Full question:
The written instruction provided by professor to students regarding the assignment included the following:_You do not have to provide citations. The expectation, however, is that you will use, but not copy from, a variety of sources. _If the instructor said so, does the paper contained without citation language that was authored by another and copied from the original internet source without any citation constitute plagiarism?
- Category: Copyrights
- Date:
- State: California
Answer:
Plagiarism is taking the writings or literary ideas of another and selling and/or publishing them as one's own writing. Brief quotes or use of cited sources do not constitute plagiarism. The original author can bring a lawsuit for appropriation of his/her work against the plagiarist and recover the profits. Although not normally a crime, a person who plagiarizes is subject to being sued for fraud or copyright infringement if prior creation can be proved. Penalties vary depending on jurisdiction, the charges brought, and are determined on a case by case basis. The Internet has made plagiarism easier than ever before. If a person uses language from an internet source, the individual should provide quotation marks and a reference to the source, either in the text or in a footnote. Students who commit plagiarism may be subject to grade or disciplinary penalties, which vary by institution.
The following is a California statute:
§ 51871.5 Educ.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that education technology
planning be accomplished in the most comprehensive manner possible. To
that end, the current practice of developing education technology plans
for each funding program should be replaced with a comprehensive local
planning process that will enable school districts to apply for grants on
an ongoing basis and assist in utilizing available education technology
programs.
(b) On or after January 1, 2005, as a precondition to receiving a
technology grant administered by the department, a school district shall
have a current three- to five-year education technology plan. The state
board may waive this requirement if it determines that the applicant
school district made a good faith effort to develop a plan, but for
reasons beyond its control, the district cannot develop the plan before
receipt of the technology grant.
(c) On or before July 1, 2007, the Superintendent shall develop
guidelines and criteria for inclusion in the education technology plan
required pursuant to subdivision (b). The guidelines and criteria shall
include a component to educate pupils and teachers on the appropriate and
ethical use of information technology in the classroom, Internet safety,
the manner in which to avoid committing plagiarism, the concept,
purpose, and significance of a copyright so that pupils are equipped with
the skills necessary to distinguish lawful from unlawful online
downloading, and the implications of illegal peer-to-peer network file
sharing.
A school district that, on July 1, 2008, has a current three-to
five-year education technology plan that complies with subdivision (b) is
not required to comply with this subdivision until after its plan expires
or is voluntarily replaced.
(d) On or after January 1, 2005, the Superintendent shall ensure that
each school district has access to technical assistance and an approved
online technology plan builder that the department determines is in
compliance with state and federal requirements.
(e) The department shall maintain a record of school districts that
have a three- to five-year education technology plan and shall make that
information available to interested public agencies.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
