such an exercise for oneself.

 Academic misconduct

Academic misconduct includes any act to gain an undue academic benefit for oneself or to cause academic harm to another. Such misconduct includes dishonest acts such as tampering with grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of an unadministered test. Examples of academic misconduct include but are not limited to:

Stealing, buying or otherwise obtaining and possessing all or part of an unadministered test or academic device not authorized for such person to possess

Unauthorized presence in a building or office or any location for the purpose of obtaining all or part of an unadministered test or academic device not authorized for such person to possess

Selling or giving away all or part of an unadministered test, including answers to an unadministered test or academic device not authorized for such person to possess

Bribing any other person to obtain an unadministered test, including answers to an unadministered or academic device not authorized for such person to possess

Unauthorized presence in an office or any location for the purpose of changing a grade in a grade book, on a test, or on other work for which a grade is given

Changing, altering or being an accessory to the changing and/or altering of a grade in a grade book, on a test, a change-of-grade form or other official academic records of the college which relate to grades

Continuing to work on an examination or project after the allotted time has elapsed

Taking an examination for another student. Asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you.

• Changing a graded exam and returning it for more credit.

• Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to two classes without consulting with instructors.

• Giving assistance or failing to report witnessed acts of academic misconduct/dishonesty.

• Depriving other students of access to library materials by stealing, destroying, defacing, or concealing them

• Retaining, using or circulating examination materials which clearly indicate that they should be returned at the end of the exam .

• Intentionally obstructing or interfering with another student's work.

Promoting violations of academic integrity in any form, including but not limited to publicizing the availability of sources for obtaining papers and exercises

 Falsification of Records and Official Documents

 The following are some examples of falsification:

• Forging signatures of authorization.

Falsifying information on an official academic record.

Falsifying information on an official document such as a grade report, letter of permission, drop/add form, ID card or other college document.

 [1] Based on a University of Delaware listing and from Baruch College (CUNY) at:

http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_integrity.htm#falsification_records

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