ThAct: Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

This task is given by Prakruti ma'am.



Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

Long Question

Explain what plagiarism is according to the MLA Handbook (7th ed.) and discuss how students can avoid it while maintaining academic integrity.

Ans. According to the MLA Handbook (7th ed.), plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s words, ideas, or research as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. It includes copying text directly without quotation marks, paraphrasing too closely to the original source, or failing to provide proper citation. Plagiarism may be intentional, such as deliberately copying material, or unintentional, such as forgetting to cite a source correctly. However, both forms violate academic integrity.

Academic integrity means being honest and responsible in research and writing. It requires writers to give credit whenever they use someone else’s ideas, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. The handbook emphasizes that research writing is a participation in a scholarly conversation, and proper documentation shows respect for other scholars’ contributions.

Students can avoid plagiarism by carefully taking notes, clearly distinguishing between their own ideas and borrowed material, and following proper citation guidelines. Using quotation marks for direct quotes, accurately paraphrasing in their own words, and including in-text citations and a Works Cited page are essential practices. Keeping detailed records of sources during research also helps prevent accidental plagiarism. Thus, maintaining academic integrity strengthens credibility and demonstrates ethical scholarship.

Short Question 

What is academic integrity?


Ans. Academic integrity is the ethical principle of honesty in research and writing. It requires acknowledging all sources of information, giving proper credit to others’ ideas, and presenting one’s own work truthfully without copying or misrepresenting sources.


Academic integrity requires accurate citation, careful documentation of sources, and avoidance of plagiarism. It reflects respect for intellectual property and ensures trust, credibility, and fairness in scholarly writing and research.


Ethical dilemma

1- A student rewrites a scholarly paragraph by changing sentence structure and vocabulary but retains the same ideas and sequence of argument. They do not provide a citation because they believe they are “not copying anything.” 


Ans. Even though the student has changed the sentence structure and vocabulary, they are still using the same ideas and sequence of argument from the original scholarly source. According to the MLA Handbook (7th ed.), plagiarism is not limited to copying exact words. It also includes using another person’s ideas without proper acknowledgment. Paraphrasing does not remove the responsibility to cite the source. If the ideas, structure, or argument come from someone else, a citation is required. Failing to provide one violates academic integrity, even if no direct quotation is used. Therefore, the student should include an in-text citation and list the source in the Works Cited page to avoid plagiarism.


2- How should this be treated under MLA guidelines? Does paraphrasing require citation? What would you do in this situation and why?


Ans. Under MLA guidelines (7th ed.), this situation should be treated as plagiarism because the student has used another author’s ideas and structure without giving proper credit. Even though the wording has been changed, the original intellectual content and sequence of argument still belong to the source. Yes, paraphrasing requires citation. The MLA Handbook clearly states that whenever you use someone else’s ideas—whether through direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase—you must provide an in-text citation and include the source in the Works Cited list. Changing vocabulary or sentence structure does not make the ideas your own. In this situation, I would add a proper in-text citation after the paraphrased passage and ensure the full source appears in the Works Cited page. If necessary, I would revise the paraphrase to make sure it genuinely reflects my own wording and understanding. I would do this because maintaining academic integrity is essential in scholarly writing. Proper citation not only avoids plagiarism but also demonstrates respect for the original author’s intellectual contribution and strengthens the credibility of my research.


















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