58% match (Internet from 06/11/08)
http://www.articlemyriad.com
2% match (Internet from 04/26/08)
http://www.apps21.co.uk
1% match (Internet from 12/14/07)
http://dictionary.reference.com
1% match (Internet from 07/09/08)
http://www.withdrew.org
Consequences for Plagiarism
Amanda Henderson
University of Phoenix
GEN 300 Kimberly Libenguth
February 10, 2009
Word Count: 721
Consequences of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a problem that affects copyright holders in many different
environments, however in the academic and college context it means borrowing
and writing the ideas of others without giving credit to the source of the material.
Saying it another way, plagiarism is a lot like stealing because it is taking someone
else’s ideas without giving them due compensation. Plagiarism varies in form
(Smith, 2007). One common and blatant method that has come about as a result of
the information age is cutting and pasting other people’s work into a new document
and calling it one’s own work.
Other methods of plagiarism are not as obvious. For example when students
paraphrase thoughts or words and use them in their own work without citing and
referencing according to a standardized method like APA or MLA, this is
plagiarizing. Because it is not always clear what is plagiarism and what is not, it is
best to go ahead and cite and reference any material that one suspects, may raise
the issue of plagiarism (Smith, 2007). Staying away from any possibility of
plagiarism is especially important to students since plagiarism can have dire
consequences for a student’s academic career.
Plagiarism Policies and Consequences
Because colleges and Universities develop their own policies regarding the
consequences of plagiarism, the consequences for the act vary widely. Depending
on how many times a student has been caught plagiarizing, he or she can have a
result of a failing grade on the assignment or in the class or even fail for an entire
semester. At the Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia,
consequences of plagiarism are direct and severe. If a student is accused and
convicted of plagiarism, he or she is dismissed permanently from the school,
effective immediately (Demirjian, 2006). Janet Irons, an aide in the English
department at a school in Chicago says that each student is given a copy of the
school’s plagiarism policies at the beginning of the school year. Irons states,” If
they plagiarize a whole paper, they get an F for the semester. If it's just a major
portion, they get an F for the quarter” (Demirijan, 2006). Some incidents of
plagiarism result in academic probation or suspension, for a given period of time in
addition to writing an essay on the topic of plagiarism, or even attending a one
hour long lecture during the course of school. Expulsion is the ultimate price a
student can pay for plagiarism.
The problem of plagiarism has risen to such levels that as of 2005 colleges
and universities have been calling it an epidemic. According many universities are
now taking steps to prevent plagiarism. These methods range from software that
catches plagiarized content to websites that attempt to educate both students and
professors on how to recognize and prevent plagiarism (Warger, 2005).
Plagiarism in the Classroom
Plagiarism in the classroom is a common form of academic misconduct in
which a student represents ideas or wording as their own without proper attribution
to the source in which they “borrowed” the information. Plagiarism can be as little
as using a sentence or short paragraph from an article and not giving attribution. In
2005 almost 40 percent of college students, according to the Center for Academic
Integrity (CAI) research admitted to engaging in some of form of plagiarism,
compared to about 10 percent in 1999. According the CAI survey about 77 percent
did not see that a use of a sentence or two as a major ethical lapse (Gallant &
Drinan, 2006). Students may not consider that their ideas or information as valid or
important and may feel that they cannot site their own knowledge and may rely on
only what the experts think. There are several reasons that students plagiarize.
They may think it is an easy way for a good grade, they may be afraid of putting
their own work out for interpretation or review and they may just be lazy (Hutton,
2006).
Conclusion
Ultimately all sources on plagiarism agree that plagiarism is an unethical
act that breaks copyright laws. While there are no certain cures for the ill of
plagiarism most sources suggest that better relationships between instructors and
students, and informing students of the dangers of plagiarism will go a long way
toward turning the tide of the plagiarism epidemic.
References
Demirjian, K. (2006, May 11). What is the price of plagiarism; When someone steals
another’s words, the penalties can vary. The Christian Science Monitor, 98(116,
14-16. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from MasterFILE Premier database
Gallant, B., & Drinan, P. (2006, September/October). Organization theory and
student cheating: Explanation, responses, and strategies. Journal of Higher
Education, 77 (5), 839-860. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from MasterFILE
Premier database
Hutton, P. A.(2006, Winter). Understanding cheating and what educators can do about it.
College Teaching, 54(1), 171-176. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from
MasterFILE Premier database
Smith, N. (2007). Plagiarism at the college level and its consequences.
Article Myriad. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from
http://www.articlemyriad.com/30.htm
Warger, T. (2005, October). Catching copycats. University Business, 8(10), 33-34.
Retrieved February 10, 2009 from MasterFILE Premier database