First-Year Writing
Policies on Writing from Sources, Academic Integrity, and Plagiarism
Introduction
Most academic writing you’ll do in college is writing from sources. That is, you read, discuss, and write about a variety of sources—scholarly essays, lab reports, statistical reports, fiction, film, websites, and textbooks. In first-year writing courses, you’ll learn many skills that will help you read multiple sources and write about/with them effectively in papers. These complex literacy skills aren’t fully learned in one or even two semesters, but English 1101 and 1102 will offer you a basic understanding of these processes for you to build on as you progress through the upper division courses in your major.
Anytime you write from sources, however, you run the risk of plagiarizing. Indeed, plagiarism is a serious academic (and possibly disciplinary) violation. (See the Student Code of Conduct for further information). Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which you present another’s ideas as your own. Why is the academic community so bothered by plagiarism? First, we are committed to educating individual students, and when you plagiarize, you thwart your own education and forego your responsibilities as a writer. Second, you violate the ethical, academic standards of the academic community. These standards include the value of research and informed argument, open and honest debate and sharing of ideas, critical thinking about evidence, the careful presentation of research, and acknowledgment of the sources of ideas. Plagiarism, then, erodes the core of our work within an academic community.
For these reasons, most instructors respond both emotionally and professionally to plagiarism. We may feel defrauded, duped, insulted, or cheated. In addition, we may feel disappointed that you are cheating yourself out of learning and refusing to authentically enter academic conversations about ideas. Indeed, we recognize that you will not succeed in the university unless you’re willing to learn how to read a range of materials and write about them effectively and ethically. At the same time, English instructors are language experts, so we know that these complex skills are not easy to learn and must be learned over and over again in various contexts. For these reasons, English 1101 and 1102 instructors will devote class time to teaching you how to incorporate others’ ideas honestly and effectively. Class instruction will include: reading critically, annotating texts and taking notes, reading rhetorically for context and strategies, locating print and digital sources, understanding various library databases, evaluating sources, using sources in papers various ways, citing an array of sources, practicing introducing sources in your paper, and documenting sources effectively.
Upholding Academic Integrity
Thus, as part of the Clayton State academic community, you are also responsible for upholding academic standards and policies (including, but not limited to, avoiding plagiarism). Indeed, all Clayton State students must follow the “Student Code of Conduct” section of the online Student Handbook. Please read this to understand academic honesty, and ask your professors if you have any questions.
You can also avoid plagiarism by:
· Developing effective reading and note-taking skills
· Beginning assignments early and working with tutors and instructors on drafts
· Learning to evaluate sources effectively
· Attending every class and completing the assignments so you learn how to document correctly
· Reading and studying “Using Sources Ethically,” including “Take Care to Avoid Plagiarism” in the previous section
· Asking your instructor for help when you’re confused.
Writing From Sources: Problems and Consequences
Students who fail to cite and/or document ethically and effectively in 1101 and 1102 papers will not receive satisfactory grades. Successful papers, though, include carefully citation, accurate documentation, a coherent and reasonable essay, and effective synthesis of various sources. The following are examples of common problems you may have writing-from-sources and possible consequences your instructor may provide.
Problems in Writing-from-Sources:
Inaccurate Citation: Mechanics and Format: Students are expected to cite both written (print and electronic), oral, and visual sources consulted in papers and presentations. All borrowed ideas—both direct quotations and paraphrasing from another’s work—require accurate citation, and direct quotations require quotation marks. Students should learn and use correct format for block quotes, quotations, and in-text parenthetical documentation. Source material should be introduced fully, and all borrowed ideas should be cited; Works Cited pages should be formatted correctly. Drafts of papers with inaccurate citation, mechanical citation problems, and/or Works Cited inaccuracies will require mandatory revisions; final papers with these problems will receive a letter grade deduction.
Plagiarism in 1101/1102:
Insufficient Citation: Patchwriting and Derivative Papers: Students should fully introduce and cite borrowed material. Cutting and pasting passages from your source into your own paper without citation and turning in the paper as your own is plagiarism, as is directly quoting without using quotation marks. Undocumented paraphrasing is plagiarism: fully cite the source of your ideas. In addition, students are expected to paraphrase and summarize using their own stylistic features, not the source’s, to avoid patchwriting (also called stylistic plagiarism). If your summary is too close to the original in a draft, keep working to synthesize it fully. In addition, students are expected to develop their own framework for their papers rather than borrowing their source’s argument wholesale (even if acknowledged). Drafts with several examples of insufficient citation, papers that fail to develop original arguments, papers lacking a Works Cited page, or papers that exhibit patchwriting will earn a lowered grade and will require mandatory revision; final papers will receive an F for failure to meet the minimum requirements of papers in 1101/1102.
False Submissions, Ghostwriting, or Fraud: Students are expected to write their own original papers for each assignment, from development of ideas and research to revision. If students turn in final papers substantially written by someone else (i.e. acquired or bought through the Internet, an organization, friends, family members, or another student; most of the paper cut-and-pasted from sources without documentation, etc.), the student will receive an F for the course and face disciplinary action as per the CSU Office of Student Life/Judicial Affairs (procedures available at <http://adminservices.clayton.edu
judicial/>. If such a paper is submitted for a rough draft, the student will receive a 0 for the draft and be required to do a mandatory revision and/or new rough draft before submitting a final paper.
Be sure to check your instructor’s syllabus for complete information, and be sure to ask if you have questions.
Process for Handling Academic Misconduct at Clayton State
If the student agrees to allow the instructor to adjudicate the charge, the student signs the form, “Academic Misconduct: Request for Instructor to Adjudicate.” The instructor completes the form, assigns the penalty, and submits copies of the form (along with the “Specification of Charges Form”) to the student, the Office of Student Conduct, and keeps a copy for her file. Even if the instructor wishes to adjudicate, he or she should contact Student Affairs to see if this is the student’s first offense.
If the student does not agree to allow the instructor to adjudicate and/or if the student denies the allegation and no agreement can be reached, then the instructor refers the case to the Office of Student Affairs/Student Conduct.