1. Academic regulations and requirements for post-graduate degrees
Dr George Burt

2. Overview Writing and submitting work during your studies
University regulations
Academic (dis)honesty
Sources of advice

3. Why is this an issue ?

4. Why is this an issue ?

5. University of Strathclyde Degree Regulations
The University’s degree is awarded “in recognition of a candidate’s personal achievement” (5.4.1)
“Any action that circumvents the established practice regarding assessments may be deemed to be academically dishonest.” (5.4.3)
Penalties … the deduction of marks, requirement to resubmit, suspension of studies, expulsion

6. Why is this an issue ?
Poor Scholarship Academic Dishonesty
… but a little thought and effort can avoid any potentially embarrassing problems

7. Plagiarism… is defined in the University regulations as …
The unacknowledged use of another’s work as if it were the student’s own work, or excessive use of another’s work as your own.

8. Process within Department of Management
Clear statement on Plagiarism in your handbook … with an illustration of acceptable and unacceptable use of source material
Student assignment review and application of turn-it-in software
Policing via a rigorous QA process of marking and second marking
Final decisions reached by the Board of Examiners … including several external examiners
A rigorous process of written evidence, formal warnings and severe penalties

9. A worked example … [from Appendix 2 of your handbook]

10. A sample of source text
… It is clear that in many respects the content and process views of strategy are complementary if taken as a set or incomplete if treated as individual elements. If one likens the issue to a journey, the content approach has a clear destination but the means of transport is indeterminate whereas with the process approach the transport is known and in motion, but the journey is something of a “mystery tour.” One could argue that if a complete theory of strategy is in fact needed, why not just use the two approaches as appropriate as is indeed the practice in many institutions. It is our belief however that an overall framework which transforms and reconciles the mutually contradictory assumptions of each approach would constitute a significant step forward, in both practical and scholarly terms. …
appeared in …
MacIntosh, R. and MacLean, D. (1999), Conditioned Emergence: A Dissipative Structures Approach to Transformation, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 20, No. 4, 1999 … this passage appears on p

11. Let’s look at … Four ways of citing this work which are problematic
and
One clear example of good practice

12. Problem #1
Blah Blah de Blah. In many respects the content and process views of strategy are complementary if taken as a set or incomplete if treated as individual elements. Waffle, blah waffle.

13. Problem #1
Blah Blah de Blah. In many respects the content and process views of strategy are complementary if taken as a set or incomplete if treated as individual elements. Waffle, blah waffle.
Obvious plagiarism: word-for-word repetition without acknowledgement

14. Problem #2 _____________________________
In many respects the content and process views of strategy are complementary if taken as a set or incomplete if treated as individual elements1
_____________________________
1.                (MacIntosh and MacLean, 1999). 
Still plagiarism. The footnote alone does not help. The language in the main body of the text is still that of the original authors. Only quotation marks around the whole passage plus the page numbers where the quote appears would be correct.

15. Problem #2
In many respects the content and process views of strategy are complementary if taken as a set or incomplete if treated as individual elements1
_____________________________
1.                (MacIntosh and MacLean, 1999).
Still plagiarism. The footnote alone does not help. The language in the main body of the text is still that of the original authors. Only quotation marks around the whole passage plus the page numbers where the quote appears would be correct.

16. Problem #3
The process and content views of strategy may be viewed as complementary. The content view focuses on a clear destination but doesn’t explain the means of transport. The process view focuses on the means of transport but the destination remains a mystery tour.
Still plagiarism. The original work has been paraphrased, with a few words changed or omitted, but by no stretch of the imagination is the student writer using his own language.

17. Problem #3
  The process and content views of strategy may be viewed as complementary. The content view focuses on a clear destination but doesn’t explain the means of transport. The process view focuses on the means of transport but the destination remains a mystery tour.
Still plagiarism. The original work has been paraphrased, with a few words changed or omitted, but by no stretch of the imagination is the student writer using his own language.

18. Problem #4
“It could be argued that a complete theory of strategy is needed using the two approaches as appropriate.” (MacIntosh and MacLean, 1999)
Not quite plagiarism, but incorrect and inaccurate, The quotation marks indicate exact repetition of what was originally written. The student writer, however, has changed some of the original and is not entitled to use the quotation marks. Also, there is no indication of which page number the quotes were taken from.

19. Problem #4
  “It could be argued that a complete theory of strategy is needed using the two approaches as appropriate.” (MacIntosh and MacLean, 1999)
Not quite plagiarism, but incorrect and inaccurate, The quotation marks indicate exact repetition of what was originally written. The student writer, however, has changed some of the original and is not entitled to use the quotation marks. Also, there is no indication of which page number the quotes were taken from.

20. And finally … no problems
  When considering the literature on strategy research, some argue that the process and content views of strategy may be complementary so long as they are considered in tandem (e.g. MacIntosh and MacLean 1999). Indeed is has been argued that ‘an overall framework which transforms and reconciles the mutually contradictory assumptions of each approach would constitute a significant step forward, in both practical and scholarly terms.’ (op cit. p300)

21. And finally … no problems
  When considering the literature on strategy research, some argue that the process and content views of strategy may be complementary so long as they are considered in tandem (e.g. MacIntosh and MacLean 1999). Indeed is has been argued that ‘an overall framework which transforms and reconciles the mutually contradictory assumptions of each approach would constitute a significant step forward, in both practical and scholarly terms.’ (op cit. p300)
Correct. In the first sentence, the student writer uses his own words to summarize a view found in the literature whilst acknowledging the source of the insight. In the second sentence, a quotation is used to make a specific point and the citation specifies which article the quote is drawn from and the page on which it appears. The quotation is also an accurate and verbatim copy from the original source.

22. turnitin software

26. Key points
Please do not take this as advice that you should avoid citing altogether
Appropriate citation indicates reading around and beyond the course material
The lessons are simple … be clear and accurate

27. The Harvard system tips
Key issue: choose a system & stick to it!
Never use numbers – too complicated, use alphabetical order of authors
Always cite the year of publication in both the text & your references
Avoid footnotes where possible – too complicated
Full authors in appendices but not in text [e.g. Smith et al 2000 = Smith, S., Shaw, S. & Homes, P. (2000)]
Give location of publisher
Use page numbers in appendix – but sparingly in text i.e. only for direct quotations
Consistent use of punctuation

28. Potential problems arise when …
You include more than a single phrase from another’s work without the use of quotation marks and appropriate acknowledgement of sources.
You summarise another’s work by changing a few words or altering the order of presentation without acknowledgement.
You copy another’s work
You use another’s work and presenting it without acknowledgement as if it were your own.

29. Potential problems arise when …
Academic dishonesty also includes in the case of assignments, unacknowledged collaboration between individuals or groups, which results in work that is, if not identical, overly similar to that of other students claiming the work to be their own.
Academic dishonesty also includes falsification, misrepresentation or fabrication of primary or other research carried out as part of a coursework assignment or the dissertation.

30. Next steps If in doubt … seek advice before you submit an assignment
Try asking your local counsellor, the module co-ordinator, any of our academic staff, contact BIS staff, etc.
Try looking at examples of good practice like published work in journals (e.g. by using the facilities on the BIS site on the intranet)

31. Remember …
Poor Scholarship Academic Dishonesty