What is plagiarism?

All Imperial undergraduates receive a copy of ‘Learning to Learn’ and this includes a description and definition of plagiarism – specifically written for students (p.43, in the 2005-06 edition):

“Plagiarism involves taking someone else’s thoughts and writings and presenting them as your own. Copying out someone’s words into your report is very easy to do, especially when you do not see the point in just changing the words around, but this is plagiarism, unless you put the whole section in quotes and acknowledge the source. However, plagiarism can be much more subtle than that. A very common fault in students’ work is the lack of references. You are probably used to writing school reports and essays, where providing as much detailed information as possible is highly rewarded, without mentioning a single source. This is because only you and your teacher are likely to read the work; it will not be published. However, at university you are being trained for a job, as well as being educated, and any technical reports must acknowledge sources as evidence of authority.”

Students also are given additional guidance in the Student Handbook. Despite these sources of guidance, many students experience difficulty in relating the idea of plagiarism to their own writing practices.

Avoiding plagiarism

The College's Writing Fellow can provide independent advice to students who lack confidence about tackling a writing task or want feedback on their work. Likewise, librarians are a frequently used resource for advice on the art of referencing.

Departmental policy