Guidelines & forms

The use of intellectual material produced by another person without acknowledging its source. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Copying from the writings or works of others into one's academic assignment without attribution, or submitting such work as if it were one's own;
2. Using the views, opinions, or insights of another without acknowledgment; or
3. Paraphrasing the characteristic or original phraseology, metaphor, or other literary device of another without proper attribution.

Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic and student conduct rules and is punishable at most universities and colleges with a failing grade and possibly more severe action.

1. Copying verbatim sentences or whole paragraphs from somebody else's work without acknowledging the source.
2. Copying an argument or a series of arguments from somebody else's work, not verbatim but in paraphrased form, i.e. using your own words. The proper way of paraphrasing an argument is to indicate the source, but also where the argument starts and where it ends.
3. Translating a passage from a critical work written in a language other than English.
4. Using a secondary source and copying from it a number of quotations that are used to buttress an argument. In this case the sources of the quotations would be provided, but not the source that put them all together. (Referencing the latter is more important than a full documentation of the quotations that were lifted from it.)

§ 11. Compliance with the rules of good scientific practice

(1) If, during the supervision of a written seminar paper, Bachelor’s, Diploma or Master’s Thesis or Dissertation, it becomes apparent that the student is plagiarising (UA §51 par .2 no. 31) or otherwise faking an academic achievement, in particular by using ghost-writing (UA §116a), the supervisor shall admonish the student to write the respective paper according to the rules of good scientific practice. In particularly serious cases, the supervisor may withdraw the supervision with the approval of the Director of Studies.

(2) If, after submitting a written seminar paper, Bachelor's or Diploma Thesis, Master's Thesis or Dissertation for assessment, it turns out that the student has deliberately plagiarised and/or plagiarised in substantial parts (UA §51 para. 2 no. 31) or otherwise faked an academic achievement (UA §51 par. 2 no. 32), in particular by using ghost-writing (UA §116a), the respective paper shall be assessed with the grade "not sufficient" and the Director of Studies shall be informed. Any other violation of the rules of good academic practice shall be taken into account accordingly in the grading.