Plagiarism Workshop
The library provides a workshop (typically presented to new students in the First Year Experience course), which helps students understand the university's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. The following information is provided during that workshop (normally a 50 minute session). For more information about this workshop, contact Rob Kairis, Library Director. For more information about the university's new plagiarism policy, please review Kent State's website on plagiarism. There is also a Plagiarism Workshop Guide that discusses the content of this webpage in more detail.
Summary of policy sequence when a student is accused of plagiarizing:
1. Your instructor informs you verbally or in writing that he/she suspects you of plagiarizing
2. Your instructor provides you with an opportunity to explain orally or in writing why you believe you did not plagiarize
3. If your instructor still believes you plagiarized he/she may impose sanctions:
a. Refuse the work submitted for credit
b. Give you an F or zero on the assignment
c. Give you an F for the course
d. Recommend that the incident be forwarded for further review to your dean (for degree-related sanctions) or the Academic Hearing Panel (for disciplinary sanctions.
e. You may be asked to attend “Plagiarism School”
4. When a sanction is imposed the instructor must:
a. Report the act of plagiarism and the sanction applied to the Office of Student Conduct
b. The Office of Student Conduct will inform you that you have the right to appeal the sanction to their office within 15 days of the receipt of the written notice
5. If you do appeal:
a. A hearing will be scheduled with the Academic Hearing Panel, where the instructor must prove you plagiarized
b. You and the instructor can call witnesses and cross exam each other (neither side can be represented by legal counsel)
c. The Academic Hearing Panel makes a decision in the matter and provides it to you in writing
d. You may still appeal (on limited grounds) to the Provost within 7 calendar days of receiving the decision from the Academic Hearing Panel
Tips for avoiding plagiarism:
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Always do your own work
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Be organized (failure to properly attribute someone’s work by mistake is still plagiarism)
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When using facts or figures always cite a source (only widely known or accepted facts can be presented without citation—there is no need to cite a source for suggesting that the world is round, for example)
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It is okay to seek help or advice, but thoughts, ideas, words, phrases, interpretations etc., should be your own or the source of origin should be properly cited
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“Double-dipping” (using a substantial portion of a piece of work for two or more classes without notifying the instructor) is a form of cheating similar to plagiarism
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If in doubt, ask for help from your instructor (the Library or the Writing Center)
Case studies involving plagiarism:
Case #1 (George Bono's paper on AIDS)
Case #2 (Rosie Pinetar's essay on The Natural)
Case #3 (Stuart Lavaman's term paper in Geology)
Case #4 (Gilbert Trout's book report on Slaughterhouse-Five)
Case #5 (Lonnie Shakespeare trades papers for a Psychology class)
Case #6 (Jill St. Blonde writes two papers on the same topic)
Case #7 (Luciano Russo writes about second-hand smoke)