Consequences
Is sharing a research paper with a classmate for reference a form of plagiarism?
No, unless it is for collaborative work that is approved by the teacher.
What is unintentional plagiarism?
It occurs when a student unintentionally uses someone else’s work without proper citation.
What is direct plagiarism?
Copying and pasting someone else's work verbatim without citation.
A group of four students—Sarah, Tom, Emma, and Jake—are assigned a group project on climate change. After dividing the tasks, Tom is tasked with writing the research paper, while Sarah, Emma, and Jake focus on the visual presentation and oral report. Tom, under time pressure, decides to use sections from a well-known climate change article he found online without citing it, assuming it's acceptable since the article is "publicly available." He submits the paper, and the group moves on to finalize the presentation.
What should the group do if the plagiarism is discovered?
Tom is guilty of plagiarism, and the group should acknowledge the issue. The teacher might give a failing grade or require the group to redo the assignment. The group can also face consequences for not verifying the work of the team members and should ensure proper citation in future projects. They should learn to check sources together to avoid similar issues.
Students exposed as plagiarists may suffer severe penalties. Name two penalties.
Failing the assignment and being expelled from school.
Why is it important to ask for permission before sharing academic work with others?
Sharing academic work without permission can lead to ethical issues or violations of school policies.
How can failing to cite sources lead to unintentional plagiarism?
Students often fail to realize they need to cite paraphrased or summarized content.
What are the two types of plagiarism? Provide an example of each.
Accidental and Intentional
Mark, a student in Grade 10, is tasked with writing an essay on the impact of technology on society. He finds a comprehensive article online that mirrors many of his own ideas but expresses them more clearly. Instead of rephrasing the concepts in his own words or citing the source, Mark simply uses sections of the article verbatim and integrates them into his essay. He submits it without citation, as he believes the ideas are "common knowledge" and doesn't see the need to credit the author.
What should Mark have done differently?
Mark should have paraphrased the ideas in his own words and properly cited the source. Even though the ideas seem familiar, they are not "common knowledge" and need attribution. Failing to do so is considered plagiarism, even if the source is well-known or widely discussed.
What long-term effects can plagiarism have on a student's future career?
It can result in a damaged resume, fewer opportunities for scholarships, or difficulties in gaining employment.
If you paraphrase an article but don’t cite the source, is that considered plagiarism? Why?
Yes, not citing paraphrased material is still considered plagiarism, even if the words are changed.
Why is it important to understand what constitutes common knowledge when writing an essay or a paper?
Common knowledge doesn’t need citation, but if you're unsure, it’s better to cite the source.
Suppose, for example, you want to use material from a well-known book for your research paper. You find a few sentences that would be perfect in your essay, but you have too many direct quotes and don't want to include any more; therefore, you decide to paraphrase the wording. How would you avoid plagiarism in this situation?
Include an in-text citation and document the source in your works cited.
Priya has an essay due in 24 hours and hasn’t started working on it yet. She finds a well-written essay on the same topic posted on a website that offers student work for sale. Desperate to submit something by the deadline, Priya decides to purchase the essay, make a few minor edits, and submit it as her own. She justifies the decision by telling herself that many students likely do the same thing.
What type of plagiarism is this, and what are the consequences? Who should face the consequences?
Priya is committing contract cheating, a severe form of plagiarism where students purchase or steal someone else’s work. The consequences include potential academic penalties like failing the course, suspension, or expulsion. She is undermining her own learning and academic integrity by not doing her own work.
How can plagiarism affect a student's academic reputation?
It can damage a student’s academic reputation, leading to mistrust and lost opportunities.
How can sharing answers during a test contribute to academic dishonesty?
Sharing answers during a test is considered cheating, which is a form of academic dishonesty
What steps can a student take to avoid unintentional plagiarism when paraphrasing?
Students should read and understand the source thoroughly and rephrase it entirely in their own words.
What is mosaic plagiarism?
Using phrases or ideas from different sources without proper citation, creates a patchwork of other people's work.
David, a Grade 9 student, is working on a history assignment about the Industrial Revolution. He finds a great article online that explains the causes of the revolution in detail. He reads through the article and then writes his own version of the summary, which reflects the article’s ideas and structure. However, David forgets to cite the article, thinking that since he put the information in his own words, it’s not necessary. When his teacher reviews the assignment, she notices the similarity in ideas and informs him that he has plagiarized.
What should David have done differently?
David committed unintentional plagiarism. He should have properly cited the source of the ideas, even though he paraphrased. Paraphrasing doesn’t absolve the responsibility of giving credit to the original author. He should always cite any information that isn’t his original thought, whether paraphrased or directly quoted.
How might plagiarism lead to academic suspension or expulsion?
Many institutions have strict policies, including suspension or expulsion, as a result of repeated academic dishonesty.
What is the difference between collaboration and plagiarism in group projects?
Collaboration is allowed in group projects, but taking another person’s work and presenting it as your own is plagiarism.
How can improper citation formats result in unintentional plagiarism?
Not following the correct citation style (MLA, APA, etc.) can result in improper or missing citations.
What is accidental plagiarism, and how does it differ from intentional plagiarism?
Accidental plagiarism is taking someone else’s ideas unintentionally, often because of poor note-taking or misunderstandings. It differs from intentional plagiarism, where the student knowingly steals someone else's work.
Lena is working on her final thesis for a high school class on social sciences. She is struggling with her thesis statement and finds a student’s thesis on a similar topic from a past year’s class. She decides to adapt the thesis statement and supporting arguments, changing a few words here and there to make it sound more like her own. Lena submits her work thinking that no one will notice. Her teacher, however, notices that parts of the thesis sound familiar and runs the paper through plagiarism detection software, which reveals the similarities.
What type of plagiarism is Lena committing (patchwriting or direct copying), and what should happen next?
Lena is committing patchwriting, where she combines borrowed ideas with her own, but without proper citation. This is still plagiarism. The teacher may give her a failing grade or ask her to redo the work. Lena should have created her own argument and properly cited any sources she used for her research. This case also illustrates the importance of plagiarism detection tools.