Wawasan Open University Open Distance Learning in Malaysia

Advice for students on plagiarism

As a WOU student, you're expected to have read and understood the University regulations governing academic misconduct as described in the University's student handbook. The aforesaid section describes the processes to be followed if misconduct is alleged and penalties imposed for breaching regulations. Academic misconduct is defined as any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. Plagiarism is a form of cheating.

You are guilty of plagiarising whenever you present as your own original work something that you did not do. In your pursuit of education, you are expected to demonstrate your integrity and responsibility when preparing research papers. This includes your responsibility to write the paper using your own words without relying on the style and structure of other writers. Your supervisors want to see that you have learnt the material, develop your thoughts and acknowledged the influence of others in your thinking and writing.

Definition

Plagiary, pla'ji- -ri, n. (arch.) one who steals the thoughts or writings of others and gives them out as his own: the crime of plagiarism. - adj. (obs.) practicing or got by literary theft. -v.t. pla'giarise, -ize, to steal from the writings or ideas of another. - ns. Pla'giarism, the act or practice of plagiarizing; pla'giarist, a person who plagiarises. [l. plagiarius, a kidnapper, plagiary - plaga, a net.]

(From: Chambers English Dictionary)

Types of plagiarism

How to avoid plagiarism