Taking Action Against Plagiarism
Achieving the required standards of academic integrity has been a significant challenge facing most institutions of learning across the globe. Among the challenges that face learning institutions are eliminating plagiarism in the work submitted by the students and prevention of dishonesty that affect their learning and learning outcomes. Gilmore (2009) defines plagiarism as the process whereby a writer uses someone’s language, information, ideas, or any other original material without acknowledging them. Learning institutions consider acts such as submitting plagiarized work and cheating in exams academic dishonesty that violates the policies of any learning institution. The following essay focuses identifies the ways that students can use in order prevent academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Students can avoid plagiarism by adopting various approaches aimed at enhancing academic their academic integrity. Firstly, paraphrasing the information obtained from the research material is an essential step. Quotations can be used in cases where two or more verbatim in a row are used as they appear in the source of the content. Citing also proves an effective method of avoiding plagiarism in one’s academic life. Citing ensures that one acknowledges the author of the information, thereby, allowing for the prevention of plagiarism. However, Gilmore (2009) cautions that failing to cite the source of the information properly constitutes plagiarism. Some of the referencing methods used to prevent plagiarism, include the America Psychology Association (APA), MLA, Harvard, and Chicago among others. Similarly, Watkins (2008) shows that using quotes as a way of crediting the original author also helps in avoiding plagiarism. Quoting entails the use of direct quotes, as it appears in the source, thereby, acting as an indicator of acknowledging the source of the information. However, it is advisable for student not to overuse the quotes because the teacher must be able to see the textual synthesis and not a collection of quotes.
In addition, Whitley and Spiegel (2002) showed that the students could avoid plagiarism giving the reference list of the works cited at the last page or the end of their research paper. The formatting of the reference list should be in accordance with the stated formatting and referencing style alongside the guidelines used by the learning institution of the students. Similarly, students should strive to write new and original ideas based on the findings presented in previous researches. Doing so builds the culture of originality among them, thereby, avoidance of future incidences of plagiarism in their academic life. According to Watkins (2008), understanding the policies of the learning institution is an effective in promoting avoidance of plagiarism. When students understand the policies of their institutions and consequences associated with violating them, they must embrace strategies for avoidance academic dishonesty seen via plagiarism in their work.
Moreover, significant evidence shows that the students should strive to understand the basics taught in class as a strategy for avoiding academic dishonesty. Understanding the basic concepts of the subjects taught in class builds the required learning basis, thereby, their academic confidence that plays a role in minimizing academic dishonesty. The students can also advocate the adoption of strategies that aim at ensuring the eradication of academic dishonesty in their institutions. Such entails forming groups where they discuss their challenges and come up with effective strategies for eliminating them, therefore, minimizing academic dishonesty. While it might be difficult for the learning institutions to achieve zero rates of academic dishonesty and plagiarism, significant evidence shows collaborative strategies between their teachers, parents, other educational stakeholders, and them prove effective in ensuring avoidance of academic dishonesty. Collaboration ensures the adoption of effective strategies from various perspectives from the above stakeholders, thereby, eradication of academic dishonesty and plagiarism. Therefore, it is beyond doubt that adopting the above strategies will allow me as a student to avoid plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
References
Gilmore, B. Plagiarism. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Watkins, H. Plagiarism. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Whitley, B. E., & Spiegel, P. Academic dishonesty: an educator's guide. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.