{"id":666,"date":"2017-01-01T07:00:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-01T07:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writing993.sweetland.lsa.umich.edu\/?page_id=666"},"modified":"2026-01-07T14:42:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T14:42:50","slug":"4-academic-integrity-and-plagiarism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/courses.lsa.umich.edu\/writing993\/modules\/4-academic-integrity-and-plagiarism\/","title":{"rendered":"6. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Plagiarism and Academic Integrity<\/svg><\/summary>\n

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In our final course module, we consider a common bump in the road: issues of academic integrity. At some point in your career, you will undoubtedly find yourself trying to understand a student\u2019s intention and make a judgment call. This module shows you the different types of plagiarism you may encounter, how to help students understand plagiarism and use sources effectively, and UM\u2019s policies and procedures for dealing with academic integrity problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have included materials from UM’s Beyond Plagiarism<\/em> project and the university’s Generative Artificial Intelligence<\/a> website in this module. We highly recommend this site as a valuable tool with resources for both students and instructors.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

What Is Plagiarism?<\/svg><\/summary>\n

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In the introduction of her classic essay \u201cPlagiarisms, Authorships, and the Academic Death Penalty,\u201d<\/a> Rebecca Moore Howard notes that,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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most published discussions of student plagiarism proceed from the assumption that plagiarism occurs as a result of one of two possible motivations: an absence of ethics or an ignorance of citation conventions. (788)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Her summation clearly outlines the way the academy typically thinks about plagiarism\u2014intentional and unintentional behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intentional plagiarism is purchasing or borrowing someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. Unintentional plagiarism includes citation problems and patchwriting. The U-M library’s useful chart, Types of Plagiarism<\/a>, explains which activities fall into the intentional and unintentional categories. The Council of Writing Program Administrators’ statement “Defining Plagiarism”<\/a> uses a similar distinction and terms intentional behavior “plagiarism” and unintentional behavior “misuse of sources.” Taken together, these resources clarify what instructors should be aware of when reading their students’ writing.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

What Do Students Need to Know about Plagiarism and Academic Integrity?<\/svg><\/summary>\n

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Academic integrity can feel like an abstract concept. In the video below, Megan Sweeney, Arthur F. Thurnau Associate Professor of English and former Director of the English Department Writing Program, explains why proper use of sources matters to an academic community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The clip presents two key points for students:<\/p>\n\n\n\n