Academic Integrity
This page will provide some introductory information about academic integrity, plagiarism, and citation.
If you have any questions or concerns, always ask your instructor and consult Fanshawe College’s Academic Integrity Policy
“Fanshawe College seeks to ensure an environment of intellectual integrity in both the learning and evaluation processes taking place in the College.”
“Academic integrity is expected and required of all Fanshawe students. Students are responsible and accountable for personally upholding that integrity.” (Policy Number A136)
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the term used to refer to two of the most important values of the college community: honesty and responsibility in scholarship. In short, all academic work must be the result of one’s own efforts.
Visit Fanshawe’s page on Academic Integrity.
Test your knowledge by using this Academic Integrity Learning Module (Source: Vaughn Memorial Library)
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking credit for someone else’s work. It is a serious academic offense which includes presenting the work, words, images or thoughts of others as your own without identifying and giving proper credit to the original source.
The act of plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. The consequences are just as serious in either case.
Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to):
- Submitting an assignment that is not your own
- Submitting an assignment with sections that are not your own
- Cutting and pasting text or images from the Internet without citing the source
- Including an exact quote without using quotation marks or citing the source
- Using any published or unpublished source of information (including ideas!) without citing the source
- Paraphrasing any source of information (including ideas!) without citing the source
- “Self-plagiarism” – submitting the same assignment to a different course or professor without permission (Source: George Brown Library website)
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Prevention Resources
- The Learning Portal: Academic Integrity
- Academic Writing Guide
- The Learning Centre
- Library APA Handout
- Library MLA Handout
- OWL Purdue – Overview and Contradictions
- OWL Purdue – Contextualizing Plagiarism
- OWL Purdue – Avoiding Plagiarism
You may want to take advantage of Turnitin’s originality checking to ensure that you have not inadvertently plagiarized.
Turnitin is available on Fanshawe Online. Instructions on Using Dropbox Originality Check to check student submissions are provided.
Research & Data Services staff may help by:
- Directing you to helpful print, online, and campus resources
- Answering your questions about citation formation
- Answering your questions about Academic Integrity
Outreach Services staff may help by:
- Offering appointment times to answer any Academic Integrity questions
- Visit the Outreach Services page to book an appointment
The Copyright Services Office may help by:
- Answering copyright-related questions or concerns you may have
- Visit the Copyright Services page for more information
Research & Curriculum Librarians may help by:
- Visiting your classroom to talk about Academic Integrity and Citation
- Working with fellow faculty to develop assignments that encourage Academic Integrity and discourage Plagiarism
- Hosting workshops and information sessions
Always remember:
- Start your research early
- Select and use your resources carefully (Evaluating Information module here)
- Learn to correctly identify common knowledge
- Paraphrase properly
- Give credit to others
- Cite your sources in an appropriate style (e.g. APA)