Academic Honesty
Plagiarism
The University is committed to academic excellence and high standards of ethical behaviour as the cornerstones of scholastic achievement and quality assurance. The University requires all students to act honestly, ethically and with integrity in their dealings with the University, its employees, members of the public and other students. To this end, the Vice-Chancellor on 15 February 2005 approved a new policy on plagiarism, which has subsequently been discussed both at VCAC and at the Academic Board. This policy is now in force and the procedures set out in it must be followed in all cases.
All staff and students should read the policy on Plagiarism: “Student Plagiarism: Coursework” (Please note: this link opens a PDF file of the policy) and ensure that they fully comprehend it since it imposes obligations on both staff and students.
The policy includes a pro-forma compliance statement that students must sign and submit with all pieces of work for assessment, presentation or publication in accordance with clause 8 of the policy.
You must, with all pieces of assessment that you hand for any units within the School of Languages and Cultures, attach an :
| Assessment Coversheet |
On this coversheet is a declaration stating that you certify that:
- have read and understood the University of Sydney Student Plagiarism: Coursework Policy and Procedure
- understand that failure to comply with the Student Plagiarism: Coursework Policy and Procedure can lead to the University commencing proceedings against me for potential student misconduct under Chapter 8 of the University of Sydney By-Law 1999 (as amended);
- this Work is substantially my own, and to the extent that any part of this Work is not my own have indicated that it is not my own by Acknowledging the Source of that part or those parts of the Work.
Plagiarism is a capital sin in the world of scholarship. You should therefore be especially careful to acknowledge all verbatim quotations and to acknowledge your use of the ideas and methods of others as well as their words. Plagiarism is not avoided by the devices of making an unacknowledged summary of another’s ideas or by making minor alterations to an otherwise directly quoted text.
Please note the following excerpt from the Faculty of Arts draft guidelines on plagiarism:
“In the course of academic life plagiarism appears both in the taking of the work of acknowledged scholars as well as in the taking of the work of peers, particularly other students. Plagiarism is a form of theft and a form of fraud. It constitutes an academic offence.”
Plagiarism has ruined reputations, brought about lawsuits, and led to the failing of honours and postgraduate theses.
Thus you should note that:
- Action of some kind will be taken on every occasion that an instance is discovered
- Where a single piece of work is involved, a second marker will be used and the student will be asked to give an explanation
- Plagiarism will result in a mark of zero for that piece of work
- In the most serious cases, a formal complaint under the by-laws is required.
How to Quote
If you wish to quote verbatim from some source or other, preferably indicate your source in a footnote rather than disturb the flow of your text. Normally quotations from critics should be kept to a minimum.
The following points are worth remembering:
- All verbatim quotations should be marked as such by enclosing them in inverted commas within the text, or by insetting them from the margins, separating them from the main body of the text
- Where a phrase, rather than a complete sentence, is quoted, it must fit into the syntax of your text to form a coherent sentence
- Unacknowledged paraphrasing, i.e. rewriting extended quotations in one's own words or in the author's barely changed words, is just as much a plagiarism as is unacknowledged verbatim quotation.
Referencing
Where you have to make frequent reference to one source (e.g. when you are discussing a novel or a play), and it is quite clear which book is being referred to, it may be more convenient to indicate the page-numbers in brackets in the body of your text.
NOTE: In language exercises, underline all linguistic forms (words, phrases, letters) cited as examples, whether French or English, and use single quotation marks for definitions or translations (e.g. ainsi 'thus').
Footnotes and Bibliographies
Standards for the layout of footnotes and bibliographies vary, but the department would like you to observe three general rules:
- provide accurate information
- provide complete information
- be consistent in the presentation of information.
The most authoritative and comprehensive source of information on footnoting and bibliographical conventions is the M.L.A. Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, New York, Modern Language Association [latest edition].
The Department sees merit in undergraduate students applying internationally recognised scholarly conventions in their presentation of footnotes and bibliographical lists; we do not, however, place undue emphasis on formal rules of this kind, as long as the alternatives selected conform to the three basic criteria of accuracy, completeness and consistency.