Plagiarism

Exam items rarely use the word “plagiarism” — a vignette shows an analyst lifting a competitor’s model, copying chart wording, or recycling boilerplate, then asks which standard is breached. The “tell” is uncredited borrowing, and the answer is almost always I(C) Misrepresentation, not I(D) Misconduct. Watch the citation trap: citing the secondary writer who quotes original data (e.g., a newsletter quoting a government release) instead of the originator is still a violation — go to the original source, or cite both. Lifting another party’s opinions, analysis, or interpretation without attribution breaches I(C), though quoting factual data from recognized financial and statistical services is the carved-out exception.

The classic confusion is overlapping standards. Plagiarism lives under I(C); I(D) Misconduct is reserved for dishonesty or fraud reflecting on professional fitness. Note that keeping copies of sources consulted is recommended best practice, not a hard requirement (some question banks phrase it as a “must” — read the answer choices carefully). Memory hook: “borrowed ideas, branded honesty” — if you didn’t make it, mark it.