Words: 1969
Plagiarism Coree Bishop, Natosha Rivers, Tamara Holton, Michael Hays and Melissa Davis The University of Phoenix Abstract Plagiarism is misconduct committed by students who do not take the added measure to give credit to the author of material the students used in his or her own article. Plagiarism is a form of cheating, when a student does not give proper credit to the author or authors they have researched this is called academic theft. Once a student understands plagiarism they have the knowledge to cite properly and reference the materials that he or she will use in their academic and employment.
Once a student understands how to use MLA and APA he or she will not commit academic fraud. Students should be aware of the punishments that come when he or she steals the work, ideas, and thoughts of another person. Plagiarism Plagiarism is one of the most serious types of student misconduct happening in universities today. Some students do not realize they are plagiarizing so is it fair that every student who plagiarizes receive the same punishment?
Plagiarism is unfair to other students because his or her work is graded against dishonest work and plagiarism is the responsibility of each student to cite properly and reference data, statistics, or other sources of information that are used in his or her submission. What is plagiarism? The University Of Phoenix Student Code Of Academic Integrity defines plagiarism as the intentional or unintentional representation of another’s words or ideas as one’s own in an academic exercise. Some students do not realize they are plagiarizing, so is it fair that every student who plagiarizes receive the same punishment?
Is it fair to other students because their work is graded against dishonest work and plagiarism is the responsibility of each student to cite properly and reference data, statistics, or other sources of information that are used in his or her submission? For the purpose of this paper, I will be speaking of plagiarism and why plagiarism is perhaps one of the most serious types of student misconduct happening in universities today. Plagiarism is Cheating Plagiarism is a form of cheating that goes in any type of school environment. Many students do not know plagiarism could be avoided if they cite the references properly.
Plagiarism is deliberately copying someone’s work and turning it in to the instructor as if it was his or her own work. Giving clear adequate references enables one to use the author’s ideas as a base for the work and giving detailed information on what has been learned in the perspective of original work. Try using the author’s words as a building block to create ideas, show the instructor the clear understanding that was made from reading the author’s information then create a paper based solely on what a person’s observation may be.
Many people believe they can paraphrase or change a couple of words to make it sound as if they have created their own idea. Paraphrasing is changing the entire structure the sentence to the same of affect of the original sentence but in a person’s own words, while showing understanding to what has just been read. A person can always paraphrase the authors words as long as the resources are cited at the end of the paper, showing the instructor those words are not being portrayed as being original.
Resources should be cited if direct quotations are used, changed authors words but they still mean the same and if the author name has been mentioned in the paper. Knowledge of Plagiarism A person could have knowledge, a wealth of knowledge in certain things. For example, a financial advisor may give prospective customer information that will inform them of the basics on retirement accounts or savings accounts. Once the advisor provides the customer with information on the past performances, that information would need to be backed up with some form of documentation.
Plagiarism could end a professional’s career or a student’s future. To prevent plagiarism, the author’s words need to be summarized in the writer’s words. Summarizing could get mistaken as paraphrasing. When a person paraphrases, the information is very close to the original information. In paraphrasing, usually a word or two may be changed. Documenting and listing references to support detailed specific information is one of the most important parts of a writing assignment. A person could plagiarize a paper unintentionally.
Writing a quote, using quotations, but forgetting to end the statement with a quotation could be done in error. Forgetting to list a reference used on the final paper, but the reference is listed on the rough draft would be an honest mistake. The student would be disciplined, but not as sever as a person whom deliberately copied someone’s work. The professor/instructor would have to join forces with the educational institution to investigate the situation. An honest writer/student can submit their finished work to a plagiarism website to verify that they have completed an honest assignment to prevent problems.
Punishment for proven plagiarism could be from receiving an F in the course or being suspended from the Institution. However, there can be evidence that the student was unaware that he or she committed plagiarism, and they should be placed within a class that will teach him or her how to cite properly. This will allow the student to understand what he or she needs to do for further assignments so they do not plagiarize again. MLA and APA Most students run into trouble when dealing with plagiarism by not using proper MLA or APA styles and formats when documenting someone else’s work.
Most students are new to the academic writing process, and because of this students coming from high school might not be on par with the university writing level. These students who may not have the writing background will have quickly to assimilate into the system to avoid plagiarism in all the forms. Understanding what plagiarism is will insure that the student will not plagiarize with further assignments. The Georgetown University Honor council states it best, as “Students who submit written work in the University must be the authors of their own papers.
Students who use facts or ideas originating with others must plainly distinguish what is theirs from what is not. To misrepresent one’s work ignorantly is to show oneself unprepared to assume the responsibility presupposed by work on the college level. It should be obvious that none of this prohibits making use of the discoveries or ideas of others. What is prohibited is simply improper, unacknowledged use. ” This statement in the Honor Council explains that students must know how properly to cite for work borrowed from others. The ability properly to cite one’s work is a kill that must be mastered by students when they transition into college academia. What is MLA or the APA format? MLA format was established by and otherwise known as the Modern Language Association. “MLA is most often used in essays for humanities classes such as English and foreign language” (FGCU, 2007). APA format is recommended by the American Physiological Association cite references properly. Learning these two concepts will help students to know what to do to cite references, quotations, and give the credit due to the proper person. Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding plagiarism and paraphrasing is very important. Understanding these terms are not only important for the students, instructors, and readers but this allows those who write from others to give proper credit. The best way to avoid plagiarism is for a student to allow themselves ample time to do research, read the research, and document it correctly. Use quotations and quotation marks to show the reader that these thoughts and ideas came from another person. This will ensure that the person whom originally had these thoughts and ideas is given credit for those thoughts and ideas.
However, a person can agree with what someone else has written and believes that the statement is important. The student needs to make sure they are giving the credit to the right person and to themselves. This is called stealing. What makes plagiarism? “The writer has only changed around a few words and phrases, or changed the order of the original’s sentences and the writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas and facts” (Indiana University, 2004). To avoid plagiarism is simply the act of making proper citations and giving the credit to the original author.
For example, if a student wrote a paper they worked on for hours, did research, properly cited his or her references, and received an A for an assignment that was outstanding. Would they like the fact someone else copied his or her words, thoughts, and ideas? I do not believe anyone would appreciate someone stealing his or her article. I believe that most people believe that they will never get caught plagiarizing because the vast areas to find information. For example, the World Wide Web, the web has thousands of documents that are available to students to research and read.
However, some people believe that they can find these articles and the likelihood that someone will know this article is unlikely. That is not true, documents that are available on the internet are known to such programs as center for writing excellence. When taking information off the World Wide Web the rules apply as they do in other areas, such as, books and articles. When a student takes off information from a website he or she needs to cite the references correctly. Letting the readers know where they can find the information and where the information came from.
I believe that when someone breaks the rules of plagiarism there should be a punishment set forth. The instructor sets the rules and punishments about plagiarism. For example, if a student plagiarizes for the first time he or she may receive an F for the paper submitted. The second time they may be reprehended to the point of suspension. Once academic dishonesty has been established I believe that the student committing the plagiarism should be held accountable for his or her misdeeds. A person has rules and regulations that must be followed each day.
With academic rules and regulations, students must follow these guidelines. I believe that if a student does not understand how properly to cite or quote an article he or she needs to discuss this with their instructor. The measures a student can take to correct plagiarism, is to learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid plagiarizing someone else’s hard work. After all, a student wants that A and the only way to earn the A is to be honest. References The University of Phoenix Student Code of Academic Integrity. Retrieved May 10, 2008, from the University of Phoenix Website.
The University of Phoenix Center for Writing Excellence, Grammar and Writing Guides: Plagiarism. Retrieved May 10, 2008, from the University of Phoenix Website. University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. (1998-2007). The Writing Center: Plagiarism. Retrieved May 10, 2008, from http://www. unc. edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/plagiarism. html. The University of Phoenix Center for Writing Excellence, Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker. Retrieved May 10, 2008, from the University of Phoenix Website.
Georgetown University Honor Council. Retrieved May 10, 2008, from http://www11. georgetown. edu/programs/gervase/hc/plagiarism. html. Indiana University. (27 April 2004). Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid it. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from http://www. indianna. edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism. shtml. Florida Gulf Coast University. (2007). Using MLA Format to Incorporate Materials. Retrieved May 11, 2008, from http://www. fgcu. edu/CAS/English/writingcenter/mlaformat. html.