DE Individualized Learning

Distance Education Programs INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING COURSE SYLLABUS IFSM304: Ethics in the Information Age (3)  Course length: 15 weeks Last revised: 6 October 2003

Prerequisite(s)

IFSM 201.

Course Materials

Textbook(s)

Baase, A Gift of Fire, 2^nd ed., (Prentice Hall), 0-13-008215-5
Reading assignments for this text will be noted in red in the Course Schedule

Additional Material

IFSM 304 CD.  On this CD are the Course Modules. There are five Modules on the CD, and study of these Modules is included in the weekly schedule.

Description

(Fulfills the civic responsibility requirement.) An introduction to information systems as used to provide information for decision making in a democratic society. The philosophy, techniques, and ethical considerations involved in evaluating information systems are discussed.

Objectives

After completing this course, the student should be able to:

• identify and discuss the fundamental concepts and unique attributes of the theoretical ethical frameworks presented (civic responsibility)
• identify and categorize observed situations in terms of the presented theoretical ethical frameworks (civic responsibility, competence in information technology) analyze information-system case studies and apply the presented ethical decision-making processes in written evaluations of these cases (civic responsibility, competence in information technology, effective writing, information literacy)
• Identify and discuss the role of technology and its ethical issues in society throughout history and in the present (civic responsibility, historical perspective)
• identify the ethical issues and problems in information technology and analyze when and how ethical issues become legal issues (civic responsibility)
• describe the interaction between technology and humans, through global political, cultural, and historical mechanisms (international perspective, competence in information technology)

Course Introduction

The word "ethics" has its root in the word "ethos," which most often refers to "character." The concepts of ethics, character, right and wrong, and good and evil have captivated humankind since we began to live in groups, communicate, and pass judgment on each others' actions based on motivation, group rules and norms, and intermediate and end results. Thinking about ethics can begin with the individual, and then expand into group, societal, and cultural ethical considerations. From this foundation, we can apply (and test against) known theories and frameworks to information systems and situations in the modern age. Can ethics and personal character apply, and in the same ways, in the modern information and data-based world in which we currently live, work, and function? Discovering this application, and determining the degree to which it satisfies logic, justice, ethical truths, and modern reality, is the overarching goal of this course.

While ethics is important for its own sake, we, as information-systems professionals, have a particular responsibility to understand and apply ethics to our professional actions and decisions. Character, goodness, and just actions are certainly important for everyone, as they have been throughout history—and the more power the individual possessed due to political position or wealth, the greater the ramifications of character or the lack of it. However, at no previous age has the technology for information retrieval, storage, and communication possessed such potential to change power structures and to be the source of power itself. In the modern era, information-systems managers and professionals exercise a new kind of power, with broad and often instant ramifications. This power—gained through technical expertise—requires a new level of social responsibility. This responsibility is satisfied through a development of understanding of ethics in the Information Age and the application of ethics to their own decision-making process.

After reviewing a foundation of ethical thought and becoming familiar with ethical theories, frameworks, and approaches, you will be able to consider several key aspects of modern information systems that currently challenge information professionals and citizens of networked and computing-dependent societies. These are divided into two main categories of privacy and accuracy, and property and accessibility. Privacy and accuracy tend to be thought of in terms of the individual and can be easily associated with ideas of basic human rights, particularly in Western society. Property and accessibility may be individually conceived as well as organizationally conceived, and the challenges of, tradeoffs between, and laws guiding group needs and individual needs must be considered. After gaining a basic understanding of ethics, you will examine privacy/accuracy and property/accessibility, seeing a broader and more complex array of modern ethical questions in information systems and direct challenges facing information-systems professionals today. The final module looks to the future, and challenges you to consider how things may change and what ethical behavior will appear in information systems as the twenty-first century unfolds.

Robert Kaplan, a political scientist who often attempts to describe the future, opened a recent talk by pointing out that at the end of the nineteenth century, the words "totalitarianism" and "genocide" did not exist. Yet, within 40 years, these words and the actions they describe had changed the world. The language and facts of information systems and computing have also changed the world and probably touched and changed many more lives than did World War II. This industry has spawned, and continues to spawn, new concepts and new language, and it does so with extreme rapidity. On the other hand, ethics, which was often a study of the ancients, examines unchanging truths.

With many obvious differences in the concepts and practicalities, a shared aspect of both computing and ethics is universality. The time-tested and largely globally shared concepts of basic ethics mirror in many ways the universal language of programming and operating systems. The fun begins as we apply time-tested ethical frameworks to determine correct actions and decisions in this information-systems world of 1's and 0's; of self-replicating, anonymous, and invisible actors; and of the global marketplace for information instead of more concrete and physical goods and services. The study of ethics in the Information Age is fascinating and mentally challenging, and this course should equip and guide your journey into this ethics and information maelstrom.

Grading Information

Your grade will be determined as follows:

Term Paper (1) OR Module Journals (5)	40 points
Short Responses (5)	10 points
Case Studies (2)	20 points
Final examination	30 points
Total	100 points

Grading Scale

90  – 100 points = A
80  –   89 points = B
70  –   79 points = C
60  –   69 points = D
  0  –   59 points = F

Late Policy

Permission must be obtained in advance if assignments are to be submitted late, and an extension will be granted only for legitimate reasons, e.g., sudden deployment, illness.  The instructor must agree to the revised due dates.  For significant delays, see the rules for an Incomplete listed below.

Extra Credit

Extra credit is not provided in this class.

Assignments

The student must inform the instructor/course manager whether the projects to be completed are those in 1a or 1b. The Term Paper project assumes access to outside resources (library, magazines, Internet).

Requirements for each Module Journal or the Term Paper

1. Writing Quality

• Grammar, Verb Tenses, Pronoun Use, Spelling, Punctuation, and Writing Competency.
• Remember: spell-check, then proof read. Better yet, have a friend or colleague read it before submitting it. Read it out loud to yourself.
• Remember: there is not their, your is not you're, its is not it's, too is not to or two, site is not cite, and who should be used after an individual, not that. For example, "the person WHO made the speech" not "the person THAT made the speech."
• Remember: In a professional paper one does not use contractions (doesn't, don't, etc.) and one does not use the personal you or your. Use the impersonal as I have in the previous sentence. It is more business-professional than saying, "Also in a professional paper you don't use contractions."
• Remember: 2 of the 8 points for each Journal submission or 8 of the 50 points for the Term Paper are directly related to organization, grammar, verb tenses, pronoun use, spelling, punctuation, and writing competency and other requirements.

2. References

• Use the APA format for your references.

3. Word Processor

• Use Microsoft Word. If you do not have Microsoft Word, Save As a word document.
• Use Page Setup in the Printer to configure it.
• Use 1" margins top, bottom, left and right sides.
• Use Times New Roman, size 12.
• Use double spacing.
• In all written submissions use appropriate headings and subheadings. Headings and subheadings should be placed at the left margin.
• The first word of each new paragraph should be indented 1" from the. 1" on my Page Setup is 1 tab space.
• For submissions that are longer than 1 (one) page, number each page in the bottom right corner. The cover page should never be numbered.

4. Submissions

Submit each Journal, Discussion Topic, or Term Paper according to instructions given by your instructor (mail/email).

5. Cover Page

Use a cover page for each submission. In the center of the page, in this order, double spaced, put:

Your Name

IFSM 304

Title of the Journal (Module) or Term Paper

Nothing else needs to be added to the cover page.

Projects

Your instructor will determine which of the following two projects will be assigned (1a or 1b).

1a. End-of-Module Journal Entries

You will be required to keep a journal for each course module. Each of these will be 400-500 words summarizing your observations regarding the assigned materials. This product should begin with a short statement addressing the overall material content, followed by several paragraphs or screens describing why some of this material was of particular interest to you or seemed particularly applicable to your own personal or professional experiences with information technology. You should discuss in depth a topic that was reviewed during the module. Entries will be turned in as required, no sooner than the completion of each module, according to the syllabus.

1b. Research Paper

Your term paper shall be 10-15 pages, double-spaced. Appendices and bibliographic material will not count toward the total number of pages or word count. The indicator of appropriate length should be word count, with a target of 4,000-5,000 words. Extensive research on a particular topic is expected, and accurate documentation of all sources is critical. The paper may not be a simple overview but rather must examine closely a particular topic of interest related to ethics and information systems.

Possible Topics for Term Papers

• e-mail and ethics—from various points of view (employer, employee, government)
• monitoring e-mail and employee computer usage for business protection
• federal rights to monitor information technology usage by citizens (and noncitizens)
• management efficiency, employee point of view, expectations of privacy
• design and/or develop a company ethical code or policy (this topic should be done for a real-life employment situation and contain primary research)
• ethical issues in artificial intelligence/machine learning
• constitutional issues in information technology—privacy and property protections
• computer crimes, hackers, crackers, and ethics—how is computing and
• information-technology crime different or not different from "normal" crime?
• software piracy, software decompilation, and copyright protection
• resale of software developed under contract of an employee
• "vaporware"—premature promotion of products
• Who is responsible for software that is not fully tested and that causes problems when used, either to the computer, other software, or to the subject of the program (e.g., computer programs used in surgery)? Is this an ethical issue, or should it be the basis of a crime?
• Internet access and right to free speech
• gambling in cyberspace
• pornography in cyberspace (for example, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling protecting as free speech computer-generated "child" pornography)
• ethical ramifications of medicine and psychiatry in cyberspace
• different approaches to managing use and misuse of information technologies between government and private business’ motivations, means, and mistakes
• evolution and ethics of intellectual property and cyberspace
• Napster, other peer-to-peer computing applications, and property law
• privacy versus freedom of information; government (e.g., DMV), quasi-public (e.g., USPS) and private companies selling personal data and transaction-generated data to other entities
• ethical implications design of databases—lessons learned in the last decade
• policing electronic data, ethical issues in data security and data accuracy
• individuals' rights to access and control information—assumptions versus legal realities
• Are corporations ethical (can corporations be ethical)?
• law enforcement and the infosphere
• counterterrorism and information systems—your protection and your rights?
• information ethics of electronic surveillance for law enforcement (speed and red-light photo systems, street cameras)—who owns your image?
• FBI’s Carnivore—ethical and legal concerns
• ethics of Internet commerce—risks, safeguards, responsibilities, taxation, privacy
• the Digital Divide—does it exist, what does it look like, and what are the ethical considerations and impact?
• universal ID card
• biometrics and ethics, and the information ethics of the human genome—your fingerprint, retinal-vessel image, and DNA map can exist entirely in a computer, on a network, in the infosphere; what new and old ethical problems must we address?
• open-source software and closed-source software (Linux versus Microsoft): ethical ramifications and impact on intellectual-property law
• ethics and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
• ethics of managing Internet search engines (ethical issues facing Google, Altavista, Yahoo, and others in the post-9/11 era.

2.  Short Responses (5)

You will be required to respond to one of a selection of discussion questions found in the Course Modules on this CD. Each response:

• Should be a minimum of 150 to a maximum of 250 words.
• Should be fully identified (your name), Course, Start Date, Module #, Question #
  • Example:  John Doe, IFSM 304, Start Date, Module 1, Question 6.
• Responses will be evaluated on the basis of content (70%), syntax and grammar (30%).
• These are not formal research papers, but if research is done (Internet, outside texts), please annotate in APA style and include references at the end of the response. Avoid plagiarism in your responses.
• Due dates must be established by the instructor – e.g., mailed, postmarked)/emailed by the last day of the weekly schedule.

3.  Case Studies (2)

You will be given a choice of case studies to complete during this course. Each case study should be formatted in the following manner (cut/paste the format into a separate Word document and insert your analysis in that Word document.

Name __________________________________________________

Class _____________ Date _______________ Case # ____________

A Four-Step Analysis Process

The legal assessment and application of guidelines have helped you to discover that something in this situation requires a closer look. Using this worksheet, carry out each step of the analysis process to resolve the ethical dilemma. Refer to the explanation in Chapter 3 for details.

Step I. Understanding the situation

A. List and number the relevant facts.

Number             Fact

_______           ___________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

_______           ____________________________________________

B. Which of these raises an ethical issue? Why? What is the potential or resulting harm?

Fact (number)                     Potential or resulting harm

[______]            _________________________________________________

[______]            _________________________________________________

[______]            _________________________________________________

[______]            _________________________________________________

[______]            _________________________________________________

C. List the stakeholders involved.

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Step II. Isolating the major ethical dilemma

What is the ethical dilemma to be resolved NOW?

State it using the form: Should someone do or not do something? Note: Just state the dilemma here; leave any reasoning for Step III.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Step III.  Analyzing the ethicality of both alternatives in Step II.

Use the ethical theories as described in Course Modules, I

Consequentialism

A. If action in Step II is done, whom, if anyone, will be harmed? ____________________________

B. If action in Step III is not done, whom, if anyone, will be harmed? ________________________

C. Which alternative results in the least harm, A or B? [___]A      [___] B

D. If action in Step II is done, whom, if anyone will benefit? _______________________________

E. If action in Step II is not done, whom, if anyone, will benefit? ____________________________

F. Which alternative results in the maximum benefit, D or E? [___] D      [___] E

Rights and Duties

G. What rights have been or may be abridged? What duties have been or may be neglected? Identify the stakeholder and the right or duty. When listing a right, show its corresponding duty and vice versa.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Kant’s Categorical Imperative

H. If action is Step II is done, whom, if anyone, will be treated with disrespect? ________________

I. If action in Step II is not done, whom, if anyone, will be treated with disrespect? _____________

J. Which alternative is preferable, H or I? [___] H     [____] I

K. If action in Step II is done, whom, if anyone, will be treated unlike others? __________________

L. If action in Step II is not done, whom, if anyone will be treated unlike others? ________________

M. Which alternative is preferable, K or L? [___] K   [___] L

N.     Are there benefits is everyone did action in Step II? ___________________________________

O.     Are there benefits if nobody did action in Step II? _____________________________________

P. Which alternative is preferable, N or O? [___] N    [____] O

Step IV. Making a decision and planning the implementation

A. Make a defensible ethical decision.

Based on the analysis in Step III, answer the question in Step II. Indicate the letters of the categories that best support your response. Add any arguments justifying your choice of these ethical principles to support your decision. Where there are conflicting rights and duties, choose and defend those that take precedence. (Note: Just make and justify your choice here; leave any action steps for parts B and D below.)

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

B. List the specific steps needed to implement your defensible ethical decision.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

C. Show how the major stakeholders are affected by these actions.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

D. What other longer-term changes (political, legal, technical, societal, organizational) would help prevent such problems in the future?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

E. What should have been done or not done in the first place (at the pivot point) to avoid this dilemma?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Course Schedule

Week 1:	Read Baase text, Chapter 1 Module 1 material – Introduction to Theoretical Ethical Frameworks and Methods of Ethical Analysis
Week 2:	Read Baase text, Chapter 4 Submit: Response to one of the Questions and Issues for Consideration found in Module 1.  Use format as described above in 2. Short Responses.
Week 3:	Read Baase text, Chapter 2 Module 2 material – Privacy, Accuracy, and Information Systems Ethics Submit: End-of-Module I Journal – if instructor has chosen Project 1a for this class.
Week 4:	Read Baase text, Chapter 5 Submit: Response to one of the Questions and Issues for Consideration found in Module 2.  Use format as described above in 2. Short Responses.
Week 5:	Read Baase text, Chapter 3 Module 3 material – Property, Access, and Information Systems Ethics Submit: End-of-Module II Journal – if instructor has chosen Project 1a for this class.
Week 6:	Read Baase text, Chapter 6 Submit: Response to one of the Questions and Issues for Consideration found in Module 3.  Use format as described above in 2. Short Responses.
Week 7:	Submit:  Choose any one of the Exercises 10.8 – 10.21 in Chapter 10 of the Baase text (pg. 431-434)
Week 8:	Read Baase text, Chapter 7 Module 4 material – IT Professionals, Information Systems Ethics Submit: End-of-Module III Journal – if instructor has chosen Project 1a for this class.
Week 9:	Read Baase text, Chapter 10 Submit: Response to one of the Questions and Issues for Consideration found in Module 4.  Use format as described above in 2. Short Responses.
Week 10:	Submit: Case Study #2.   Choose another of the Exercises 10.8 – 10.21 in Chapter 10 of the Baase text (pg. 431-434).
Week 11:	Read Baase text, Chapter 8 Module 5 material – IT Ethics in the Twenty-First Century Submit: End-of-Module IV Journal – if instructor has chosen Project 1a for this class.
Week 12:	Read Baase text, Chapter 9 Submit: Response to one of the Questions and Issues for Consideration found in Module 5.  Use format as described above in 2. Short Responses.
Week 13:	Submit: Case Study #3.  Choose another of the Exercises 10.8 – 10.21 in Chapter 10 of the Baase text (pg. 431-434)
Week 14:	Submit:  End-of-Module V Journal – if instructor has chosen Project 1a for this class.  Term Paper if instructor has chosen Project 1b for this class.
Week 15:	Submit: Final exam provided by instructor.  The final exam is developed by your instructor and administered in person by your proctor.  Your instructor will not administer your exam.

Additional Information

Writing and Research.  Effective writing is critical to the intellectual life of university students and graduates within the workplace. Effective managers are usually effective communicators. Your work in this course must demonstrate your ability to master and effectively communicate course content. Effective writing:

• meets the needs of the reader

• adequately covers the subject

• uses expected conventions of format and organization

• demonstrates use of credible reasoning and evidence

•  satisfies standards of style, spelling and grammatical correctness

• requires 100 percent compliance with UMUC's zero-tolerance policy regarding

• plagiarism

Cross Curricular Initiatives

UMUC has cross-curricular initiatives that must be met in every course. They are:

• effective writing
• competence in information technology
• historical perspectives
• international perspectives
• civic responsibility
• information literacy

Here is additional information about those initiatives from the UMUC Undergraduate catalog:

"Cross-curricular initiatives, promoted both by specific courses and by integration throughout all program, build the student's ability to analyze, synthesize, and integrate knowledge, perspectives, and techniques. The cross-curricular requirements in effective writing, competence in information technology, historical and international perspectives, civic responsibility, and information literacy ensure that students are able to:

• define problems, develop and articulate informed judgments, and think critically and systematically
• function in professional roles requiring an appreciation and understanding of the interdependency among all disciplines in the global workplace
• put learning in the context of historical events and achievements through time
• function responsibly as adult citizens of the world, engaging and negotiating different perspectives and exercising ethical judgment in their personal and professional lives"

Modules 3 and 5

Cross-curricular initiatives	Activity in this class that fulfills the initiative
Effective Writing	Assignments include creative and scientific/professional writing. Individual projects include more advanced logical and critical writing skills.
Competence in Information Technology	Entire course is IT related, projects apply IT both conceptually and practically, in use of web based and on line research and collaborative learning.
Historical Perspective	The changes and evolution in the usage of IT and business, as well as the study of ethics in IT, support this initiative.
International Perspective	In particular, Part V of the book is covered in depth, and relates directly to international applications and perspectives of IT.
Civic Responsibility	The ethics chapter focuses entirely on this, as do several of the assigned projects and end of chapter questions.
Information Literacy	Writing assignments and research that is required to satisfy the course assignments will utilize a variety of IT skills.

Course Modules

Course modules are located on the CD.

Academic Policies

• Attendance:  Individualized learning courses do not have class attendance.  However, you have regular study and other assignments with deadlines.
  
• Contact Information : You are responsible for keeping your contact information current. This is necessary for receiving both your returned assignments and other information.  

• Proctored Exams:  A proctored final exam is required for successful completion of this course. UMUC will mail your exams directly to the education center you designated on your application. If you will not be in close proximity to that education center, the Exams Clerk will coordinate directly with your proctor.

  It is your responsibility to schedule your final exam within the designated period according to the procedures at your education center.

  Further questions on the exam process should be directed to the Distance Education Office or your education center. 

• Course Load: One traditional face-2-face course, or 3 semester hours (s.h.), is considered a normal course load for a student who is fully employed. This course load will require at least six hours of class time per week and approximately 12 hours per week of additional out-of-class study time. Although there is no "face-2-face" class time with individualized learning courses, a student should expect approximately 9 to 12  hours per week of study time and additional time in preparing assignments for a 3 semester hour individualized learning course.
  
  Students should carefully and realistically assess other commitments before registering for more than 6 s.h. a term. In no case may a student register for more than 9 s.h. a term without permission from the UMUC-Europe registrar in Heidelberg. Permission to register for more than 9 s.h. is based on demonstrated academic excellence at UMUC. A minimum grade point average of 3.5 and an enrollment history indicating success in carrying a heavier-than-average course load at UMUC are required.
  
• Academic Research: Learn more about academic research through UMUC at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/de/defacguide/academic-research.htm.

Grading Policies

The Mark of "I"

The mark of I (Incomplete) is exceptional. It is given only upon the request of a student whose work in a course has been satisfactory, and who is unable to complete the course because of illness or other circumstances beyond his or her control. In no case will the I be recorded for a student who has not completed the major portion (60%) of the work in the course. The student must consult with the instructor and present documentation substantiating the reasons for requesting the Incomplete. 

The instructor makes the final decision concerning the granting of the Incomplete. When recording the Incomplete on the Final Grade Report, the instructor will state the quality of the student’s work to date, the requirements remaining, and the deadline – not to exceed six months – for completion of the work. If the student does not complete the requirements of the course within six months from the course end date, the student cannot thereafter make up the Incomplete. The mark of I will become terminal and subsequently may not be changed. An Incomplete not removed after six months is converted to the grade of F.

It is the responsibility of the student, not of the Education Center nor of UMUC, to arrange with the instructor for the assignment of and subsequent removal of an Incomplete. Students should realize that it is virtually impossible to remove an I after transfer out of the European Division. A student no longer in contact with the instructor who assigned the I should write to the instructor, c/o UMUC, Unit 29216, APO AE 09102, and the mail will be forwarded. An I cannot be removed by an X or W. A student who elects to repeat the course must register, pay the full fees, and repeat the entire course. In such cases, the mark of I for the first attempt is not changed if the course is repeated. For purposes of academic retention, the mark of I is counted as hours attempted. It is not used in determining grade point averages.

For Bowie State University graduate courses, an Incomplete not removed after one year is converted to the grade of F. For University of Maryland, College Park graduate courses, an Incomplete not removed after six months becomes terminal and subsequently may not be changed.

Mark of "W"

If for whatever reason a student is no longer able to participate in the class, the student should formally withdraw. When a student officially withdraws, a W is assigned. The W can be posted only when it is documented by an Application for Withdrawal (UMGR-003). For purposes of academic retention, the mark of W is counted as attempted hours. It is not used in determining grade point averages. Students that neglect to withdraw formally, may receive the grade of Fn (Failure for non-attendance).

Students in online distance education classes which span over two terms cannot withdraw after the Friday before the final week of the class. Additional information for students receiving VA educational benefits and financial aid can be found in the VA and Financial Aid sections of the Catalog. 

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is failure to maintain academic integrity. It includes, but is not limited to, obtaining or giving aid on an examination, having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination, doing work for another student, and plagiarism. Academic dishonesty can result in severe academic penalty, including failure in the course and/or dismissal from the institution. 

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s idea or product as one’s own. Examples of plagiarism are: copying verbatim and without attribution all or part of another’s written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, computer programs, or mathematical or scientific solutions without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions or research without citing the source; and using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score, computer program, or other artistic product without attributing the work to its creator.

Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by carefully following accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources of material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased or summarized, and research or critical papers should acknowledge these sources in footnotes or by use of direct quotations.

UMUC provides an interactive Web-based tutorial on plagiarism through its online writing center called "How to Avoid Plagiarism" at http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/modules/plagiarism/start.html