FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES A QUICK AND UNDERSTANDABLE GUIDE TO COPYRIGHT AND PLAGIARISM POLICIES

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1 FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES A QUICK AND UNDERSTANDABLE GUIDE TO COPYRIGHT AND PLAGIARISM POLICIES Cmpiled by Dr G Myers Witwatersrand Health Sciences Library Nvember 2007 WHAT IS COPYRIGHT? Cpyright is defined as the exclusive legal right t reprduce, publish, sell r distribute literary, musical r artistic wrks 1. Cpyright prtects the rights f the authr/s and/r artist/s and/r publisher/s f such wrks frm illegal cpying, reprductin r sale by thers. Cpyright des NOT mean the right t cpy. The symbl used t dente cpyright is. Cpyright can be used t prtect the wrk f an individual Jhn Smith Cpyright can als be used t prtect the rights f a cmpany r rganisatin University f the Witwatersrand In Suth Africa, cpyright is gverned by the Cpyright Act 98 f 1978, as amended. Accrding t this Act, there are criminal penalties fr the infringement f cpyright (illegal cpying): Fr a first cnvictin, there is a fine f R per infringement r imprisnment up t 3 years Fr a secnd cnvictin, there is a fine f R per infringement r imprisnment up t 5 years COPYING IS A FORM OF CHEATING because yu are stealing r cpying smene else s wrk r ideas. WHAT MAY YOU COPY? Yu may make ONE legal cpy fr yurself fr the purpse f private study r research, r fr teaching purpses. This means yu can phtcpy, r dwnlad frm the Internet, r dwnlad frm the Library s electrnic resurces ONE cpy legally fr yur wn use as a student, researcher r lecturer. Lecturers wanting t make cpies fr an entire class shuld cnsult the Cpyright Librarian, denise.nichlsn@wits.ac.za. In general, cpyright is gverned by the principle f fair use. Legally, fair use is usually interpreted as nt mre than 10% f: The cntents f a bk (ne chapter, if the bk has ten chapters) The cntents f a jurnal (ne jurnal article, if the jurnal has ten articles in the whle jurnal issue)

2 One Internet page, ne sectin, r ne chapter f an electrnic resurce frm the Library The illustratins available fr dwnlading frm the Internet per subject (ne illustratin, if there are ten illustratins n the subject) Yu shuld always acknwledge what yu have cpied r used by citing the reference (where yu btained the material) at the end f yur wn wrk (see Hw t Avid Plagiarism). WHAT MAY YOU NOT COPY? Yu MAY NOT cpy mre than is legally permitted. Yu MAY NOT makes cpies fr anther student, r fr the entire class. Yu MAY NOT cpy an entire bk r an entire jurnal issue. Yu MAY NOT scan r translate anything frm a bk, a jurnal, the Library s electrnic resurces, r the Internet int a different frmat. This means yu MAY NOT CUT + PASTE MATERIAL frm an electrnic surce int wrk that yu claim is yur wn wrk. This includes essays, assignments, pen bk examinatins, presentatins, case studies, dissertatins, theses, r any ther curse wrk that yu submit as yur wn wrk. Cutting and pasting cnstitutes a frm f plagiarism. This als means yu MAY NOT cpy wrk r a prtfli written by anther student and submitted in a previus year, r in the same year. WHAT IS PLAGIARISM? Accrding t the Senate f the University f the Witwatersrand, plagiarism is the failure t acknwledge the ideas r writing f anther r presentatin f the ideas r writing f anther as ne s wn 2. Plagiarism cvers the intentinal and unintentinal failure t acknwledge the ideas f thers 2. In this cntext thers means any ther persn including a student, academic, prfessinal, published authr, r ther resurce such as the Internet 2. The University believes that failing t acknwledge the use f ideas f thers cnstitutes an imprtant breach f its values 2. In simple wrds, plagiarism is the use f anther persn s wrk (wrds/prducts/ideas) fr persnal advantage, withut prper acknwledgement f the riginal wrk, and with the intentin f passing it ff as ne s wn wrk 3. It is imprtant, especially in science and medicine, t acknwledge in yur wn wrk previus wrk dne by ther peple n the same tpic. Yu d this by listing (r citing) the surces f the infrmatin frm ther peple that yu have used in yur list f references (r bibligraphy) at the end f yur wn wrk. Yu als have t refer t the citatin (r reference yu have used) by a number in the text, if yu are using the Vancuver Style f referencing 4. This number may be placed in brackets after the text (19), r written in superscript after the text 19. This number, tgether with its crrespnding reference r citatin, then appears in a numerical list f references at the end f yur wrk. The Vancuver Style f referencing is the mst cmmnly used in health sciences publishing, and has been adpted by the Internatinal Cmmittee f Medical Jurnal Editrs (ICMJE). It is gd ethical practice in science and medicine t acknwledge the cntributins that thers have made t yur wrk. THERE ARE HARSH STUDENT DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES FOR PLAGIARISM AT WITS! Plagiarism is treated as a frm f miscnduct under Rule 18 f the Rules fr Student Discipline 5. Yu will face a disciplinary enquiry if yu are fund t have plagiarised smene else s wrk 5. Penalties can range frm having yur wrk marked as failed ; suspensin r expulsin frm the University; having fines impsed; r being reprted t the plice fr cmmitting a criminal ffence 5. A WITS PROFESSOR HAS BEEN FIRED FOR PLAGIARISM! 6 HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

3 ALWAYS acknwledge yur surces (where yu fund the infrmatin). Yu d s by citing (referring t) the reference r citatin yu have used (yur surce f infrmatin). ALWAYS paraphrase r use yur wn wrds. But yu still have t cite (r refer t) the reference r citatin yu have used (yur surce f infrmatin). Example f Paraphrasing and a Reference Using the Vancuver Style: Original text: Adlf Meyer, whse thery f psychbilgy represented ne f the mst insightful and imprtant appraches t understanding mental illness in the early 20 th century, insisted that humans culd be understd best thrugh cnsideratin f their activities as experienced n a daily basis and ver the life curse. During Meyer s era, changes were ccurring at an unprecedented pace including increased cultural diversity, scial upheavals and technlgical advances. These, in turn, were assciated with emtinal, psychlgical, and behaviral prblems. In many ways, the changes wrught in during the early twentieth century parallel the challenges f ur current age. (1). 1. Christiansen, C. Adlf Meyer revisited: Cnnectins between lifestyles, resilience and illness. Jurnal f Occupatinal Science 2007: 14 (2): Paraphrased text: In the early 1900s, a thery used t great advantage t understand the mental health f patients was that f psychbilgy, prpunded by Adlf Meyer. Using psychbilgy, peple were examined during their day t day activities and thrughut their respective lives. The turbulent changes that were experienced at the time when Meyer practised, and which were cnsequently reflected by the varied prblems manifested by his patients, are in many respects similar t the changes ccurring in the present era (1). 1. Christiansen, C. Adlf Meyer revisited: Cnnectins between lifestyles, resilience and illness. Jurnal f Occupatinal Science 2007: 14 (2): ALWAYS USE QUOTATIONS MARKS OR INVERTED COMMAS if yu can nt use yur wn wrds. Paraphrasing is generally easier t d if the text is written in a narrative style, as ppsed t cntents that cnsist f pure data, r where the text cntains much scientific r clinical terminlgy. If the term is a scientific r medical term that can nt be expressed differently fr example, yu wuld nt nrmally refer t a primigravida as a wman wh is pregnant fr the first time. But yu still have t cite (r refer t) the reference r citatin yu have used (yur surce f infrmatin). Example f the Use f Qutatin Marks ( ) and a Reference Using the Vancuver Style: Reprductive histry is an independent predictr f future pregnancy utcme. Primigravidae and wmen with a histry f livebirths have a lwer risk f miscarriage in their next pregnancy than wmen whse mst recent pregnancy ended in miscarriage. (1) 1. Rai, R., Regan, L. Recurrent miscarriage. Lancet 2006 August 12-18; 368 (9536): The Same Text Paraphrased and a Reference Using the Vancuver Style: A wman s reprductive histry can be used t predict the utcme f her future pregnancies. A primigravida, as well as thse wh have histries f live births, will have a much lwer risk f miscarriage than thse whse mst recent pregnancy ended in a miscarriage (1). 1. Rai, R. and Regan, L. Recurrent miscarriage. Lancet 2006 August 12-18; 368(9536):

4 WHY DO YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT PLAGIARISM, COPYRIGHT AND REFERENCE CITATION 5? It allws yu t learn the value f prducing riginal wrk (which yu shuld be ding at a University level). It allws yu t learn valuable prfessinal skills such as hw t cnduct ethical research, and hw t analyse the material yu read (which yu need t d in evidence-based practice). It demnstrates that yu are hnest and have integrity. It develps yur writing and critical thinking skills. It shws yur lecturers that yu have taken the time and effrt t research yur wrk. REFERENCES USED IN THIS PAMPHLET 1. Merriam-Webster OnLine. Available: [Accessed ] 2. University f the Witwatersrand Senate Dcument S2003/351A. Plagiarism Plicy. Available: share.ds.wits.ac.za/deptregistrarsintranetpublished/plagiarism%20 POLICY.dc [Accessed ] 3. Wikipedia. Available: [Accessed ] 4. Internatinal Cmmittee f Medical Jurnal Editrs. Unifrm Requirements fr Manuscripts Submitted t Bimedical Jurnals: Writing and Editing fr Bimedical Publicatin. Updated February Available: [Accessed ] 5. University f the Witwatersrand. Senate Teaching and Learning Cmmittee. Wrking dcument n plagiarism, adjusted fr LLM students. 6. Lanegran, Kim. Fending ff a plagiarist. Chrnicle f Higher Educatin, 2 July Available: [Accessed ] FURTHER READING 1. University f the Witwatersrand Library. Cpyright. Available: [Accessed ] 2. University f the Witwatersrand Library. Cpyright Services Office. Are yu cpyright crrect? Students and cpyright. Pamphlet available frm: denise.nichlsn@wits.ac.za 3. University f the Witwatersrand Library. Cpyright Services Office. Are yu cpyright crrect? Cpyright and teaching material. Pamphlet available frm: denise.nichlsn@wits.ac.za 4. Plagiarism.rg. Available: [Accessed ] 5. Reading and understanding medical texts: paraphrasing exercise. Available: [Accessed ] 6. Sterger, Sharn. Clearinghuse fr articles, resurces, and infrmatin abut plagiarism. Available: [Accessed ] 7. University f the Witwatersrand. Faculty f Health Sciences. Style Guide fr Theses, Dissertatins and Research Reprts. 3 rd ed (Available frm WHSL). 8. Indiana University, Blmingtn, USA. Writing tutrial services. Plagiarism: What it is and Hw t Recgnize and Avid it. Available: [Accessed ]

5 9. Gergetwn University. Hnr Cuncil. What is plagiarism? Available: [Accessed ]