Plagiarism and copyright violation involve similar actions but the consequences may differ. Plagiarism is sometimes regarded as only academic misbehavior and copyright violation is viewed as a crime but there is considerable overlap and a person can be punished for both for a single act. It is important to be aware of the rules and observe them carefully to protect yourself from serious charges.

Plagiarism

At ASA, a statement regarding plagiarism will be  found in every syllabus and in the student handbook. As a minimum, plagiarized  writing will be returned to the student and no credit will be given for such  work.

As defined in Webster's  Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, to  plagiarize is "to steal and pass off as one's own (the ideas or words) of  another : use...without crediting the source... : to commit literary theft :  present as new and original an idea or  product derived from an existing source." (Merriam-Webster, 1993.)

    Consult the following  links for more definitions of plagiarism and tutorials and quizzes to help you  recognize and avoid it. Remember - there are consequences even after  graduation.

    From  The OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue   University we have a  clear set of definitions, a list of typical problems and a brief exercise. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

    The  University of Wyoming   Libraries' excellent TIP (Tutorial for Info Power © University of  Wyoming  Libraries 2009) includes a module that explains  plagiarism and tests your understanding of the concept. http://tip.uwyo.edu/utilizing/utilizing1.html

    What is Plagiarism? (n.d.) Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://www.plagiarism.org/  is the APA citation for  a website for instructors and students that has a concise definition, articles,  and webinars.