Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as “using the wording, ideas, or outline of another person without acknowledging the source.” Plagiarism is distinguished from excessive dependence. In the latter, the student fails to process information through his or her own critical and constructive thinking, and follows too closely the wording, ideas, or outline of another person, while giving adequate reference to sources. Excessive dependence reduces the quality of work done, but is not ordinarily regarded as dishonest. See the Student Handbook for the Seminary’s official policy on plagiarism.

Plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft, which involves claiming the work of another as one’s own. Many free plagiarism checking websites are available for student use. If substantiated as deliberate, plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the paper, and for the course.