Academic Integrity & Academic Writing Resources

Regis College's Academic Catalog has a section on Academic Integrity (starting on pg. 28). This provides detailed information on the use of secondary sources and collaborative learning. It discusses how to avoid all forms of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism.

For more help in understanding plagiarism and how to avoid it, make use of the following resources at Regis:

• Finucane and O'Sullivan Institute for Learning  Writing tutors work with all aspects of writing for undergraduate and graduate students in the traditional on-campus program at the Weston campus.

There are two reasons for copyright:

• As a way to preserve an author’s right to own their work. Oftentimes, creators feel connected to their work and see this work as an extension of themselves. Ensuring that these works are attributed appropriately falls under the basis of moral rights.
• As motivation to creators to continue producing new works. Some of these incentives could be: money, recognition, becoming part of a community, gaining additional knowledge or skills, and advancing their field.

What falls under copyright?

• Literary works (books, poems, essays, short stories)
• Music
• Artistic works; visual art (images, photographs, paintings, etc.)
• Dramatic works
• Collections of literary and artistic works
• Film and other audiovisual works
• Translations and adaptations
• Databases, software, webpages
• Research articles

What does NOT fall under copyright?

• Ideas
• Discoveries
• Facts
• Common Knowledge

Copyright protects the expression of these ideas, discoveries, etc. If the expression is in a concrete form (see What falls under copyright? above), then it is covered under copyright. For instance, if I came up with an idea for a recipe, I would need to publish it on a website or in a book for it to be copyrightable.

1. Phrases, sentences, or sections of text that are copied word for word, but without quotes --  without acknowledging the source. 
2. Paraphrasing or rephrasing other’s text or ideas and using it in your own material --  without acknowledging the original source.
3. Combining text or ideas from a source, or from several different sources, with your own ideas -- without acknowledging the source(s).
4. Self-plagiarizing-- yes, this is really a thing. Submitting a paper you wrote for a class to a completely separate class-- without talking to and obtaining permission from the professors of both courses.

From Bainbridge State College.