Define: What is Plagiarism and Academic Integrity?

Plagiarism and academic integrity are terms that people use to describe many actions that go against the customs and culture of academia.  Because academic culture (like any other culture) is complex, it is important to define these terms. The following definitions of plagiarism and academic integrity are used for the purposes of this session.

Plagiarism

refers to taking others' words, images, research, or other intellectual or creative work and presenting it as your own -- or without giving it adequate credit, citation, or attribution.

Academic integrity

refers to following the accepted standards of how an academic should present themselves in the culture of U-M, their school or college, and the wider academic field. The opposite of academic integrity is academic dishonesty.

Tip: Your school, college, or program of study within U-M may hold you to additional expectations of behavior. These additional policies can usually be found in your school or college's student handbook. If you do not have a copy of your student handbook, search on your school or college website or get in touch with your student services administrator.