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Use of data, even if adapted in presentation, from a source which is not acknowledged.
This might occur if data, a table or graph or best-fit expression found in the literature is being used. The source
must be given, usually by including the source in the list of references and by citing the reference at the point
of use in the text. If there are only one or two sources of data, and there are no other references (an unlikely
scenario!), the source could be given in the text or a footnote could be used.
This case is applicable to a laboratory report being written on an experiment carried out jointly. Reference
should be made to the person or people who made the measurements, even if the author participated. For
example:
Table 4: Variation of diode voltage drop with temperature (measurements made by Amanda N.
Other and the author, 21st February 1999).
Repeating another person’s particularly apt phrase without acknowledgement.
Generally, we do not need to acknowledge the originator of the name ‘electron’ (by the physicist G. Johnstone
Stoney in 1891), or the term ‘black hole’ (coined by John Wheeler, Princeton Physicist in 1967), because they
have become universally adopted as part of the language of science. However, more recent or less well known
coined terms or apt phrases might well require acknowledgement. Staff will be able to advise on these
matters.
Repeating as one’s own someone else’s sentences, more or less verbatim and/or Paraphrasing another
person’s argument as if it were one’s own.
The area or greatest danger is in the quotation or paraphrasing of an appropriate text from the work of another
student or scientist. An example follows. Suppose that in a dissertation a student wishes to include a review of
time-reversal symmetry including the violation of time-reversal symmetry by kaon decay, and to make use of
an explanation given by Davies (Reference 3). One option is to quote the original text verbatim (i.e. word for
word, exactly, with the author’s punctuation, spelling and emphases, and in quotation marks) and to cite the
source, as below in italic font:
Davies offers the following explanation, “A possible way to think about how the kaon violates T
symmetry is this. The
and
states arise, as I have explained, as a sort of hybrid or mixture of
kaon and antikaon. Envisage the particle rapidly flipping back and forth in identity: kaon –
antikaon – kaon – antikaon … One can ask whether these flips are perfectly symmetric – i.e.,
whether the rate of going from kaon to antikaon is exactly the same as the rate of going from
antikaon to kaon. If not, the hybrid entity might linger longer as a kaon than an antikaon, or vice
versa. Everyone assumed that, as the laws that induce kaon-antikaon flips should be exactly
symmetric in time, nature ought not distinguish one process from its inverse, and the two rates
should match precisely. But there is a tendency for the kaon to spend more time as a
than as a
.
‘This unexpected behaviour implies that the kaon possesses an intrinsic sense of “past-future”.
Although the effect is tiny, it is deeply significant, and deeply mysterious – hence, the wild
speculation by Russell Standard to explain it in terms of the kaon popping off to visit temporarily a
time-reversed parallel universe.’ (Reference 3)
However, it may be necessary to paraphrase this text in order to extract the essential meaning, to use the
minimum number of words, and to make the dissertation read smoothly. An example of an acknowledged
paraphrase is given below in italic font:
Davies (Reference 3) has explained that the kaon possesses an intrinsic sense of the direction of
time, tiny but significant, because the two states of the kaon arise as a hybrid of kaon and
antikaon. The hybrid can be thought of as a rapid flipping back and forth in identity: kaon –
antikaon –kaon – antikaon …, but there is a tendency for the kaon to spend more time as a
than as a
.
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The foregoing example is acceptable because the source of the line of thought and key phrases has been cited.
It would not be acceptable for the author of the dissertation simply to write without attribution the following:
The kaon possesses an intrinsic sense of the direction of time, tiny but significant, because the two
states of the kaon arise as a hybrid of kaon and antikaon. The hybrid can be thought of as a rapid
flipping back and forth in identity: kaon – antikaon – kaon – antikaon…, but there is a tendency
for the kaon to spend more time as a
than as a
.
because the line of thought and phraseology of another author is being reproduced without acknowledgement
of the source. Implicitly, the author of the dissertation is pretending that this discussion is their own when it is
not. Such a deceit is plagiarism and academically dishonest.
Some books and papers are published free of copyright. However, the copyright-free status of a source does
not remove the obligation to cite the source if material from it is used.
The copyright status (and accuracy!) of material available on the Internet or World Wide Web is often
uncertain. Even if material that is quoted or used is in the public domain, the source must be cited, as URL and
date of access.
In team project work, a student may wish to include, either directly or in redrawn or re-written form, strategic
specifications, diagrams, etc., prepared wholly or in part by other students. This is acceptable provided that
the sources are acknowledged in the references.
Presenting another person’s line of thinking in the development of an idea as though it is one’s own.
This case includes situations where a student has engaged in a discussion of questions from assessed problems
sheets prior to sitting down and doing them, where students have discussed the interpretation of data from an
experiment with students or staff and an approach has been suggested. The source and the nature of the
suggestion should be cited. For example:
The author is grateful to Dr J Cobbleigh (Widdicombe University) for drawing her attention to the
explanation of this phenomenon given by Marks and Spencer (Reference 4).
In team project work, as in ordinary pair-worked laboratory experiments, some shared interpretations, as well
as data, graphs, theory, etc., may be needed in a student’s individual report. This does not remove the
obligation to acknowledge the inputs of others. For example:
Graph 2: The data of Table 4 together with a least-squares best fit line corresponding to
= 1.5
(computation carried out by Amanda N. Other, 22
nd
February 1999).
Unintended plagiarism often occurs in student work in connection with diagrams and illustrations. It should be
noted that the author or publisher of text, a tabulation, a photograph or a piece of artwork owns the copyright
in this as well as having a moral right to be identified as the originator. Some examples:
•
A photograph is taken especially for the work concerned. The caption should name the photographer
(even if it is the author of the report or dissertation) and give the date.
•
A diagram is photocopied and cut-and-pasted into the report. The caption should include the words
‘reproduced from reference x’ or ’reproduced with permission from reference x’. Note that, in the
case of a document intended for publication, permission for reproduction would be required from the
owner of the copyright.
•
A diagram from a book or other work is re-drawn or adapted by the author. In this case the words
‘after reference
’ or ‘adapted from reference ’ or similar in the citation would be an appropriate
acknowledgement.
•
A derivation, argument or description is adapted from, or summarised from, or extended from
another work (a book, paper, or even a note from the supervisor). In such a case, the citation should
include the phrase ‘adapted from reference ’, ‘summarised from reference ’, ‘based upon the
approach of reference ’, as is appropriate.