TERM PAPER AUDIT POLICY


In order to maintain a reasonable workload with respect to grading and verifying the accuracy and intellecutal integrity of term papers I am instituting a term paper audit policy.

Procedures

After I receive term papers I will grade them and return them to you. Papers which receive an "audit" grade will not receive a grade until I have a personal interview with you. At this interview you are expected to produce all of your research material and we will go over your paper checking it against this material. If you use interlibrary loan books or reference materials you are expected to keep a xerox record of all the passages you cite or utilize in your paper. If you used electronic resources for your paper you must print out the relevant documents and underline the passages that you used. Other supporting materials such as rough drafts of the paper and reading notes should also be brought to the audit.

Reasons for an Audit

You will receive an audit grade for one of three reasons (I will not indicate the reason when I call you in for the audit):

  1. Your paper is excellent and I want to tell you this in person and explain why I feel it is a fine work.

  2. Yours is one of several papers I have chosen at random to check citations, footnotes and bibliographies to be sure that they are accurate.

  3. Your paper shows definite signs of plagiarism. You are expected to demonstrate to me through your research material that I am mistaken.

Why I am Instituting this Policy

First, students who have done an excellent job should be personally commended. Second, accurate footnotes and citations are essential to good scholarship. Since students often do not return books to the library on time it is too difficult for me to track down everyone's research material. This process makes my job more realistic. The internet is a particulary easy place to assemble a quick paper without even having to type. Finally, I have noticed a high incidence of plagiarism in papers. Most of this comes from poor research techniques and from trying to write an entire paper in about 5 consecutive hours (usually the 5 right before the paper is due). Some plagiarism stems from simply copying the work of another student.

According to the student handbook plagiarism is penalized by failure in the course. A second instance of plagiarism makes the student liable to expulsion from the college.

If You are Called for a Paper Audit

If you receive an "Audit" grade on your paper you are expected to contact the professor and arrange for a 30 minute interview within a week of receiving your paper. If you do not arrange to meet with the professor you will receive a failing grade for the paper. I will do one of three things during the audit:

  1. If you are called in to be praised for an excellent job I will go over the paper with you and explain what I think is good about the paper.

  2. If you are called in to have your references checked I will have you substantiate the accuracy of some of your quotes, citations, and bibliographical entries. If there are inaccuracies this will affect the grade of your paper adversely.

  3. If you are called in because I feel you have plagiarized part or all of your paper you need to demonstrate to me that a) you are indeed able to write in the style which you utilize in your paper, b) you thoroughly have assimilated the knowledge you put forth in the paper and understand what you wrote, and c) you have quoted passages and/or paraphrased passages with proper attribution, d) you have not obtained the paper, in whole or in part, from the internet.

The Seal of Creighton University
This page is managed by
Rev. Raymond A. Bucko, S.J.
of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
at Creighton University.

E-Mail: bucko@creighton.edu

Page Last Updated: August 28, 2000