Plagiarism - Guidelines

At UpGrad we want to create product managers who can drive quality, are detail orientated and can lead
the product’s vision. Part of this involves having the confidence to share your own unique ideas.
Unfortunately, some students may be tempted to pass the work of others, or those they find on the internet,
as their own, rather than using them as support for their own work. Whether it’s through lack of self-
confidence or unawareness of what constitutes plagiarism, this is a problem we seek to rectify with these
guidelines.

What counts as plagiarism?

1. Copying a quote without quotation marks, no credit

Quoting from experts in your area is a fantastic way to give credence to your point of view, by showcasing
you’ve studied their viewpoints. What isn’t acceptable, however, is not clearly putting “quotation marks”
around quotes, making it clear where their words end and your thoughts begin.

2. Turning in someone else’s work as your own

Whether it’s from a friend, a family member, or a service that writes in exchange for money, handing in work
that you yourself have not written is the definition of plagiarism. We want to see your work, what you are
capable of, not what others write on your behalf.

3. Overlooking any collusion with others, beyond proofreading

Working with others or gaining outside advice is not discouraged by UpGrad, especially in cases where
collusion is required, such as in group projects. However, any such aid should be clearly labelled as such in
your work, to avoid passing off another’s work as your own.

4. Paraphrasing words but keeping the sentence structure, without giving credit
Changing the words in a passage you’ve taken from another source, does not change the fact the idea is not
your own. Even when paraphrasing someone else’s idea, you should still clearly cite who/where your idea
originally came from. When we can see your sources, we can help judge your interpretation and analysis of
the original source material.

While we hope that you realise that plagiarism only cheats yourself of the opportunity to develop your
own skills, and showcasing what you’re capable of, it does come with a severe penalty in UpGrad. If a
student is found guilty of plagiarism, they will receive no credits for the assignment. If they are found guilty
of plagiarism a second time, they will be debarred from our industry placements.