Portland State University

Plagiarism Definition


Portland State University defines plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, as:

the act of claiming someone’s work as your own through copying it without giving the creator of the work credit. Plagiarism can also include using another person’s theories, ideas, or phrases without proper attribution. The simplest way to avoid plagiarizing is to always cite the sources from which you gather information or develop arguments. (http://www.lib.pdx.edu/instruction/citationplag.html)

 

Further, academic dishonesty is defined as

cheating, and fraud, including but not limited to: (a) plagiarism, (b) the buying and selling of course assignments and research papers, (c) performing academic assignments (including tests and examinations) for other persons, (d) unauthorized disclosure and receipt of academic information and (e) falsification of research data. (http://www.pdx.edu/media/c/o/CodeofConduct.doc)

 

Plagiarism a violation of the PSU Student Conduct Code and
Oregon Statutory Law.

 

A student who has been found to have committed plagiarism is subject to the following sanctions:

 

 

Most students do not fully understand the definition of plagiarism or the seriousness of the offense.  Please see other information at Plagiarism Definitions and Exercises page.

 

If you are unsure whether you are committing plagiarism, please contact your professor, your mentor, or the Writing Center, 503-725-3570, CH 188F, writingcenter@pdx.edu, http://www.writingcenter.pdx.edu/. 

 

If I suspect you have plagiarized, I will ask to meet with you to help resolve the matter.


This page compiled by Martha J. Bianco, Ph.D. © 2006-2008