Copyright and sharing
Class lectures and other materials may not be reproduced for anything other than personal use without written permission from the instructor.
Where course materials are shared publicly on the web, you are welcome to pass on the link to friends, but I ask that you check with me before making any other use of the material. It is a violation of both personal confidence and academic integrity to share other students’ work outside the context of this class without their explicit permission.
Your own work from this course is yours to use as you like. Bear in mind, though, that while the use of copyrighted material to create new transformative works is considered to be fair use, this is a complex and rapidly changing legal area.
Academic Integrity
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. Cheating includes: reusing portions of coursework for credit, allowing others to prepare work, and utilizing external aids including commercial term paper and internet companies. If you have a question regarding any of the above or the code in general, consult immediately with one of the instructors. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit: http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html
Plagiarism and Citations
The definition of plagiarism is broader than commonly assumed. Plagiarism includes: direct quotation, paraphrasing, summarization, and fabrication of materials. If you use any source in your work without correctly citing the work, this constitutes plagiarism. All quotations taken from other authors, including paraphrasing and all sources from the Internet (including Wikipedia, blogs, and forums) and other digital media, must be indicated by quotation marks and properly referenced. When writing a blog or blog cmment, cite at least the author’s name and enough information for a reader to find the work on their own (e.g. a hyperlink if available.) If you are ever uncertain about your need to cite something or how to do so, please contact the instructor before turning in your work.
Note on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Any source that you draw ideas and quotes from must be cited accurately. If you use any source in your work without correctly citing the work, this constitutes plagiarism. Any intentional plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment and may result in a failing grade for the course. If it is determined that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred, a grade of XF is considered the normal sanction for undergraduate students. The grade of XF is noted on the academic transcript as failure due to academic dishonesty. Lesser or more severe sanctions may be imposed when there are circumstances to warrant such consideration. Suspension or expulsion from the University may be imposed even for a first offense. Allegations of academic dishonesty will be reported directly to the Student Honor Council: http://www.shc.umd.edu
Types of Plagiarism
1. Buying papers, borrowing papers, or recycling former papers unrevised and claiming these types of papers as your own for your assignment in this course.
2. Cutting and pasting parts of a webpage or borrowing passages from a book for your paper without properly citing these parts and claiming the material as your own for the expressed intent of cheating.
3. Using another’s creative work such as photos, data visualizations or artwork without proper credit or alteration.
Respect your own learning process and get the feedback you need on your work, not someone else’s. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes plagiarism in the context of this course, don’t hesitate to ask in class, over email, or in a visit to my office hours.