19 Academic Dishonesty
The most important rule about academic dishonesty and plagiarism is: “Don’t do it!” The academic code of conduct that applies at your home university also applies in Freiburg, and plagiarism is just as serious a violation during your year abroad as it is at home.
But what constitutes plagiarism? Plagiarism is if you present the ideas of others as your own ideas, be it in writing or during an oral presentation. Plagiarism also extends to presenting your own work from one course as original work in another course. In other words, you may not submit the same paper (or any part thereof) in different classes.
The key to avoiding plagiarism, therefore, is to consistently identify your sources. Whether you are using printed books, articles, online resources, lecture materials, etc., your sources of information must be cited. Direct quotations should be set off by “the appropriate marks.” If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism or how to identify and document your sources, do not hesitate to approach the AYF staff.
Here are some online resources to help you clarify your questions:
- https://www.cse.msu.edu/~alexliu/plagiarism.pdf
- https://guides.lib.umich.edu/academicintegrity
- https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook
However, it is not plagiarism if you write a paper in German and ask a friend to help you correct grammar mistakes. It is not plagiarism to adopt idiomatically or stylistically more appropriate formulations from your friend. It may be plagiarism, however, if your helpful friend rewrites a paper for you, even if you did not request it, and it is obviously plagiarism if you supply a friend with an outline and he or she writes the paper for you.
If you are suspected to have violated rules of academic honesty, the AYF directors are bound to pursue the matter. The directors will gather all relevant information and invite you to respond to the allegation of academic misconduct. If the findings confirm that you have plagiarized, you will be penalized. Penalties will be closely coordinated with your home campus. Should a suspected infraction come to our attention after your departure from Freiburg, it will be necessary to refer the matter to the appropriate office on your home campus.