Why it is important not to plagiarize?

Beyond the ‘punishment’ or the ’sanction’ immediately provided by your professor or assistant (or, in severe cases, by the Dean of your Faculty or even the Rector) and/or your supervisor (Research Director, PhD thesis’ Director, Head of Research Unit/centre), which could already ruin your academic record as a student and/or researcher in the short term; if you are seen as a « plagiarist » by your colleagues or peers could dramatically affect your reputation and your previous or future work will lose its « legitimacy » over the long run : the others will no longer trust you and everything you write will be perceived as questionable !

Furthermore, in serious cases of plagiarism, you can also undermine the reputation of UNamur and of your colleagues involved in the same work.

Again, depending on your status (student, researcher, or other) you will incur penalties up to exclusion or even dismissal (or other disciplinary action provided either by the Regulation of Studies and Examinations or the Rules of Work of UNamur).

Finally, plagiarism leads nowhere:

• if you are a STUDENT: one of your duties is to properly learn to manage all methodological tools necessary for your courses and area of study: your professors (academics, assistants, Master/PhD thesis’ director, project leaders, research directors, etc) are also there to teach you these rules and to help you to master them properly.  Do not hesitate to contact them in case of doubt: better to be too conscientious than too little!

• if you are a RESEARCHER : you are bound by a certain scientific rigor and integrity, which requires respect for the work of others and for yours too, in addition to the responsibility you have vis-à-vis UNamur and its partners (funding organizations, donors, private/contractual partners, other universities, etc).