All the work I do for this class and all my classes will be entirely and completely my own. This means I will be the sole author of it. This also means that as far as I know, these will not be the words, sentences, and paragraphs of anyone else, unless I am directly quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing the work of someone else.

I understand that using any part of a peer’s discussion post without proper citation is considered plagiarism. I understand that using a peer’s discussion post as a template for my own post, and only slightly modifying words, is also plagiarism.

I will alert my instructor if another learner has misrepresented my work or the work of others. I understand that we all have a role to play in protecting the integrity of the Capella degree we are all working so hard to achieve.

If I am quoting someone directly, I will add quotation marks; provide some context for the quotation; and format the quote according to APA, including both in-paragraph citation with page number and a full reference citation at the end.

If I am paraphrasing or summarizing work from another source, I will cite it both within the text itself and as a reference at the end of my work. When paraphrasing or summarizing, I will use words other than the words being paraphrased, and I will change the basic sentence structure.

I will review the following resources on academic honesty:

• Academic Honesty & APA Style and Formatting.
• University Policy 3.01.01: Academic Integrity and Honesty [PDF].
• Maintaining Academic Honesty.
• Avoiding Plagiarism.

If I use any part of someone else’s work in a way that violates any of the above statements, then I understand that I will be plagiarizing; a very serious act of academic dishonesty per Capella University’s policies. If any instructor discovers an act of academic dishonesty, I acknowledge that the instructor will:

• Contact me directly about the alleged act of academic dishonesty.
• Allow me to respond and demonstrate that plagiarism did not occur.
• Impose sanctions, including, but not limited to: zero points for the unit, a failing final grade, et cetera.
• Officially report the academic honesty violation to Capella per Capella University’s academic policies.

If I have any questions about this pledge, I will contact my instructor prior to signing it. By typing my full name below, I understand and agree to comply with all of the above rules from this day on, all of which are consistent with Capella University’s academic policies.