Whenever I develop ideas in my individual mind, free of the effects and influences of others findings, claims and analyses; somehow its prompted in my brain that the idea is already shaped and changed in response to what has already been stated by others. My ideas emerge from the readings of others works or maybe a verbal exchange I had with some colleague or heard someone talk about it somewhere.
Well it is appropriate to say that I live in a vast society where I get influenced by someone or the other; and my brain responses to all formal and informal discussions, reporting or any debate whether in verbal or in written. What a great system Brain is! It starts working when I hear or read something striking and makes me curious to know about it more. But is that the case which happens with every individual' s brain?
The answer is NO! The best example is students. The 21st century has got the best of gadgets, Internet with the best speeds ever, and much more; you name and you get it-parents providing luxury to their "forward kids". And PLAGIARISING is the best thing these kids put to use their luxury to make the impossible to be possible for them.
Could you imagine a below average student who doesn't know anything about Computers writing a five page essay on Computers? Impossible, right?
But this is possible - Plagiarism helps this student. I chose to write on Plagiarism to create awareness on how students can be expelled or given a 'duck' for their project by their respective Universities for they have been plagiarising and not quoting the copied stuff or maybe they are not even aware that they are doing a wrong thing.
It has become a common practice to envision the verbal and written exchanges between speakers and listeners, readers and writers, researchers and their sources, as interactions constitute communities of discourse. Talking about Academic Communities- they share interpretive, analytic, and argumentative conventions but do explicitly link quoted materials to the name of the person who wrote them or people who said those words.
In fact, a mark of strong academic writing is the practice of situating one’s claims and findings within a tradition of inquiry into the subject and at times indicating one’s affinities or disagreement with one or another avenue of thought. We call this practice “Documentation of the related work or state of the art (SOA)”.
Defining plagiarism in laymen language means "Copying from others work" and technically it can be defined as a "intellectual theft of words or work of some other person". Plagiarism encompasses a range of errors and violations. Though the charge of plagiarism can be levelled against writers who incorrectly or neglect to cite borrowed materials, it most often tempts students who find themselves in the dire straits of having to complete a written assignment without previously having undertaken the laborious and time-consuming process of research, reading, note-taking, interpretation, and analysis.
They do not understand that their respective instructor's duty is to help and guide them properly to complete their respective papers. One of my colleagues when caught by my plagiarism finder claimed that his plagiarism has occurred without his knowledge or intent. Since ignorance of convention is not a reasonable defence it is best to be acquainted with the ways in which plagiarism occurs and proper documentation provided by the University.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "Plagiarise" means:
•To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
•To use (another's production) without crediting the source
•To commit literary theft
•To present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone Else's work and lying about it afterward.
But can words and ideas really be stolen? According to U.S. laws, the answer is “YES”. The expressions of individual’s original ideas are intellectual properties and are protected by copyright laws.
All of the following are considered plagiarism:
•Turning in someone Else's work as your own
•Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
•Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
•Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
•Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
•Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not.
Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent Plagiarism.
When you paraphrase another person's argument, exposition, or interpretation, or borrow another person's distinctive phrase, concept, suggestion, or factual finding, you must indicate this by immediately acknowledging the source.
Student Rights Officers are available to provide independent advocacy, assistance and advice in relation to a disciplinary matter.
In accordance with the University Plagiarism Policy (U.S), students are required to submit an Assignment Cover Sheet for non-examination assessment, which defines plagiarism and requires students to certify that plagiarism or unauthorized collusion has not occurred.
It is always expected and accepted by the faculty that the students may consult or ask for assistance from their colleagues or their seniors however each student should work individually on the assignment and not in groups unless directed to do so.
Stop STEALING! It will make nobody else but you an accused one day for what you have been doing for so long not knowing or without any intent.
Join hands in creating awareness against PLAGIARISM because it’s we who do it and it is we who has to stop it.
Sources:
(20/4/2011)
(11/2/2011)
(14/2/2011)
(20/4/2011)
Acknowledgements:
Senior Researcher:
Niraj Aswani
University Of Sheffield, London.
