We all have access to endless information on the Internet. People "borrow" or "copy" things every day and freely put them on their blogs and Facebook pages. Most people no longer see this as an issue. If something is published, it is "out there," and available to copy. Right? However, this "blog-style" thinking is all wrong when it gets transferred into the academic world. So don't do it!
Why is It Wrong to Copy-Paste in a Research Paper?
Many students plagiarize — and don't think anything about it. The website plagiarism.org states the problem clearly:
In a research paper, you have to come up with your own original ideas while at the same time making reference to work that's already been done by others. But how can you tell where their ideas end and your own begin? What's the proper way to integrate sources in your paper? If you change some of what an author said, do you still have to cite that author?
Basically, your research paper shows that you have assimilated the course's content. You have received illumination from your lectures, reading, and research and have integrated these new ideas with things you already knew. Your research paper is a chance to clearly document your own personal thoughts and conclusions on the topic. It should be as original as you are!
In this context, plagiarism is a fraudulent act. Not only did you steal someone else's ideas, you then lied about it, claiming them as your own!
Schools are having to re-educate students about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. They have also developed systems that can easily check to see if sections of a student's paper have been copy-pasted.
The rules on academic honesty have not changed: those caught committing plagiarism are subject to dismissal.
Those preparing for ministry should hold themselves to the highest standard possible. Knowingly plagiarizing is lying to the Holy Spirit. How can anyone expect to be placed in ministry by the Lord if they lie to the Holy Spirit?
Suggestions
The following are minimal suggestions.
- Plan your paper
- Take effective notes
- When in doubt, cite sources
plagiarism.org
We are requiring ALL students to visit plagiarism.org Here you will find in-depth answers to such questions as:
- What is plagiarism?
- How do I prevent plagiarism when writing?
We strongly suggest you avail yourself of the site's tutorials on avoiding plagiarism. Tutorials are also available on such topics as how to cite sources and how to paraphrase.
Here are 10 most common types of plagiarism listed there, ranked from the most flagrant abuse ("Clone") to the least ("Re-tweet").
| 10 Types of Plagiarism | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Clone | Submitting another's work, word-for-word, as one's own |
| 2 | |
Ctl-C | Contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations |
| 3 |  |
Find & Replace | Changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source |
| 4 |  |
Remix | Paraphrases from multiple sources, made to fit together |
| 5 |  |
Recycle | Borrows generously from the writer's previous work without citation |
| 6 |  |
Hybrid | Combines perfectly cited sources with copied passages without citation |
| 7 |  |
Mashup | Mixes copied material from multiple sources |
| 8 |  |
404 Error | Includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about sources |
| 9 |  |
Aggregator | Includes proper citation to sources but the paper contains almost no original work |
| 10 |  |
Re-Tweet | Includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text's original wording and/or structure |
| From plagiarism.org Used with permission. | |||