Plagiarism: Policy and Discipline University of Pennsylvania Law School Edwin Greenlee Associate Director for Public Services Biddle Law Library egreenle@law.upenn.edu

The policy from the law school’s student handbook follows The policy from the law school’s student handbook follows. Note the acts which constitute plagiarism and the various levels of intent. (Code of Student Conduct & Responsibility-Policy on Plagiarism)

B. It shall constitute a violation of this Code for any student enrolled in the Law School purposefully, knowingly, or recklessly to engage in the following conduct: 13. The submission of plagiarized work in an academic pursuit including any use of another's work without attribution, whether such use be verbatim or merely conceptual or structural.

TYPICAL PROBLEMS Directly taking one of more sentences from the source document without both the use of quotation marks and dropping a footnote Directly taking one or more sentences and changing a few words without both the use of quotation marks and dropping a footnote and indicating the changes in the text. Borrowing ideas (concepts, structural elements) directly from the source without dropping a footnote.

Sample Error Changing a few works in a sentence and then lifting it without quotation marks or dropping a footnote.

Student essay: In striking down the right of the courthouses to offer these displays, the court examined the trial court record for the progression of evidence leading to the display of the Commandments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source article: In affirming, the Court majority examined the District Court's issuance of an injunction barring the two displays under the only case in which it addressed a similar issue, Stone v. Graham, 449 U.S. 39 (1980). It examined the record for the progression of evidence leading up to the third display of the Commandments. No secular purpose justified the counties' third set of displays, despite the fact that the Commandments were displayed with important government documents, since no evidence showed the counties had modified the religious objective so clearly set forth in the prior displays, the majority reasoned.

Other errors Borrowing conceptual or structural elements from a source document without attribution

Typical Excuses It was a common fact so I did not think I needed to use quote marks and a citation Its only an early draft The editors will add the footnotes later Its part of the culture Everyone does it

Set out in the Code of Student Conduct-Policy on Plagiarism Punishment Set out in the Code of Student Conduct-Policy on Plagiarism

XII. Punishment and Publication: A. For each act of misconduct in violation of the Code of Student Conduct and Responsibility, a student may be punished by any regulation of the offending student's connection with the University. Possible punishments include, but are not limited to warning, reprimand, probation, exclusion from one or more specified Law School activities, deprivation of credit, suspension or expulsion. Punishment shall be determined by a majority vote of the Committee.

B. If necessary to redress the misconduct, the Committee may require notification of the judgment of the Committee be provided to parties who have been subject to the misconduct. C. Upon a finding of guilt, the Committee may order that any part of the proceedings, including the judgment and opinion, be entered in the student's official Law School file. Further, in accordance with applicable law, the judgment and opinion may be disseminated to bar examiners and employers. A statement summarizing the nature of the misconduct and its punishment shall be published upon final judgment without identifying the accused student, except where, for good cause stated in a report to the Committee on Student Conduct and Responsibility, the Dean or Dean's representative decides to delay said publication.

Cautions: Take care in note taking – keep the bibliographic information Use quotation marks when you use all or part of a sentence from the source document Footnote concepts or structural elements borrowed from another writer ASK QUESTIONS if you are uncertain