I Copied This: Plagiarism and Planning Ethics

What You'll Learn

• Explore which parts of the AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct apply to issues of using the work of others.
• Get rules of thumb for what constitutes plagiarism in the profession, including possible differences between the public and private sectors.
• Consider the ethical use of free work done by underrepresented communities who make sacrifices to be involved with planning efforts.

More Course Details

Planners' work is done in service to the public, and often their work becomes part of the public domain. Does that mean planners can copy and paste from publicly available work done by others? When does copying and pasting become unprofessional and even unethical? Where to draw that line is difficult to determine. Get guidance from the AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and from the ways in which academia views plagiarism. A series of examples and polling questions will test where to draw the line. Attendees will weigh in on how much "borrowing" is too much.

One issue to be aware of when considering using the work of others is the free labor of underrepresented groups who make significant sacrifices to be involved in the process. How do we honor and account for their work, as well as consider what we might copy and paste from other professionals?