Introduction

When a student or researcher uses information created by another individual or organisation there is an expectation that they will use it responsibly. This responsibility is both ethical and legal. In universities there is a moral tradition of acknowledging the author(s) of an idea or research through citing and referencing. It is also reinforced legally in Australia and other countries by copyright law. If you use the work of another individual or organisation and do not cite or reference it appropriately you risk being accused of intellectual theft or plagiarism i.e. breaking the laws established in the Copyright Act.

Organising the information you use is an effective method to help you avoid plagiarism. It involves recording and storing information details so you will be able to refer back to them.

This module will help you:

• Understand the basic principles of copyright and plagiarism
• Recognise the importance of recording and storing information to enable you to reference and cite correctly to avoid plagiarism.

What is copyright?