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Plagiarism: Am I Plagiarising?

This guide provides information on how to avoid plagiarising in your academic work.

Self-check

Consequences of Plagiarising

The following can result from plagiarism:

  • Letter grade mark down for the assignment
  • Failing grade for the assignment
  • Letter grade mark down for the course
  • Failing grade in the course
  • Suspension or dismissal for the University for repeated offenses

Most penalties are determined by the professor and the academic guidelines laid out by the departments and colleges. Check with your individual instructors and read the syllabus to learn about the specific penalties of each class. 

Self-Plagiarising

Self-plagiarism is possible and it's just as serious.

Self-plagiarism, or "double-dipping," is deception and goes against the core principles of ethical writing. Papers are assigned for you to demonstrate what you have learned in a particular class. If you reuse a paper you wrote for a previous class, you are not demonstrating new learning.

Examples of self-plagiarism:

  • Turning in a paper for a current class that you already submitted as an assignment for a previous class
  • Using a substantial amount of a paper written for another course as content for a new assignment
  • Treating anything you've previously written as if it were new material