Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
This Resource Page will help you:
- Understand what academic integrity is.
- Understand what academic misconduct and plagiarism are
- Learn how to avoid academic misconduct and plagiarism.
What is Academic Integrity?
The University of Toronto defines academic integrity as “acting in all academic matters with honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage”. Academic integrity is fundamental to UofT community’s intellectual life.
To maintain academic integrity, everyone at the University needs to correctly give credit for the information and ideas they use, produce original work in assignments, and follow the rules of their subject areas when working on and handing in projects.
What is Academic Misconduct?
When academic integrity is violated, we talk about academic misconduct. Misconduct is a broad category that includes academic offenses such as cheating, copying, using unauthorized aids, etc. A specific type of misconduct is plagiarism.
In the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, the University has identified academic offences that run counter to the university’s values. Other policies deal with the general conduct of students (the Code of Student Conduct) and with research ethics.
Consequences vary depending on many factors, such as the type of academic misconduct, the context and seriousness of the academic offence, and the number of times an academic offence has been committed. The Key Consequences section of the UofT’s Academic Integrity website gives you a general idea of potential consequences.
What is Plagiarism?
You might have seen the term “plagiarism” in the course syllabus or heard it from your instructors. Plagiarism means using someone else’s ideas or work without giving them credit. At U of T, plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence, even if it is not done on purpose.
In many cases, your instructors can spot plagiarism in assignments if citations are missing or incorrect, or through their disciplinary knowledge in the subject area.
Plagiarism is a serious type of academic misconduct. The Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters (The Code) of UofT lists the suggested penalties for students in Appendix "C".
Other Types of Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct covers many wrong actions, as noted in Sections B.I.1. and B.I.3. in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. Here are some types of academic misconduct that are commonly seen in graduate level studies:
- Submit the same paper for different courses or resubmit a paper for different assignments. This is not allowed because each assignment should be unique work. Moreover, the similarity of two papers (especially when one of them was previously submitted) will be detected through plagiarism detection software.
- Forge academic records or other documents. This means you change or make fake academic records or other important papers. For example, if you change the grade on your report card, that's forgery.
- Concoct facts or references to sources. This is when you make up information or pretend you got information from a source that doesn't exist. For example, you write in your paper "according to Smith (2020)," when there is no such study by Smith.
Examples of Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
There are many risky situations that might be considered academic offenses or plagiarism. Here, we provide some examples of academic misconduct and plagiarism with scenarios, consequences, and relevant sections of The Code.
Tom is writing his final essay. While Tom explores his topic of interest, he locates a few journal articles to help him prepare for his paper. Finding it difficult to write his essay as English is not his first language, he decides to incorporate different sections of the journal articles into some of his written work without using citations. He also paraphrases some of the sources used but fails to appropriately cite the information.
The Issue: It is important to acknowledge the scholarly work of others who share valuable knowledge through their research. Students must keep in mind that instructors can easily identify pieces of literature which may not belong to a student, especially if it does not seem to align with written work previously submitted in the course. Instructors can identify their students’ different styles of writing when grading academic work.
Description/Relevant Section of The Code: Section B.i.1.(d):To represent as one’s own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e. to commit plagiarism.
Range of Consequences: Potential sanction(s) may be:
- A lower assignment mark
- A lower course grade and/or
- An annotation on your academic record and transcript.
For more information on this plagiarism issue and range of consequences, check Key Consequences.
You are asked to write about modern theories in language education and want to include ideas from Jim Cummins. As you read Cummins’ research, you find it difficult to grasp and rephrase his concepts. You also feel uncomfortable with the task of transforming Cummins' insights into your own language, as it feels disrespectful to assume you could convey the thoughts of such a respected figure in the field better than he did himself. You choose to use some of Cummins’ theories in your paper but fail to properly cite all of them. You think that just by stating you're discussing Cummins' work, you're giving him enough credit. However, this is not the correct way to acknowledge his influence on your work.
The issue: You have committed plagiarism by including direct passages without appropriate quotes or references. As a graduate student, you are still expected to meet referencing requirements and to seek assistance with preparing your paper as needed.
Description/Relevant Section of The Code: Section B.i.1.(d): To represent as one’s own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e. to commit plagiarism
Range of Consequences: Potential sanction(s) may be:
- A lower assignment mark
- A lower course grade and/or
- An annotation on your academic record and transcript.
For more information on this plagiarism issue and range of consequences, check Key Consequences.
You are tasked with writing a research paper on a topic related to inclusive education. Recognizing that one of the eligible topics aligns with a paper you wrote for a different course, you choose to repurpose that paper. You enhance it by adding several new paragraphs. However, you don't consult your instructor about reusing your previous work. Confident in your proper citation of sources, you submit this revised paper through the same plagiarism detection software used in your previous course.
The Issue: Students are not allowed to submit assignments for which credit has been previously received unless approval is given by the instructor. The purpose of enrolling in a variety of courses is to learn more about a discipline through a range of perspectives. If you simply re-submit your old assignment, you are not “learning”, rather taking the easy way out of engaging in your studies. You will likely to be approached by the instructor since the similarity of this research paper to your previous assignment will be detected through plagiarism detection software programs.
Range of Consequences: Potential sanction(s) may be:
- A lower assignment mark
- A lower course grade and/or
- An annotation on your academic record and transcript.
For more information on this plagiarism issue and range of consequences, check Key Consequences.
You realize a 20-page paper is due in two days, mistaking the deadline for next week. With no research or topic chosen, you're stressed and looking for a way to submit on time. In this post rush, you find an essay service website and buy a paper that seems fitting. Without significant edits, you simply replace the author's name with yours and hand in your paper on time.
The Issue: Submitting purchased work is a serious offence at the University. You cannot take ownership of someone else’s work and express their ideas as your own. It is likely that your instructor will recognize a purchased paper if he/she suspects that it is not written in your own words. Often, students fail to realize that instructors are knowledgeable on the subject matter discussed in class. If an instructor suspects that the research is not your own, he/she can easily identify the exact paper online the same way you accessed it. If the instructor asks you to submit your paper through turnitin.com, you will also be approached with the issue.
Description/Relevant Section of The Code: Section B.i.1.(d): To represent as one’s own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e. to commit plagiarism
Section B.i.3.(b): To engage in any form of cheating, academic dishonestly or misconduct, fraud or misrepresentation in order to obtain academic credit of other academic advantage of any kind.
Range of Consequences: According to Appendix “C” of The Code, for submitting purchased work, the sanction recommended shall be expulsion from the University. The minimum sanction shall be suspension from the University for a period of time and zero as the final grade where the offence occurred.
For more examples of academic misconduct and plagiarism, check the Risky Situations section on the UofT’s Academic Integrity website.
How to Maintain Academic Integrity and Avoid Plagiarism
First and foremost: Properly cite using APA style.
Even if you’ve paraphrased and summarized others’ sources and content, make sure you cite them properly using APA style. The Resource Page "Citations and APA Style" give you in-depth information on how to cite. You can also use citation management tools such as Zotero. Learn more about organizing your literature using citation management here.
Always keep track of what you learn from the sources and what you want to use for your writing assignments, such as the documents that include the original sources, your reference list, your own notes and assignment drafts. You can also use a Research Tracker for this task.
Rephrase the source's content in your own words. You should maintain the original meaning while changing the sentence structure and vocabulary. Then, compare your paraphrased version with the original source to ensure accuracy. If you're uncertain, return to the source to clarify. Remember: even if you paraphrase, you must cite appropriately. For more tips and examples of paraphrasing, check our resource page on how to paraphrase.
Condense the main ideas of a source into a shorter version, capturing the essential points while omitting minor details. By summarizing the sources, you can have an overview of the source's key arguments. Remember: even if you summarize, you must cite appropriately. For more tips and examples of summarizing, check our resource page on how to summarize.
Your Turn!
Answer the questions below and identify (potential) plagiarism behaviors.
Can I Use ChatGPT for my Assignment at OISE/UT?
Generative AI Tools (e.g. ChatGPT) are currently a new issue for academic integrity. While clear and universal policies have not been developed yet, you should discuss AI policy with your individual course instructors and be honest about the intended uses. Even if you plan on using ChatGPT for research and/or editing purposes only, you must discuss with your instructor first. Check our resource page about the use of AI to learn more about using AI for your course assignments.
For the latest guidance on the appropriate use of Generative AI Tools at UofT School of Graduate Studies, please check Guidance on the Appropriate Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Theses
Our Tips
- If you do not know how to cite properly, start here [citations RP]. If you still have questions, speak to your instructor and notify them of your situation. It is important to be open and honest with your instructor.
- Be aware that at OISE many written assignments you submit via Quercus will be checked for originality on Turnitin.com, which is a plagiarism detection tool.
- If you are truly interested in a topic you already explored in a previous assignment and would like to use the same topic for a new assignment, write the paper through a different perspective and approach the topic with new research questions to learn more about the subject matter.
- If you believe you have committed unintentional plagiarism, do not wait: talk to your instructor. If you wait until you are approached by the instructor, your case may be forwarded to the Office of the Dean for resolution.
- If you think you are misreported about academic integrity, you must talk to your course instructor and academic advisor. Depending on the severity of the case, you can consider reporting to the department chair, the School of Graduate Studies, or to the Research Oversight and Compliance Office.