We take the Honor Code , as stated in the George Mason University Undergraduate Catalog, very seriously in the New Century community of learners. It is your responsibility to study it carefully and ask your professors for further explanation of any part you do not understand. University faculty have an obligation to refer the names of students who may have violated the Honor Code to the Student Honor Committee, which treats such cases very seriously. The following explanation is adapted from the English Department's definition of plagiarism. Plagiarism means using ideas, opinions, factual information, or language from some one without giving that person appropriate credit.
Plagiarism is equivalent to intellectual robbery .
Student writers are sometimes confused as to what should be cited. In addition to direct quotations, paraphrases and summaries of opinions of factual information not formerly known to the writer must also be cited. The exception to this rule is information termed general knowledge-in other words, information that is widely known and stated in a number of sources. Occasionally, in writing, assignments such as log entries, professors may permit informal citation. Please check with your seminar leader.