Academic Dishonesty or Not

[Texsox]

[StrangeSox]

I'd modify/ improve it. I wouldn't have a problem using the same basic guts of the paper, though.

[Texsox]

I look at the start of the semester and see if I can use the same topic in multiple places. It is sweet when that happens.

[G&T]

Let me put it this way: if you get caught, it's plagiarism(at least at any school I've been to). If the professor or teacher allows it before submission, then there is no problem.

 

That said, I don't know that it should be plagiarism. If you do the work, I find it ridiculous that you can't draw from your own work product.

[Texsox]

Let me put it this way: if you get caught, it's plagiarism(at least at any school I've been to). If the professor or teacher allows it before submission, then there is no problem.

 

That said, I don't know that it should be plagiarism. If you do the work, I find it ridiculous that you can't draw from your own work product.

 

You can plagiarize your own works? Seems odd. Then by extension, can you use yourself as a source?

[CanOfCorn]

You can plagiarize your own works? Seems odd. Then by extension, can you use yourself as a source?

 

Only if you refer to yourself in the footnotes.

[G&T]

You can plagiarize your own works? Seems odd. Then by extension, can you use yourself as a source?

 

If you are published, then yes.

 

And it is stupid that you can plagiarize yourself, but at Marquette the professor were clear about not allowing people to resubmit their work. Some, however, permitted re-submission if approved by the professor and altered to the purposes of the class.

 

This is from my law school's handbook:

Submitting substantial portions of the same work for credit in more than one course or for more than one purpose without the consent of all the professors to whom the work is submitted is improper. Such submission may result in the student‘s failing all courses to which the written work was submitted and to other disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion

 

I've heard of plenty of students who have used their papers multiple times and they said their schools didn't care.

Edited September 29, 2008 by G&T

[Texsox]

If you are published, then yes.

 

The policy at my University clearly states plagiarism as taking the work of "others". That is repeated throughout the document. I do not believe a student that uses their own work twice would be guilty.

[G&T]

The policy at my University clearly states plagiarism as taking the work of "others". That is repeated throughout the document. I do not believe a student that uses their own work twice would be guilty.

 

I edited my post to show what I'm talking about.

[Soxy]

Absolutely it's cheating. And if you look in most school's academic handbooks/student handbooks you will see this (at my school called "multiple submissions") discussed in the plagiarism section.

 

I have failed a couple of students for using the same paper in a Research Methods class and a higher level psych course. Of course, I also cover that resubmissions aren't allowed. But they all seem to think I'm too slow to catch them.

[Texsox]

I looked and did not find it, but I'll assume it is there. I guess every teacher wants to be special and have things done specifically for them. Every student brings their entire experience with them to a class. For example every paper I write, every press release, every magazine article, every advertising piece, plagiarizes something I've previously written. That's the real world. Retool a brochure for the web site. Take pieces of the web site for a postcard. Too bad that academia does not better prepare students for the real world.

[Soxy]

I looked and did not find it, but I'll assume it is there. I guess every teacher wants to be special and have things done specifically for them. Every student brings their entire experience with them to a class. For example every paper I write, every press release, every magazine article, every advertising piece, plagiarizes something I've previously written. That's the real world. Retool a brochure for the web site. Take pieces of the web site for a postcard. Too bad that academia does not better prepare students for the real world.

Hey whatever, don't do the work for each class. You're the one paying for an education and failing to take full advantage of it. College students are the only consumers who want to get less for their money.

[Texsox]

Hey whatever, don't do the work for each class. You're the one paying for an education and failing to take full advantage of it. College students are the only consumers who want to get less for their money.

 

Depends on the assignment. If, for example, the assignment in History is to write a paper on the Presidency of Richard Nixon. In a Political Science class it is to discuss Watergate and the implications on future Presidents, why write what would amount to the same paper twice? Should I read the same book twice?

 

You are confusing what college students are paying for. I could research and write those papers for free, I do not need a Professor to assign them. Even better, I could sell them to a newspaper or magazine and get paid. No, these are written to meet some objective set by the University and carried out by the Professor. What I am paying for is the critique offered by the Professor, not the privilege of writing the paper. Perhaps two Professors will look at the same paper and offer the exact same feedback, but I believe that would be rare.

 

But I am open to learning the other side of the question.

[Soxy]

Depends on the assignment. If, for example, the assignment in History is to write a paper on the Presidency of Richard Nixon. In a Political Science class it is to discuss Watergate and the implications on future Presidents, why write what would amount to the same paper twice? Should I read the same book twice?

 

You are confusing what college students are paying for. I could research and write those papers for free, I do not need a Professor to assign them. Even better, I could sell them to a newspaper or magazine and get paid. No, these are written to meet some objective set by the University and carried out by the Professor. What I am paying for is the critique offered by the Professor, not the privilege of writing the paper. Perhaps two Professors will look at the same paper and offer the exact same feedback, but I believe that would be rare.

Students are paying for college professors to grade and evaluate their work, sure, that's part of it. What is the point of having multiple profs grade the same paper? Not only is it a waste of the professors' time, it also is not helping the students develop their skills as writers. While a lot of skills required in the "real world" do involve revising--I would argue that writing well is even more important. In essence you also ARE paying to write the paper--the practice will help you improve your writing (and hopefully) help you to organize your thoughts in a meaningful way that focuses on the topic at hand.

 

I would argue that you never read the same book twice (just like you never step in the same river twice), once you get into a more specialized field (or have more knowledge) your analysis and reading of the book will be changed and colored by your new knowledge. So, yes, I think it may be beneficial to read the same book twice. I read the same articles multiple times and always walk away with something new. Thinking that you have learned everything after reading a book/article/whatever only once, in my opinion, has a bit of hubris in it that is not conducive to learning.

[Texsox]

Great points about reading the same book twice. I have to agree with all your comments regarding that, and as always, so well written.

 

I do disagree with paying to write the paper. The feedback is the difference and the validation of what is learned. I could write a paper right now on almost any subject and come away with what I believe is correct and valid knowledge, it is only by having an expert read the paper will I have any sort of confirmation. In other words I am paying for access to the Professor's knowledge and feedback, not paying for the opportunity to read a book, research a topic, or write a paper. All of those things are freely available to me.

 

And having multiple editors is valuable. Do you take the opinion of the first person or double check? Each Professor has a unique grading matrix. I see this the most in English classes. A Historical critic will look at a paper far differently than a Formalist. I believe having those two perspectives on the same paper would be more beneficial than having feedback on two different papers.