The Ethics of Being a The Ethics of Being a Student – Student – plagiarismplagiarism and and Academic EthicsAcademic Ethics

Mr. Smith…this paper is soo good that you are:Mr. Smith…this paper is soo good that you are:

(a). Getting an “F”.(a). Getting an “F”.

(b). Expelled.(b). Expelled.

(c). Receiving an “A+” (c). Receiving an “A+”

you didn’t earn.you didn’t earn.

(d) Fired.(d) Fired.

•COULD THIS BE YOU?

Academic Integrity Academic Integrity StandardsStandards

Academic Integrity involves learning about other’s works and respecting the knowledge of the past, to produce new works for the future.

Academic dishonesty is a problem facing universities across the nation.

Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty.

As a student, handling academic ethical standards in writing and research involves employing ethical standards and making moral decisions.

Such decisions may follow you out of school and into the workplace.

Myths and Realities of Myths and Realities of PlagiarismPlagiarismLet’s examine some myths:Let’s examine some myths:

Plagiarism (cheating) isn’t a serious Plagiarism (cheating) isn’t a serious offenseoffense

Plagiarism (cheating) doesn’t harm anyonePlagiarism (cheating) doesn’t harm anyone

Everyone does it, so you are at a Everyone does it, so you are at a disadvantage if you don’t.disadvantage if you don’t.

Nobody ever gets caught.Nobody ever gets caught.

Plagiarism can’t be proven, so you can’t be Plagiarism can’t be proven, so you can’t be sanctioned.sanctioned.

Plagiarism, definedPlagiarism, definedPlagiarism (Latin for “piracy”) includes, but is not Plagiarism (Latin for “piracy”) includes, but is not

limited to, limited to, intentionally:intentionally:

Submitting an entire paper, research Submitting an entire paper, research project, or assignment written by project, or assignment written by another person as the student’s own another person as the student’s own material.material.

Submitting any portion of a paper, Submitting any portion of a paper, research project, or assignment research project, or assignment written by another person as the written by another person as the student’s own or not citing it properly student’s own or not citing it properly in the text and references section of in the text and references section of the paper. the paper.

Types of PlagiarismTypes of Plagiarism• Heywood Ehrlich of Rutgers University defines the following types of

plagiarism, ranked in order of decreasing seriousness:

• Fraud: outright purchase or copying of an entire paper, perhaps with a new introduction or conclusion added. In some cases, such copying may entail copyright infringement.

Substantial plagiarism: widespread or considerable borrowing of material, passing off borrowed passages as original, failure to indicate quoted evidence or give bibliographical sources or other appropriate credit.

Incidental plagiarism: small-scale borrowing, copying, downloading, or insertion without appropriate quotation, credit, or acknowledgment.

• [[http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~ehrlich/plagiarism598.htmll]]

Some StatisticsSome StatisticsPlagiarism is very Plagiarism is very commoncommon::

About About 80%80% of college students admit having of college students admit having cheated at least once. cheated at least once.

36%36% of undergraduates say they have plagiarized written of undergraduates say they have plagiarized written material.material.

There is not much There is not much deterrencedeterrence for plagiarism: for plagiarism:

90%90% of students believe that cheaters are never caught or of students believe that cheaters are never caught or appropriately disciplined. appropriately disciplined.

And, plagiarism is And, plagiarism is increasingincreasing::

58.3%58.3% of high school students of high school students let someone else copylet someone else copy their work their work

in 1969, but in 1969, but 97.5%97.5% did so in 1989. did so in 1989.

Source: http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism_stats.htmlSource: http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism_stats.html

Why do Students Plagiarize?Why do Students Plagiarize?Motivations include:Motivations include:

• Ignorance: the student has not learned the Ignorance: the student has not learned the appropriate ways to cite sources, particularly appropriate ways to cite sources, particularly Internet sources.Internet sources.

• Temptation: the Internet has made plagiarism both Temptation: the Internet has made plagiarism both tempting and easy, through either the cut-and-paste tempting and easy, through either the cut-and-paste function or term paper mills where essays on any function or term paper mills where essays on any topic can be quickly bought and downloaded. topic can be quickly bought and downloaded.

• Lack of Deterrence: assignments often make Lack of Deterrence: assignments often make plagiarism easy. plagiarism easy.

• Cultural norms: we live in a culture that sees Cultural norms: we live in a culture that sees cheating and plagiarism as a minor offense, as cheating and plagiarism as a minor offense, as evidenced by the previously cited statistics (from the evidenced by the previously cited statistics (from the Plagiarism.org website): website):

• Desperation: some students, overwhelmed with the Desperation: some students, overwhelmed with the pressures of home, work, and family, take the easy pressures of home, work, and family, take the easy route out of desperation. route out of desperation.

Types of Intentional Types of Intentional Academic DishonestyAcademic Dishonesty

• Cheating on a test or examination

• Falsifying data in a research project Falsifying data in a research project

• Forging or altering official documents Forging or altering official documents

• Submitting previous work to fulfill course Submitting previous work to fulfill course requirements requirements

• Claiming the work of others as your ownClaiming the work of others as your own

Examples of Egregious Examples of Egregious Academic Dishonesty Academic Dishonesty

Repeated deliberate acts of plagiarism.Repeated deliberate acts of plagiarism.

Deliberate use of a third party to complete Deliberate use of a third party to complete course work such as taking an course work such as taking an examination using the student’s identity.examination using the student’s identity.

Deliberate theft of another student’s work Deliberate theft of another student’s work for submissionfor submission

Deliberate altering of official documents to Deliberate altering of official documents to improve academic standing or to mislead improve academic standing or to mislead

or falsify academic informationor falsify academic information..

Possible SanctionsPossible SanctionsA student who is caught plagiarizing may face A student who is caught plagiarizing may face

some or all of the following consequences some or all of the following consequences (depending upon your specific college’s (depending upon your specific college’s policies and procedures):policies and procedures):

• To get a zero grade for the paper or projectTo get a zero grade for the paper or project

• To get a failing grade for the courseTo get a failing grade for the course

• To be expelled from the UniversityTo be expelled from the University

• To have the reasons for the expulsion noted on his To have the reasons for the expulsion noted on his or her transcriptsor her transcripts

• If the integrity violation involves work done to If the integrity violation involves work done to complete a degree, such as a thesis, comp complete a degree, such as a thesis, comp examination, or dissertation, the student may lose examination, or dissertation, the student may lose his or her degree.his or her degree.

The Ethics of CheatingThe Ethics of Cheating

Plagiarism is a form of Plagiarism is a form of thefttheft::

The person plagiarizing is stealing The person plagiarizing is stealing another person’s intellectual work, another person’s intellectual work, or or ‘intellectual property’.‘intellectual property’.

Besides being illegal, it is unethical. Besides being illegal, it is unethical. See the next slide for an example!See the next slide for an example!

Best FriendsBest FriendsThis is a little ditty about Lucy and Barb.

• Lucy spent several weekends in the library, researching for and writing up her term paper for her criminal justice class.

• Barbara spent the same weekends partying with her friends.

• Lucy and Barbara live in an apartment together.

• When Lucy was out, Barbara took her paper, copied it, typed up a new title page, and turned it in as her own.

But that’s Only Students, But that’s Only Students, Right?Right?

• WRONG.WRONG.

• See the next slide.See the next slide.

• Where do you think the Where do you think the professionals discussed in the next professionals discussed in the next slide learned the unethical habits slide learned the unethical habits that got them fired?that got them fired?

Jayson Blair, The New York Jayson Blair, The New York Times Reporter—one of many Times Reporter—one of many professionals fired for ethics professionals fired for ethics violationsviolations

• What can you say about a trusted professional who makes stuff up and publishes it as fact?

• Last week, New York Times reporter Jayson Blair joined Janet Cooke, formerly of the Washington Post, the New Republic's Stephen Glass, the Boston Globe's Patricia Smith, and Jay Forman in Slate as journalists who got caught embellishing, exaggerating, and outright lying in print. The will to fabricate cuts across disciplines, with academics and scientists inventing data, too. Last year, Emory University history professor Michael A. Bellesiles resigned following an investigation of charges that he concocted evidence to support his book Arming America, and Bell Labs fired researcher Jan Hendrik Schon when it discovered he made up scientific data and published it.

• http://slate.msn.com/id/2082741/http://slate.msn.com/id/2082741/

What Can You Do?What Can You Do? Inform yourself.

Cite correctly.

Respect your sources.

Develop a code of personal professional ethics, and stand by it.

And take the tutorial on How to Avoid Plagiarism: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html