1. About Plagiarism
   
   Plagiarism refers to the act of using the creative works of others (e.g. ideas, words, images or sound, etc) in one’s own work without proper acknowledgement of the source. According to the Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1987), to ‘plagiarise’ means
   
   
   1. [T]o steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own : [to] use (a created production) without crediting the source : [to] commit literary theft : [to] present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.
      
      
   PolyU views plagiarism, whether committed intentionally or because of ignorance or negligence, as a serious disciplinary offence. Excuses such as “not knowing that this is required” or “not knowing how to do it” will not be accepted. It is the RPg student’s responsibility to understand what plagiarism is, and take action steps to avoid plagiarism in their academic work. The golden rule is: “if in doubt, acknowledge”.
   
   
2. Avoiding Plagiarism
   
   RPg students are required to submit their original work and avoid any possible suggestion of plagiarism in the work they submit for grading or credit.
   
   Below are some suggestions on how RPg students can avoid plagiarism in their own work:
   1. Use Sources with care and respect
      1. Take careful notes so that they know where they got their information;
      2. Keep track of all the sources they have used for each assignment;
      3. Cite all the sources in their finished work, distinguishing carefully between their own ideas/work and those taken from others;
      4. Include all the sources in their References or Bibliography section, normally included at the end of the paper.
   2. Find out the expectations of their Departments and supervisor(s)
      1. Different disciplines or professions may have slightly different conventions for citation and referencing. Ask their Departments or supervisor(s) for the specific citing and reference system or conventions used in their chosen profession/discipline;
      2. Ask their supervisor(s) what type of collaboration and help is permitted for the specific assignment.
   3. Develop your academic skills
      1. Plan their academic work carefully and start early so that they have time to do their own work;
      2. Make a work schedule for work and try to keep to it;
      3. Study resource materials and attend courses or workshops provided by PolyU to continually improve their skills in referencing and academic writing.
   4. Be honest and always do their own work
   
   
3. Resources
   
   RPg students are advised to refer to the booklet “About Plagiarism and How to Avoid It” developed by PolyU to know more about plagiarism and how to cite sources properly in their work. They may also obtain information about using sources and referencing styles from the webpage of ELC’s Centre for Independent Language Learning at http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/reference.aspx.
   
   The University Library subscribes to two reference management tools, RefWorks and EndNote. They could be used to help RPg students create their own bibliographic database. More details can be found at: https://www.lib.polyu.edu.hk/research-support/tools/ref-management-tools.

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