Academic Integrity

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is defined as the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another without attribution, in order to represent them as one’s own original work. (Growing Success 2010 p.151)

It can take many forms, including the following:

(a) Submitting an essay/assignment written by someone else, e.g., buying an essay online, downloading an essay from a website, having someone else complete one’s assignment, or copying or using work including homework done by another student;

(b) Piecing together material from one or several sources and adding only linking sentences;

(c) Quoting or paraphrasing material without citing the source of that material, including, but not limited to books, magazines, journals, websites, newspapers, television programs, radio programs, movies, videos, photographs, and drawings in print or electronic form;

(d) Copying and pasting from the internet or other electronic sites without citing the source; and

(e) Omitting quotation marks for direct quotations even if the sources have been cited.

TDSB Academic Honesty Policy (2011)

How do I avoid plagiarism?

Here are some resources that provide advice on how to avoid plagiarism. Always connect with your teacher during the writing process for clarification and assistance. Teachers would rather be "doctors" (helping to prevent or diagnose any plagiarism issues) than "coroners" (performing an autopsy on plagiarism victims).