Resources
Course Policy on Collaboration
Assignments in this course require individual attention and effort to be of any benefit. Unless otherwise stated on the assignment sheet, all work is expected to be that of each student alone, without consultation with others, and not the product of team efforts or collaboration with other authors. Plagiarism or the incorporation of another student's words or ideas constitutes theft of intellectual property; it will result in a grade of zero.
The “all work” referred to in the above policy refers to work intended to be submitted to me for grading, which means homework, labs, examinations and any required writing. The following examples elaborate this policy.
Not Permitted
The following behavior is not permitted, and violations will result in grade penalties at a level commensurate with the severity of the violation.
- Giving another student access to working notes, drafts, listings or written completed work, where such work results in eventual submission for grade in the course; or the obtaining of such access with or without the author's permission; or the request for access to such work, whether successful or not. This behavior is a violation when it occurs before the due date of submission. If an extension of the due date is given to the entire class or to an individual student, then “date of submission” refers to the extended due date for that student.
- Collaboration or consultation during laboratory sessions, where the object of collaboration is to solve a problem assigned in the course. This includes any work on the problem including development of the solution, editing of the code, debugging the code or interpreting of results.
- Discussion between students of concerning solutions to specific assigned problems; or discussion of the techniques and ideas directly aimed at the solution to specific assigned problems. This behavior is a violation when that discussion is clearly associated with the working of the assigned problem, and the due date of that problem has not passed.
- The use of “course files” or files of information obtained from earlier offerings of the course, when that use would obviate the necessity to work a problem for credit using the student's own efforts.
Under the University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity (Amended 17 September 1991) the foregoing behavior is a “failure to observe special rules of academic integrity established by a faculty member for a particular course”. Under the Code, sanctions imposed by a faculty member are limited to loss of credit for the work involved, reduction in grade, a failing grade for the course, or a written warning. In egregious cases, however, more severe sanctions can be imposed by the Department Head.
Expressly Permitted
- Cooperative associations or study groups of two or more students, aimed at (1) review of lecture materials, (2) sharing and correction of lecture notes, (3) discussion of readings and (4) the solving of exercise problems not part of any assignment handed out in class. Care should be taken in such discussion not to compromise the solution of problems with due dates still outstanding. In practice, this is not difficult if the intent of such review is an clear effort toward general mastery of the material, rather than an effort to solve a particular assigned problem. It is of course impossible to delineate exact boundaries that will apply to every instance. If in doubt, a review in office session with the instructor of the material in question would be a safe course.
- Sharing of the contents of problem solutions after the due date for all students involved in the information sharing (typically this is the date that solution sets are handed out in class).
- The use of any and all library materials, including journal papers, books and other scholarly materials in the public domain, at any time before the due date of work. If such sources result by chance in the uncovering of the solution to a particular assigned problem, the student should acknowledge the source used in the problem solution, and report the problem solution in their own words.
Problematic Areas
- Some behavior, especially during laboratory sessions, can too easily lead to compromises of the course rules on collaboration, and is to be avoided. Examples of behavior to be avoided are excessive socialization while working on assignments in the lab. Care should be taken that social interactions do not compromise the work in progress, or give others the appearance of doing so.