Plagiarism & Academic Integrity

The University of Alberta's Code of Student Behaviour defines plagiarism as the following:

No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student's own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study. (from section 30.3.2(1), Plagiarism)

In other words, plagiarism is presenting the work of someone else and claiming it as your own. This can include using sources from print, online, television or radio, songs, works of art or any other medium without including a proper citation or credit to the author or creator. Often, acts of plagiarism occurring in academic environments can result in damage to your academic career or reputation, and can even result in suspension or expulsion from your program.

The University of Alberta has developed many tools and guides to help students understand plagiarism and avoid committing this act. Below are some links and resources to help get you started:

The Office of Student Judicial Affairs (OSJA) offers extensive resources for the prevention of plagiarism and has numerous resources available to help you navigate this offence.

The issue of plagiarism reaches even further, however, into the broader scope of academic integrity which concerns other forms of academic misconduct, ethical collaboration, and knowing the difference between common and specific knowledge. For further information about this important topic, please review the resources found in the Academic Integrity section of the website of the Office of the Dean of Students.