Plagiarism, as defined on the University of Akron Office of General Counsel web page, “is the intentional or unintentional use of the words or ideas of another without acknowledging their source.”1 (emphasis added) Deliberate and accidental plagiarism are treated the same by the University and the School of Law. The University places the responsibility on the students to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
Most students know to cite the source when they directly quote from another work, but did you know that the following are also examples of plagiarizing?
- ● Substituting synonyms for words used from another work without acknowledging the source. This is called “Word Switch Plagiarism.”
- ● Rearranging words, phrases, or sentences without properly citing the work. This is another example of “Word Switch Plagiarism.”
- ● Summarizing or paraphrasing from another work without properly citing the source.
- ● Paraphrasing in a way to change the author’s meaning of the passage used.
- ● Using the same organizational structure as another source without properly acknowledging the source. This is called “Organization Plagiarism.”
- ● Using another’s creative idea or solution to a problem without acknowledging the source. This is called “Idea Plagiarism.”
Law students caught plagiarizing will be violating the Law School’s Student Disciplinary Code and will be subject to proceedings under the Code.2 The consequences can be severe and may include dismissal from the University.
The General Rule to follow to avoid plagiarizing is “when in doubt, cite the source.” Use the links below to familiarize yourself with plagiarism and how to avoid it. Always remember, if you have a question about what to cite in your research, ask the instructor of your course or ask a law librarian. It is so easy to ask for help and avoid plagiarism.
For a quick review on plagiarism, try this short CALI lesson called Plagiarism – Keeping Out of Trouble.
1. The University of Akron Office of General Counsel – Guidelines for avoiding plagiarism – The University of Akron Office of General Counsel. “Under University Rule 3359-41-02, plagiarism constitutes a type of student misconduct that is punishable by formal disciplinary probation, suspension, or dismissal from the University. It is the responsibility of all University of Akron students to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.”
2. Law Student Handbook. Click on the handbook for your year of admission and then go to the Student Disciplinary Code section.
3. Read the General Writing Requirements (GWR) or the Individual Studies & Research (ISR) instructions carefully. They also have instructions on avoiding plagiarism.
4. CALI Lesson: Plagiarism – Keeping Out of Trouble This lesson will explain what constitutes plagiarism, how to avoid plagiarizing, and will offer opportunities for students to test their understanding of plagiarism.
5. The Law Library offers other useful links about plagiarism.
Lynn Lenart
Assistant Law Librarian for Reference Services
llenart@uakron.edu