Plagiarism, the act of using another’s words or ideas without giving due credit, is a known cultural taboo. Yet given the ease with which it can be done in our electronic world, it is more widespread than ever. In response to the deluge of plagiarism in colleges, professors have expanded its definition and made it more restrictive. Not only do they consider using the work of another as plagiarism, many consider reusing one’s own work, or “self-plagiarism,” as severe a crime. A paper written for one course may not be used to satisfy a different course requirement, even when written by the same person. Although self-plagiarism is not an accepted practice in the writing world, it is unfair to impose this standard on college campuses. Self-plagiarism is not considered stealing and can even help students work on their writing skills.
Self-plagiarism, in moderate amounts, should be allowed in colleges for two reasons. First, there is no legal basis as to why it should be prohibited. According to Stuart Green, a professor of law at The State University of New Jersey - School of Law, plagiarism is a relatively recent concept which began sometime in the eighteenth century:
It was not, until the Romantic Era of the eighteenth century—when the notion of “authorship” and “originality” emerged as significant cultural values—that the norm of attribution and the taboo of plagiarism came to the fore. As art and literature became viewed as the expression of the unique and autonomous personality of the artist or writer, the crediting of literary sources became an increasingly important concern…it was not until words and ideas could be viewed as “property”—typically, through publication—that “originality” became a significant cultural value, and pla...
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Twain, Mark. "Letters from the Earth." The Norton Anthology of American Literature.. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2012. 336-351. Print.
According to the Merriam-Webster, the definition of plagiarism is “the act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person”. (“Plagiarism”). In both Colleges, the act of committing plagiarism has penalties, and it is a serious issue that goes against the Academic Honesty policies of both institutions; The two Colleges, as recently mentioned, have some similarities and differences in their policies, where George Brown has a stronger focus on giving information on avoiding plagiarism, Seneca has more severe punishment for committing plagiarism.
Widdicombe, Lizzie. "The Plagiarist’s Tale." The New Yorker.com. The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
The better educated you are, the better off you are socially, and economically. Having a degree is, in general, a good indicator of your level of education. To get it some students study very hard. Others, on the contrary, prefer to take some shortcuts that seem to be easier for them. Those, not so much interested in acquiring a solid education, simply want to plagiarize to pass their classes, to get that degree. Plagiarism spreads out through any level of our education system. It even extends beyond that limit to reach almost any aspect of our society. With the internet revolution, this problem becomes more acute. “The web has provided global access to an unfathomable cornucopia of term papers, essays, and other scholarly works, right there out in the open for purchase or outright theft” (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015, p. 160). This paper will discuss the different types of plagiarism. Before getting deeper into that discussion, we will start by explaining the word plagiarism.
Twain, Mark. "Letters to the Earth." Norton Anthology of American Literature.Vol C. Ed. Nina Baym.8th ed. New York: Norton, 2012. 347-51. Print.
New York Times journalist, Trip Gabriel, puts into perspective students ability to use their creativity throughout their academic career in “Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age.” This article discusses issues of plagiarism in the digital age, especially through college students. There are different perspectives from various people either attending college or professors that argue why plagiarism occurs. Whether it’s because of laziness, unpreparedness going into college, originality, or authorship not taken into consideration. Overall, this article infers the different standpoints of plagiarism, demonstrating the ease the digital age gives students to plagiarize, and the importance
However, this defeats the whole purpose of school. If students are plagiarizing to get by, not only is there no creativity and originality, but it would not benefit them going on in the real world. It will not teach them how to use their brain to think critically on what they are doing. Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, consequences can vary. Some of these consequences could be getting kicked out of college, losing your position at a corporation or institution and possibly running into the risk of finding employment
Plagiarism is the act of "stealing" what has already been written and said. It is not students' own original opinions, every school, especially North American schools, seriously considered the consequences of plagiarism (Nall & Gherwash, Aug 12, 2013). George Brown College and Seneca College, which are both located in Toronto, Canada, are no exception. Even though Seneca College has a more well-organized document regarding academic honesty, in particular, plagiarism, both schools take measures against plagiarism.
Estow, Sarah, Eva K. Lawrence, and Kathrynn A. Adams. "Practice Makes Perfect: Improving Students' Skills in Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism with a Themed Methods Course." ERIK, 2012: 4.
The case under review occurred in the city of Newton against a backdrop of economic decline, political disenchantment, and a widening racial divide. A Newton High School senior,Sheila Allison, is accused by her teacher of plagiarizing a book review. Mrs. Durnitz, the teacher, reported to the school principal that Sheila admitted to taking material from the web but claimed she did not know that doing so constituted plagiarism. The district’s policy states that students found guilty of plagiarism must receive a failing grade and repeat the course. Mrs. Durnitz feels that Sheila, having a copy of the student handbook in which plagiarism is discussed, should have known that what she did violated the policy. The teacher also believes that the policy, drafted by the teachers who teach honors classes and approved by the administration, must be followed to the letter despite any extenuating circumstances.
Because of the advances in information technology, I am of the opinion that every incoming freshman should complete an assignment on plagiarism. I myself have gained awareness in so doing, and have a greater appreciation of the temptations faced by students as well as the frustrations faced by educators. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle would be proud.
Plagiarism is a serious academic or professional offense that could, unfortunately, ruin one’s academic and professional success. A multitude of people within a student body may not understand the importance of plagiarism and the seriousness of this offense in one’s academic or professional life. As indicated by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, the definition of “plagiarize”, is “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own”, the definition also states to “use (another's production) without crediting the source” (“Plagiarizing”). There are several different types of plagiarism; however, each type is very serious. The Turnitin Plagiarism Spectrum is a beneficial website that explains ten different types of plagiarism
Plagiarism, or the unaccredited use of another's work or ideas, has become more and more of a problem in recent times than it was in the past. According to statistics found in a survey conducted by the Free Press, 58% of high school students let someone copy their work in 1969, but by 1989 this number had risen to 97%. The expansion of the World Wide Web and the number of people accessing the Web on a regular basis has caused an epidemic of plagiarism in this country, especially among students. This is a serious problem that must be addressed because many students feel that if they are not getting in trouble for cheating, than it is okay.
Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement are two terms that mean different things yet are routinely mentioned as synonyms for each other. This is not the case. The underlying reasoning for people who choose to plagiarize and infringe on copyrights involve some of the same ethics and morals, but from a legal standpoint these terms mean different things. This paper will point out the similarities and differences between the two terms. It will first give some meaning and perspective behind each term then it will go into the details of what each term means. It will point out the types of plagiarism that routinely show in academia and what is covered under Copyright law protection. It will go on to compare and contrast the two concepts.
Plagiarism is a serious offense and a growing trend in our society today. Some may associate plagiarism with the idea of taking someone else’s writing and making it their own. In fact plagiarism involves anything that is copied or taken and said to be of your own work. Dictionary.com defines plagiarism as “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work, as by not crediting the author”. In fact this definition covers all types of cheating and misrepresentation of ones own work. There are many numbers and statistics that can be found on the amount of individuals that have admitted to cheating. Perhaps the most astounding number is one that was reported by Moeck in 2002 aloft of 40% of higher education students commit academic dishonesty. This number I’m sure has grown since this report and will continue to grow with the development of the Internet. There are a number of ideas and strategies that can be employed in order to stop this ever-growing phenomenon. As teachers and adults, we are responsible for stopping this trend and educating students about the consequences and dangers of plagiarism. I believe there are a variety of reasons individuals plagiarize. First, students are insecure with their own ability; they don’t believe they can do the work therefore they take others. Second, students believe they can get away with the act because they know others who have plagiarized, and there were not any consequences. Lastly, students are uneducated on what plagiarism is and do not know the consequences of their actions if they commit an act. These ideas will be the focus of the position taken on plagiarism in today’s academic society.