Discussion Prompt : Plagiarism As a writer, one of the gravest errors to make is
ID: 305622 • Letter: D
Question
Discussion Prompt: Plagiarism
As a writer, one of the gravest errors to make is to plagiarize the work of another. That is one reason why it is so important for you to understand what constitutes plagiarism, why is it wrong, and what you plan to do to make sure that you avoid plagiarism in your papers and projects.
Respond to the following questions:
What constitutes plagiarism? Do a short web search on the definition of plagiarism and write your own definition below. Be sure that you appropriately cite any source that you use in creating your definition.
Was there anything that you learned in your definition that surprised you?
List one or two strategies that you plan to use in the future to ensure that you will not plagiarize your paper.
Explanation / Answer
Plagiarism is an act of copying the ideas and literature of others without giving them the credentials. It involves borrowing the ideas and opinions from an original source without crediting the original author. Ethically, one is supposed to acknowledge every source that one uses in one’s writing. Taking ideas from somewhere else and presenting it as your own work. Your thesis (or analysis or whatever) needs to be your own, not something you read somewhere else and now want to write about as if it were your own.
Taking something that you like and trying to rewrite it in your own words can also count as plagiarism, if you are presenting that information as your own. Cutting and pasting from the Internet. The idea that information on the Internet is in the public domain is true. The idea that you can then use that information and present it as your own is definitely not true. Yes, information (and even papers) is widely available on the Internet, but that doesn't mean you can take that information and claim credit for it. Doing so definitely counts as plagiarism. (And in some cases doing so can also count as violating someone else's copyright.)
Some classes and professors consider unauthorized group work plagiarism. While it may sound ridiculous and strict to you, your professor has a reason (and the right) to request that students sometimes not work together on a project, problem set, etc. In that case, if you work as part of a group, you can be charged with plagiarism. Why? Because you were tasked with creating something of your own work -- but you probably submitted something that included the work of others and didn't mention it.
Some professors will consider turning in a paper you've already used for another class as plagiarism. While this isn't common, it does happen. Even though the work is technically your own (hopefully!), using a paper you wrote for another class may not meet the assignment of coming up with an original work.
In short: When in doubt, cite it or don't use it. After all, it's easier to just crank that assignment out, no matter how tired you are, than it is to deal with being brought up on plagiarism charges and having to deal with the consequences (like being put on academic probation, failing the assignment, failing the class, or even being kicked out of school).
Example of plagiarism: Inappropriate paraphrasing involves taking the work of others and showing it as your own after changing the order of words and use of synonyms.
Strategies to avoid plagiarism:
Research:
Most written assignments begin with collection of variety of research notes which a student use as a source to write its own paper by inputting the learning he/she has acquired through classes and various sources like research notes, etc. Plus adding his own ideas to the paper
So we should be careful and have complete track of sources we are using. If you are taking reference from a source so accurately copy the author, title, and other information about the source publication, including the number(s) of the page(s) from which notes or quotes were taken.
Distinguish carefully between your ideas and the ideas of others. This is a simple question of intellectual honesty.
Distinguish carefully between your own words and those of others. If necessary, highlight or use colored index cards for directly quoted material.
Writing:
As you begin to tie your ideas together in written form, consider the following:
Begin writing your essay or paper in an organized manner .Think for a while the sequence of your paper and avoid copying the pattern or order of argument used by others. Remember that it is our attempt to summarize our efforts in an organized manner rather than rephrasing someone else work or conclusions.
Make a choice of language and pattern of words to be used and weave them in a sequence of your own words. In other words, either quote directly, or state the idea(s) in your own language.
Read the content what you have written carefully.. Is the distinction between your work and the work of others clear and unambiguous? You might even take an early draft and highlight all those passages that summarize, paraphrase, or quote other sources.
Footnoting:
Many cases of plagiarism occur in the documentation. One should have a clear idea about the footnotes or endnotes used by author are authentic or not.
Always record your source of the information; never use or rely on another author’s footnotes.
The footnote should allow the reader to find or check the material being cited. Provide exact page numbers for direct quotes, and a range of page numbers for more general points.
Editing:
Once you finish writing give a final read to it and look for the following:-
Is the idea or arguments given in the paper are really depicting my own.
Is the content reflects my own creativity
If either answer is "no," the work must be credited to the original author. And if the answer to the second question is "no," the passage should either be quoted directly or rewritten in the student’s own words and credited directly.