Dear Sociology Major and/or Sociology Student:

Academic dishonesty involves cheating, fabrication, falsification, multiple submission, plagiarism, and complicity (Undergraduate Catalog, http://louisville.edu/undergraduatecatalog/u09_s10/units/as.html). While most students are aware of the definitions of these forms of academic dishonesty, some may not understand completely what plagiarism is or be aware of what the consequences of plagiarism can be. This letter is being sent to explain the concept and to remind you that the Department of Sociology does not tolerate plagiarism.

By definition, plagiarism is a form of cheating and is the use of someone else's words, ideas, and/or concepts without giving him/her credit. To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use any of the following: someone else's idea, theory, or opinions; someone else's statistics, facts, drawings, or other information which is not common knowledge; and/or someone else's spoken or written words (quotes). Note that you must also give credit to individuals whose work or words you paraphrase.

     • Common knowledge is information that is generally known by many people and found in numerous sources. For example, Karl Marx was a notable social theorist. You would not need to document this fact, as it is considered common knowledge and found in a variety of sources. However, it is not common knowledge that Karl Marx believed that the history of all societies was the history of class struggles (Marx and Engels, 1948). Therefore, you would need to cite the source from which you gained such information on Marx (both within the body of the paper and, in greater detail, in the biblography/references/work cited included with the paper).

     • When you quote someone else, you must give credit to the author of the quote and provide the specific source from which you gained the information (such as the newspaper, magazine, journal, etc.). For example, if you quote Marx verbatim: Marx noted “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (Marx and Engels, 1948, p. 1). Again, you would need to cite the source from which you obtained the quote from Marx (both within the body of the paper and, in greater detail, in the bibliography/references/work cited included with the paper).

     • Paraphrasing is using someone else's words, ideas, concepts, opinions, theories, or information but putting it in your own words. Although you are using your own words, you are still using someone else's ideas or information; therefore, you must give credit to the original source of that information or the author of the ideas.

Additionally, the purchase of term/research papers and/or exam answers from a research paper service (online or otherwise), or submitting a paper that someone else (including a tutor, classmate, friend, or family member) wrote for a student, is considered plagiarism and is subject to the same penalties.

Because of the severity of plagiarism, instructors at UofL can fail a student for submitting plagiarized work, and instructors in the Department of Sociology are using that option. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to discuss with your instructor any questions you have about your work, citing sources, or plagiarism in general. It could mean the difference in failing a course!

More information on academic dishonesty, as well as students' rights, can be found in the current Undergraduate Catalog at http://louisville.edu/undergraduatecatalog/u09_s10/units/as.html If you have any questions about this or any other academic matter, please contact me at jonettaweber@louisville.edu or (502) 852-8028.

Sincerely,
Jonetta Weber, PhD
Director of Academic Services