The VCU Resource Guide clearly states that "Virginia Commonwealth University recognizes
that honesty, truth, and integrity are values central to its mission as an institution of higher education" (VCU Resource Guide 1995-96, p. 51).  The anthropology faculty is committed to this concept and will conduct classes in accordance with this understanding.  A complete copy of the VCU Honor System document is contained in the VCU Resource Guide or it may be found on the university's web site at:
http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/rg7honor.html. 

The anthropology faculty does not tolerate plagiarism, cheating, or lying in any form and prosecutes transgressions through the proper institutions of the University.  Students should be conversant with the appropriate sections of the VCU Resource Guide.  All assignments in the anthropology program, with no exceptions, are considered "pledged work," whether or not the pledge is included - "On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.”

Plagiarism is stealing and passing off as one's own work the ideas or works of another; it is a very serious offense in academia.  If you summarize the words of someone else, even in your own words, you must give that person due credit by citing him or her.  The Modern Language Association's defines plagiarism as follows:

“Plagiarism may take the form of repeating another’s sentences as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing someone else’s argument as your own, or
even presenting someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it
were your own.  In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or
thought something that you have in fact borrowed from another.  Although a writer may use another person’s words and thoughts, they must be acknowledged as such.”  (MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, Dissertations. New York: Modern Languages Association, 1977).

For a general summary of an entire work or chapter, the name and date is sufficient (Sahlins 1972).  If you are summarizing a specific passage, then the page number(s) must be given (Sahlins 1972:36-38).  If it is a direct quote, the specific page number(s) must be given (Sahlins 1972:36).  Only your own ideas, your own data, your own conclusions, or information that is in the realm of general knowledge (The Amazon River is located in South America) can be used without citation.  Everything else must be cited. This includes references to films, recordings, literary references, personal communications, and unpublished papers.  If you are uncertain about whether something is common knowledge, be safe and cite a source or sources. Recycling papers from other classes is also considered plagiarism.

If you plagiarize, you cheat yourself, as you deliberately renounce student-centered learning
and your opportunity to partake in the learning process and to educate yourself.  Plagiarizing defeats the purpose of your attending an institution of higher education.  You need to be scrupulous in avoiding any hint of plagiarism in your work.

Web resources on avoiding plagiarism include:

http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/AvoidingPlagiarism.html
http://ollie.dcccd.edu/library/Module4/M4-VII/plagar.htm
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html
http://www.fullerton.edu/deanofstudents/Judicial/pdfs/Guide%20to%20Avoiding%20
Plagarism.pdf
http://www.perry-lake.k12.oh.us/phs/Library/citing.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
http://www.writing.nwu.edu/tips/plag.htm