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Plagiarism
Linguistics Department Policy on Plagiarism
This policy has three sections:
A. Information and resources for students
B. Submitting assignments
C. Penalties for plagiarism
A. Information and resources for students
Opportunities and temptations for plagiarism have increased with the spread of internet access. Plagiarism is a serious threat to the teaching and accreditation process, and seriously undermines the collegial and ethical principles which underpin the work of a university.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own.
What is the Linguistics Department's policy on plagiarism?
The Linguistics Department follows Macquarie University's policy on plagiarism .
How can I avoid plagiarism?
The University and the Linguistics Department provide resources for students which provide advice on how to recognise and avoid plagiarism, and which can enhance your understanding of conventions for academic writing. They include examples of acceptable and unacceptable use of sources. It is recommended that you consult them if you are unsure whether you have committed plagiarism.
The following websites are also useful resources which you are encouraged to consult.
- Purdue University Online Writing Lab
- University of California, Davis's Avoiding Plagiarism Page
- Northwestern University's Writing Place
- Indiana University's Writing Tutorial Services
B. Submitting assignments
All assignments submitted for units offered by the Department of Linguistics must include the official assignment coversheet of the department. There are two forms of the coversheet:
- for hard-copy submission
- for electronic submission where assignments are submitted by email or by the assignment submission tool on Linguistics unit websites.
Assignments submitted without a coversheet will not be marked.
C. Penalties for plagiarism
In accordance with the University's policy , penalties for plagiarism are decided on a case by case basis dependent upon the amount and type of plagiarism in an assignment. Penalties include, but are not limited to:
- reducing your score for an assignment (where plagiarism is found to be minor, unintentional, and occasional)
- requiring you to resubmit the assignment (where plagiarism is found to be minor and unintentional); the final grade for the assignment will not exceed "Pass Conceded"
- assigning a score of zero for the assignment
- assigning a score of zero for the entire unit
- suspension or expulsion from the university.