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A Message to the SIPA Student Body
As a professional community of faculty and students conducting research in international and public affairs, we at SIPA must be mindful of the need for accuracy and consistency in citing the sources of our research findings. SIPA's reputation and yours are one and the same, and we must all work together to ensure the integrity of academic work conducted here.
In addition, many SIPA students come from universities and academic systems with different practices and traditions in regard to citing sources. It is therefore imperative that we all share a common understanding of prevailing standards and practices at US institutions of higher learning.
In order to provide you with ample resources for ascertaining the proper style of attribution in presenting your research, we have compiled a series of links to documents from various North American universities that we think will be very helpful to you. You should all make a point of consulting them before your first assignment, as inaccuracy and imprecision in citing sources can lead to the charge of plagiarism, a violation of the SIPA Code of Academic and Professional Conduct that, when proven, may result in dismissal from Columbia University. Please take the time now to study these useful and important aides to your research.
- Citation Styles, Plagiarism and Style Manuals, University of California Berkeley Library
- The Chicago Manual of Style , Simon Fraser University Library, Canada
- About Citing Sources, Dartmouth College Sources, New Hampshire
- Examples of Citations, Dartmouth College Sources, New Hampshire
- MLA Style, Bowling Green State University Library, Ohio
- Turabian Style from Guide, Ohio State University
Students sign the Academic and Professional Conduct Pledge (sample below) to acknowledge that they are responsible for reading and understanding the materials listed above. If a student is uncertain of the procedures for documenting and citing sources, they must consult these resources and seek assistance from faculty or Student Affairs Office staff in making sure academic work conforms to these standards.
SAMPLE FORM - Hard Copies available in the Student Affairs Office
Code of Academic and Professional Conduct
As part of the preparation of our students for careers in international and public affairs, the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) seeks to promote the highest standards among its graduates. To formalize the expectation of professional and ethical conduct, honesty, accuracy and integrity in academic and work activities, the administration, faculty and students have drafted the following Code of Professional and Academic Conduct. Your signature on this document verifies that you agree to abide by this code throughout your studies at SIPA.
"I have read the Code of Academic and Professional Conduct, and will undertake my academic work with honesty and integrity.
"In order to promote honesty, professionalism, fairness and academic integrity within the SIPA community, I hereby pledge to abide by the standards of academic and professional conduct outlined below:
"I will fully participate in the academic life of the school by understanding degree and course requirements, and putting forth my best efforts in completing all assignments and exams according to the guidelines and procedures established by faculty, instructors and teaching assistants.
"I will dedicate adequate time to my studies by effectively managing conflicts between my academic responsibilities and other commitments. I will communicate responsibly with faculty, administrative staff and the Student Affairs Office about matters that affect my ability to participate as expected in my classes and other school activities.
"I will recognize the diversity of SIPA and understand that professional and civil conduct is expected to guide interactions between all constituents of the school: employees, students, faculty, administrative staff and student staff. SIPA students are ambassadors for the school and should behave accordingly in professional and academic settings.
"I understand that the commission of criminal acts against Columbia students, the University or its employees is considered a violation of the SIPA Code of Academic and Professional Conduct.
"I will submit original work and will properly attribute ideas that are not my own according to established academic procedures. If I am unsure about what constitutes proper academic procedure in a particular instance, it is my responsibility to consult with a professor or member of the Dean's Office. I will not give or receive unauthorized aid on any assignment or exam. I will not cheat or plagiarize while matriculated at SIPA, regardless of the department or school through which academic work might be required.
"I understand that cheating comprises the giving or receiving of unauthorized or unfair aid in academic work. This may occur by, but is not limited to: lying, deceiving, stealing, talking, signaling, copying from other students, and unauthorized usage of books, data (both in hardcopy and electronic formats), study aids, or other sources in a manner inconsistent with the expectations established by SIPA and my classroom instructors.
"I understand that plagiarism includes but is not limited to:
Submitting essays, or portions of essays, or other prose written by other people as one's own;
Failing to acknowledge, through proper footnotes and bibliographic entries, the source of ideas essentially not one's own;
Failing to indicate paraphrases or ideas or verbatim expressions not one's own through proper use of quotations and footnotes;
Submitting an essay written for one course to a second course without having sought prior permission from both instructors;
Collaborating with other students or outside sources on an assignment or examination without specific permission from the faculty member to do so;
Using another person's or institution's research or data without attribution.
Academic work includes all graded assignments such as papers, essays, examinations, tests, labs, problem sets and other graded homework assignments.
"If graded together with other students in study groups, I pledge to contribute to my fullest capacity. I will not seek unauthorized help outside my study group, unless specifically authorized by the faculty member."