Plagiarism & taking credit Essay Example for Free

Plagiarism taking credit Essay Plagiarism is taking credit for work performed by others. This type of academic dishonesty can take many forms. The most obvious example would be cutting and pasting information from a web-site and turning the paper in as one’s own work. Another obvious example would be working with someone else on a paper. If the student claims sole authorship of the paper in question, it would be plagiarism because he/she had the help and input of another person in the writing of the paper. Also, any time exact words (more precisely, strings of three or more words) are taken from an outside source they must be placed inside quotation marks and correctly cited. Failure to do so would constitute plagiarism. Incorrect citations – where one author is credited with the idea when in fact the idea belongs to a second author – constitute plagiarism. Additionally, citing a work that you have not actually read would be an example of plagiarism. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty in general carry heavy consequences. These consequences include losing marks on assignments, receiving a failing grade, losing personal integrity, and being subject to disciplinary sanctions. These consequences can have severe negative impacts on a student’s future career. Professors would not be willing to write recommendations for students who have been convicted of academic misconduct, and the university administration would be able to alert people contacting the university that a particular student has been convicted of this serious offence. These consequences are particularly serious in fields where personal integrity and honesty are of great importance. In order to avoid the charge of plagiarism, certain protocols must be followed. Whenever information or ideas is taken from an outside source, the source of this information must be cited using an appropriate citation style (such as APA). These outside sources must be cited within the text itself and in the reference list. Students must also be sure that they actually read any source that they cite in a paper. In order to ensure that this is done, students must submit the first page of any outside source they consulted in the preparation of a research paper. Students must also be sure that they do not incorrectly attribute authorship. For example, if a source that the student consulted supplied information taken from another source, the student must actually obtain, read, and cite this second source if they want to include that information in their paper. If a student has any questions about possible plagiarism on a paper, the student must ask the professor before the paper’s deadline. I have reviewed the attached documents, and I understand them.