Anti-Plagiarism

Students enroleld at Sciences Po commit from the outset until the end of their studies at the institution to respect the rules of intellectual honesty outlined in the anti-plagiarism regulation (PDF, 59 Ko).

Plagiarism is severely punished at Sciences Po: penalties include a grade of zero, non-validation of the class in question and suspension. Any student caught plagiarising risks being permanently expelled from the institution.

Plagiarism is when you copy directly from others' work (including on the internet) without signalling that you have done so by correctly referencing the work. Sciences Po's definition is outlined in the Academic rules (136 Ko): "Plagiarism occurs when a student submits work that does not allow one to distinguish the student's own thoughts from those of other authors: it can be characterised by the absence of citation of a group of consecutive words (five or more), by reformulation or translation, or by copying directly." (article on intellectual honesty).

Ouriginal anti-plagiarism system

Sciences Po has an IT tool for detecting plagiarism, Ouriginal, to which teachers have access for ensuring students' intellectual honesty. For more information on this tool, how it works and the rules relating to testing for plagiarism, you can visit the Sciences Po's digital uses website.

It cannot be overemphasised that using sources to present work is not a sign of intellectual weakness, but rather the mark of an effort of research and credibility. However, it is crucial to learn how to use sources correctly to produce work that may truly be considered original.