What about the cultural differences? In some cultures, copying another's work is a high form of praise and acknowledgment of scholarship. These students may be doing what was acceptable back in their own high schools and universities. Showing them the difference is a lot more complicated than our standard "don't plagiarize" lecture.
And within the varied technical writing cultures, some share materials more easily and loosely than others. In some of the computer and information technology areas, "publication" means getting your stuff out on the internet where others can partake of it immediately rather than the 2 year lag for print journals.
Plagiarism is one of the topics that has endured when writing teachers get together. Solving it must be a whole lot harder than just submitting papers to a plagiarism checking mill.
Professor Sandy Dorley
Conestoga College
School of Liberal Studies
519-748-5220 x3819
[log in to unmask]
>>> [log in to unmask] 01/22/04 09:37AM >>>
Fist of all, no offense meant, Rob (as always). It's just something I've
been thinking about.
Just one clarification;
[log in to unmask] wrote:
>Natasha's point that "Those who understand and still do it -- as we all know,
>they are doomed professionally, so they'll be punished more seriously than any
>university can punish them, and I can hardly do anything about them" seems
>like a washing of hands AND seems naive. Doomed professionally!??!?
>
We all need to keep in mind that using other people's materials is
sometimes considered appropriate in specific contexts. Thus, not all
technical reports based on previous investigations always refer to those
previous materials: they are often considered part of one continuing
project, even though the authors may be different and there may be a gap
in time.
In addition, a recent plagiarism case by a group of an IEEE magazine
article authors has proved again that sooner or later many people who
intentionally plagiarize for personal gain become exposed (sometimes, it
happens much later that we all would like it to, and sometimes they do
not become exposed like many criminals.). Such exposure effectively
ends their careers. I'm the one for preventive measures rather than for
punishment.
Natasha
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