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<\/p>\nDuring the month of October designated as National Information Literacy Awareness Month UC Libraries\u00a0invites students to think about scenarios that have to do with the ethics of using information. A couple of weeks ago we posted the following prompt:<\/p>\n
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(These are just a few responses we received).<\/p>\n
We have asked Dr. Cynthia\u00a0Nitz Ris, Associate Professor at the Department of English and Comparative Literature, to comment on your responses. Here are her thoughts:<\/p>\n
Jordan, trying to help her friend Daniel, agrees to let him see her paper when he is having trouble writing his own.\u00a0 In some ways, this seems like something many of us might be willing to do, and yet what happens here\u2014Jordan thinks Daniel\u2019s paper seems a lot like hers\u2014now seems like it might be problematic.\u00a0 If Daniel copied Jordan\u2019s paper and passed it off as his, most of us might recognize this as plagiarism<\/a>.\u00a0 But what if only some ideas are borrowed, or the structure is the same, or the arguments sound strangely similar to Jordan\u2019s?\u00a0 At what point does learning how<\/i> to do the paper become borrowing from<\/i> the paper and thus plagiarism?<\/p>\n One commentor notes \u201cMeh, no one will notice,\u201d and \u201cbesides Jordan didn\u2019t use reference citations.\u201d\u00a0 Whether or not the student \u201cborrowed\u201d citations, ideas, similar sentences, or similar arguments, it\u2019s all plagiarism, and it is whether or not someone notices. Also, chances are that teachers will notice similarities between papers. Students sometimes worry that they don\u2019t have a unique voice, yet most teachers who read student papers can identify the way each student writes and will see when that changes or when two styles are uncannily similar.<\/p>\n Another response asks us to assume that Jordan has told the teacher.\u00a0 Some students would feel uncomfortable doing this.\u00a0 Depending on Jordan and Daniel\u2019s friendship, Jordan could ask Daniel to rewrite the paper to eliminate the similarities.\u00a0 She could tell Daniel that she is concerned they can both get into trouble\u2014Daniel for plagiarism, and both of them for unauthorized collaboration.\u00a0 After all, the UC Office of Judicial Affairs explains in the section on \u201cUnauthorized Collaboration\u201d in their Academic Misconduct<\/a> page that students are not permitted to collaborate unless they have been given specific authorization by their instructor to do so, noting that \u201c[t]his violation also includes allowing another person to view your work drafted or completed without the necessary authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n What is collaboration and what is helping a friend understand an assignment?\u00a0 Another comment gives rise to the idea that one student can show another \u201chow to do\u201d the paper.\u00a0 Jordan could have reviewed the assignment with Daniel, pointing out what should be included, and providing some examples that might help him better understand the project.\u00a0 Helping him see how he could improve his own argument and his own ideas might also be possible, though even here it might be useful to check in with the professor\u2014just in case.<\/p>\n Ultimately, it\u2019s Daniel’s responsibility to complete his paper so that it represents his own ideas and work.\u00a0 To do so, it\u2019s always helpful to re-read the assignment carefully, checking with the teacher if some specific points are unclear.\u00a0 After drafting a response with enough time to revise, a student can stop by the teacher\u2019s office hours to see if a review of the draft is possible, or make an appointment with the Academic Writing Center<\/a> for a one-on-one tutoring session.<\/p>\n All students have the responsibility of knowing what is appropriate behavior\u2014those trying to do their work, and those trying to help others.\u00a0 When in doubt, ask your professor, a UC librarian, or for confidential questions and answers, ask at your friendly UC Ombuds<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During the month of October designated as National Information Literacy Awareness Month UC Libraries\u00a0invites students to think about scenarios that have to do with the ethics of using information. A couple of weeks ago we posted the following prompt: … Continue reading