Department of Spanish Plagiarism Policy

(Adapted from the College of Arts Code on Plagiarism)

Definition

Plagiarism means presenting the words of another writer as if they were your own. It refers to stealing, without acknowledgement, from any other writer, including fellow students. If plagiarism is detected in any submitted work to the department it may result in an automatic failure mark. Avoid plagiarism by always putting quotation marks around someone else’s words; credit them to their source, and discuss in your view their merits. If you borrow ideas from another writer, you must acknowledge this in your work. In this way you can impress an examiner by showing that you have done some research. You do not always have to appear utterly original!

Some examples of plagiarism

• Maire and Sean are participating in a study group. The group share ideas, notes and information about the subject. Maire is organising the Arts Ball and falling behind in her work. Essay deadline approaching fast, she asks Sean for his notes. Demand for tickets to the Ball is huge, so Maire spends the day distributing them around Galway. In order to get the essay in on time, she adopts Sean’s notes verbatim (providing two additional sentences of her own) and submits it as her own work. When both students are called in to explain, Maire confesses, and is given a zero grade.
   
• Paddy consults internet sources as part of his research for his seminar essay. Little realising that internet plagiarism detection services exist, and are known to his seminar leader, Paddy decides to submit an internet essay under his own name. Paddy fails his seminar.
   
• Siobhan is consulting a secondary source as part of her research for an essay. She forgets to indicate, as she takes her notes, which sections are taken word-for-word from the book she is consulting. When writing her essay, Siobhan realises her mistake. Luckily, she still has time to return to the library to check the source. She checks her source and acknowledges it in her essay, thus avoiding plagiarism.

Best practice to avoid plagiarism

• When making notes, always use quotation marks to distinguish between your own notes and the words of the writer you’re reading. Additionally, always keep a record of the page numbers, publication details, etc.
• Inform yourself about the submission dates for your written work, and leave yourself time to do the work yourself.
• When correctly acknowledging the words of another writer, engage with what that writer is saying or arguing, rather than using them as a substitute for your own argument.

Departmental code of practice regarding plagiarism

• A plagiarised essay will be given a zero grade, with no option to resubmit the work.
• In cases where an essay in plagiarised from a fellow student, both essays will be given a zero grade. The burden of proof, as to who copied whom, rests with the students. Should the students concerned be visiting students, both essays will be given a zero grade, photocopies, and forwarded to the students’ home institution(s).
• Where a case of plagiarism is suspected, an oral examination may be held to determine the extent of the student’s knowledge of the subject. Any such oral examination will be conducted in the presence of the Lecturer, the Year Coordinator and the Head of Department.
• In proven cases of plagiarism, the department reserves the right to re-evaluate the student’s previously submitted work, and notify the department overseeing the student’s second subject.
• Students are advised that any proven case of plagiarism may be reflected in any references sought from the department.

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