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Thinking
about taking the credit for someone else's thoughts?
Think again, oh plariarist!
Before Borrowing, Use Your Brain!
By Feona Sharhran Huff
April 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- It's just
about that time to write your final research paper.
You know, that 10-plus page assignment that'll
require countless hours of reading, source gathering,
and of course, writing, re-writing, and even more
re-writing -- which, by the way, will probably
impede on your social and leisure time?!
Since a term paper is such
a major project -- and perhaps will count for
more than 50 percent of your class grade -- you
may find it easier to round up a couple of authoritative
books on your research topic and have your way
at the copying game. In other words, you may decide
to jot down the ideas from the books as your own
(this way, your think-tank can be utilized for
something more pressing, like what you're going
to wear to that frat party!). Besides, it's not
like you're committing a crime, right?! Wrong.
According to the 'academic integrity policy' at
Quinnipiac College, Hamden, CT, you would be guilty
of plagiarism, a violation that could result in
disciplinary action by the university.
"Plagiarism is copying
information word-for-word from a source without
using quotation marks, giving proper acknowledgement,
or citation," says Judy Villa, assistant director
of The Learning Center at Quinnipiac College.
In fact, this is one of the definitions of plagiarism
that she shares with students in her workshop
entitled, "Run Don't Walk To Plagiarism."
"Plagiarism is a very serious
issue on college campuses everywhere," says Villa.
"It compromises the integrity of [a student's]
education and the research process." That's why
Villa felt compelled to initiate the workshop.
"The workshop attempts to refresh everybody's
memory about plagiarism and the appropriate use
of sources and documentation. We talk about the
importance of handling research papers and assignments
with extreme care," she explains.
The workshop offers more
than just plagiarism definitions, says Villa.
It also offers solutions so as not to fall prey
to them.
One remedy: "Students may
want to write the paper using their own ideas,
then go back and insert research that supports
and explains it," she offers. "This allows the
students to understand the assignment and the
direction of the paper before going to an [authoritative]
source. It gives their paper an 'authentic voice.'"
Villa also encourages the
students to use the 4 Is: "Introduce, Identify,
Integrate, and Interpret."
"When using direct quotes
from sources, students should work very hard to
introduce the person giving the quote,"
Villa notes. "This should be done with a signal
phrase like 'according to..."
With identifying
a quote, you'll be relaying authority and credibility,
Villa points out. For example, if your paper is
about new cures in medicine, you definitely want
to acknowledge the fact that a leading researcher
was the one who made the profound statement that
you just quoted.
Then, says Villa, work
to integrate the quote. Ask yourself, 'Does
it flow smoothly?'" [If it doesn't, get rid of
it]. The last piece to the research paper puzzle
is the art of interpretation. "Interpret
the quote in light of how it's used within your
paper," she explains.
If you can embrace and
adhere to such research paper practices and principles,
Villa believes there's no reason you won't be
satisfied with your paper -- a work based on your
own ideas yet backed with authoritative explanations.
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