Copyright & Plagarism Information

Canadian ISD Copyright and Fair Use Policy

Plagiarism is using, borrowing or claiming someone else’s written or spoken words, original plans, theories, research and ideas as your own work. It is more than copying written documents. It can include using someone else’s plans or ideas in your own project. Plagiarism is using the words from a speech you have heard or listened to on the television or Internet without acknowledging the person who spoke these words.    

These are simple guidelines to follow to avoid plagiarism.  

1. Always provide a citation giving credit to the original creator:

   1. when using a direct quote, regardless of however short or long the text.

   2. when paraphrasing (change the wording) another person’s work or words.

   3. when using facts and data that are not common knowledge

2. Remember your instructor is more interested in what you have learned during your study and research; demonstrate your knowledge and understanding.

3. When in doubt give credit. 

Copyright is the way someone protects his original work. It may be a book, poem, short story, play, photograph, drawing, music, video webpage or even computer software. People apply to the Library of Congress to register a legal copyright on many different items they have created.   There is a procedure for using materials that are not your original work.

1. Obtain permission for the original creator or the owner of the copyright.

2. Always provide a citation acknowledging the source of the work.

3. Use materials that are now in the Public Domain. Generally, this includes information produced by the U.S. Government or works published before 1923. A citation should be used to designate the source of this information. 

Copyright and the Internet

Information located on the Internet is subject to copyright laws. Absence of a copyright notice does not mean it is okay to copy something. The webmaster may or may not be the owner of the copyright. Receiving permission from the webmaster to reference a webpage does not always give you permission to use all the information on that page especially if the work is not original and the designer gathered information from other sources.  

Class Policy for Plagiarism and Copyright Infractions

Written work and projects will be routinely checked for plagiarism. Infractions will be immediately reported to the campus administrator. This class will be following your school's policy on plagiarism and copyright infractions.