Avoiding Plagiarism

• Definition of Plagiarism
• Checklist for Students
• Referencing and Citing
• TurnitinUK

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use, without adequate acknowledgment, of the intellectual work of another person in work submitted for assessment. A student cannot be found to have committed plagiarism where it can be shown that the student has taken all reasonable care to avoid representing the work of others as his or her own.

Reference: University of Aberdeen, Code of Practice on Student Discipline (revised 29 September 2010) 2.1.1 (h). Available from: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix5x15.pdf [Accessed 14 September 2011]

Checklist for Students

1. When taking notes, be sure to put inverted commas around word-for-word quotes, so that when you come back to reread your notes, it is clear to you what is a quote, and what is a paraphrase in your own words.  Always write down exactly where the material comes from, including page number or url.

2. When taking notes, use the correct citation / reference format.  If you are not clear about this, check your course guide or ask the teaching staff. 

3. Familiarise yourself with whatever citation / reference format you are expected to use.  Remember that paraphrases, as well as direct quotes, need to be referenced. 

4. Know roughly how many outside sources you are expected to use in your essay / assignment.  This will vary depending on discipline, course and level, and should be explained to you by staff or in the course guide.

5. Once you have written a draft of your essay / assignment, look at the balance between your own ideas and the ideas from other people which you have brought in.  It should be very clear to the reader which is which, because all of the ideas from other people will be referenced.  Your own argument (your ideas) should provide the main framework for essay / assignment, and your evidence (other people's ideas) should be in support of your argument.

6. Remember that you are signing a cover sheet which states that your essay / assignment is all your own work.

7. Check whether you have to submit your essay / assignment to TurnitinUK

Referencing and Citing

There are many styles of referencing and citing. Check your course guide or ask the teaching staff which style they expect you to use. The library produce useful information on referencing and citing.

TurnitinUK

TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, databases of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK.

The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources. The assignment  which has been submitted to TurnitinUK and an Originality Report (the report which identifies the text matches found) are displayed for the member of staff to view. The member of staff can see whether resources have been appropriately referenced and hence whether plagiarism has occurred.

The Information for Students on TurnitinUK document describes what TurnitinUK is and your rights under the Data Protection Act. You must read this document before you use TurnitinUK.

The Student Instructions for TurnitinUK show you how to submit an assignment to TurnitinUK through MyAberdeen.