Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and Plagiarism
In an attempt to clarify possible misunderstandings, PHSC faculty and staff have developed some definitions and examples of two types of academic dishonesty: cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is defined as the giving or taking of information or material with the purpose of wrongfully aiding oneself or another person in academic work that is to be considered in determining a grade.
Plagiarism, or literary theft, is defined as appropriating the literary composition of another person, including parts, passages or language of that writing, and passing off the appropriate material as one's own. Plagiarism is the failure to give proper credit or citation to one's source(s) of information. It includes the failure to use conventional methods of documentation for material quoted or paraphrased. Additionally, plagiarism includes allowing someone else to compose or rewrite an assignment for a student.
Some examples of cheating and/or plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following items:
- Asking for or giving another student information during a test
- Copying answers from another student's paper or intentionally allowing someone to copy from one's own paper during a test
- Using materials, technical devices or websites prohibited by the instructor during a test
- Either impersonating another student during a test or having another person assume one's identity during a test
- Changing answers on a previously graded test in order to have a grade revised
- Stealing examination materials
- Copying material, either exactly or in essence, and not providing appropriate documentation
- Copying or falsifying a laboratory or clinical project/assignment, including computer programs, in either electronic or hard copy form
- Allowing someone else to compose or rewrite a student's assignment
- Stealing, buying, selling or otherwise providing research papers
As with other violations of student conduct (see "Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy" section), cheating and/or plagiarism may result in disciplinary action. Refer to the section, "Disciplinary Procedures."