COGS 156

The crux of academic integrity: Your work should be your own. If you turn in something that is not indicative of your performance, you are doing a disservice to yourself in failing to actually learn the material. Relatedly, if you do someone else’s work for them, you are allowing them not to learn material. At a more practical level, you are doing something that, if caught, instructors are obligated to report to your college.
 
Overall, you should never copy someone else’s ideas or work.
 
If you’re not sure, it’s better to ask now than to risk trouble later. Just asking won’t get you in trouble.
 
Examples of things that are permissible:

Studying in groups. (In fact, this is often a good strategy!)

Talking about articles or class material in groups.

Referencing material in the book (or an article) and noting that you have done so.

 
Examples of things that are NOT permissible:

Writing papers in groups. This includes taking someone else’s paper (or parts of it) and quoting verbatim, or changing a small number of words. The work you turn in should be your own interpretation and your own thoughts.

Writing a paper for someone else.

Copying someone else’s paper.

Looking at someone else’s exam.

Referencing material in article/book without noting that you have done so.

Quoting a large proportion of your paper from the article (more than 5-10% of your paper directly quotes the original author). While you are giving credit to the author, this kind of “quote abuse” (Carver, 2010, personal communication) is counter to the purpose of written assignments, which is to demonstrate that you understand the material by evaluating it IN YOUR OWN WORDS.