More than rules and punishments

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY EXPLAINED

Every year about this time, somebody discovers the hard way that they don’t know everything they need to know about academic integrity – why it’s important, how to protect it, and how to avoid commonly-made mistakes that can land you in front of Honor Council.  

My favorite resource on this topic is one I found on the Web.  I like it because it explains in student-friendly language why trust is so important, why original research is so hard, and why citations do so much more for you than “just” protect you from charges of plagiarism.  It also addresses such confusing questions as: When is collaboration okay and when is it cheating?  Have I cited something thoroughly if I’ve listed it in my references?

If you have the time and the inclination, read this well-organized webpage – and bookmark it for future reference.  Although it’s from Princeton University, everything but the details of their disciplinary process apply to you, too:  http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/community/

For the details on how Maryland’s Honor system works, go here: http://osc.umd.edu/OSC/Default.aspx