Copyright Infringement & Plagiarism

It’s common to confuse plagiarism with copyright infringement, but they are distinct issues.

Plagiarism involves failing to properly attribute the authorship of someone else’s work, whether that involves ideas, text or images. Copyright infringement, on the other hand, occurs when you use a copyrighted work without obtaining the necessary permissions.

It’s essential to avoid both plagiarism and copyright infringement. If you are working on something that may be published or publicly disseminated, please review the important guidelines on attribution and plagiarism.

Why is this so important? As an institution of higher learning, we must exemplify ethical and legal standards in academic and scholarly work. This goes beyond legal compliance; it speaks to our integrity and credibility. Misappropriating others’ work and claiming it as our own not only violates ethical standards but also damages our reputation and credibility in the research community and among other educational institutions. Plagiarism may constitute research misconduct, subject to review under the university’s Research Integrity policy. All employees must report observed or suspected research misconduct and other violations of research integrity to UF Research.

Remember, it’s perfectly acceptable to use the words and ideas of others, as long as you properly credit the original authors. When in doubt, always ask and give credit. This practice not only upholds legal standards but also demonstrates respect for the intellectual property of others.

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