The Ethics
of Plagiarism[1]
Ashley S. Moss-Pham
Objective Students will be able to go beyond traditional methods
of teaching about plagiarism (i.e., defining what it is, warning against it,
and showing examples of it in order to educate students about correct methods
of citation) to explore the deeper ethical implications of plagiarism with
their students.
Introduction Years ago – I forget
where or by whom; otherwise, I would happily attribute) – I heard someone
outline a few scenarios that addressed the ethical implications of plagiarism
beyond the usual “it’s wrong, don’t do it.” The examples
I remember were of taking your critically ill child to a physician –
only, unbeknownst to you, that
particular doctor had cheated his way through most of medical school, or of
taking your car to a mechanic to have the brakes fixed – only,
unbeknownst to you, that mechanic had cheated his way through his written exams
on the subject . These scenarios made such a forceful impression on me as to
the potential real-life consequences of academic dishonesty that I never forgot
them.
Since
that time, in my roles as a graduate student, high school teacher, and academic
program coordinator, I have longed to hear someone within the institutions
where I have studied and worked address the issue of plagiarism on the deeper
plane of ethics rather than confining
the discussion to a dry, technical, or preachy level of discourse that seldom
makes a real impression on students. This course module is designed to engage
you, the student/instructor, in a broad inquiry into the ethical dimensions of
plagiarism so that, should you choose to, you will be able to incorporate such
considerations into future lessons you may offer your students on this
important topic.
Activities Visit the following websites and listen to or read
the information about plagiarism in general and the ethical dimensions of
plagiarism in particular that iscontained there. As you listen and read, keep a
running list of questions and/or points of interest on the topic for later use.
It would be a good idea to note where you heard/ read any information of interest
so that, should you need to review it, you will be able to locate it again
easily.
Background
Information on Plagiarism
Cut and Paste Plagiarism – NPR
Story. February 14, 2006.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5205929
This story originally aired
on National Public Radio’s show Talk
of the Nation. Guests interviewed on the general topic of plagiarism
include Donald McCabe, Rutgers University professor and founding president of
Duke University’s Center for Academic Integrity; John Barrie, CEO and founder of
Turnitin.com, a popular software program for detecting plagiarism in student
papers; and Michael Williams, director of graduate studies and professor of
visual communications at Ohio University. This discussion gives the listener a
good overview of the increasing problem of plagiarism in a technological age,
as well as remedies that some schools and instructors are adopting to curb it.
Combating Plagiarism. CQ Researcher. Volume
13, No. 32 (September 19, 2003),
pp.773-796.
http://www.cqpress.com/docs/Combating%20Plagiarism.pdf
This complimentary issue of the
subscription-based publication Congressional
Quarterly is devoted exclusively to the topic of plagiarism. This issue of CQ summarizes many aspects
of plagiarism, including historical as well as recent perspectives on the
practice and steps being taken to combat it. This issue’s treatment of
plagiarism is interesting for its emphasis on journalistic as well as academic
examples of the problem.
Information
on the Ethics of Plagiarism
Center for Academic Integrity – Fundamental
Values Document
http://academicintegrity.org/fundamental.asp
Founded by
Center for Academic Integrity – Related Quotes
http://academicintegrity.org/quotes.asp#2
This part of the website
contains inspiring and thought-provoking quotes from some of history’s
most influential intellectuals, philosophers, moralists, and public figures.
The lists/webpages of quotes are organized according to the Center’s five
fundamental values of academic integrity:
honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility.
“Plagiarism,
Norms, and the Limits of Theft Law: Some Observations on the Use of Criminal
Sanctions in Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights.” Green,
Stuart P.
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=315562
Focus in particular on
Green’s notion that plagiarism is not, as some people rationalize it, a
“victimless crime.” Read section F, “The Harms Caused by, and
Victims of, Plagiarism.”
Dealing with Plagiarists. Lang, James M. From The Chronicle
of Higher Education. May 14,
2002.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/2002/05/2002051401c.htm
This article describes how,
after attending a colloquium on plagiarism in which he was determined to argue
for his generally lenient approach to cheaters, Lang changed his mind
completely. It also discusses where Lang has landed philosophically after
putting his stricter plagiarism policies into practice. This article is
interesting for instructors since it raises the issue of our role in preventing
plagiarism by enforcing the rules when we catch students at it. It is an honest piece that speaks to
the ambivalence many of us feel about “harming” our students for
academic misconduct.
Assignment Create a 15-20 slide PowerPoint presentation which
addresses the topic of plagiarism from a primarily ethical perspective. While
some background information on the topic is permissible, the majority of your
presentation should focus on the ethical implications
of plagiarism (or the need for academic integrity, however you choose to frame
the issue). Do not include warnings of dire consequences for being caught (or
any other pragmatic considerations) in an effort to get your audience to engage
with the topic using more abstract, higher level reasoning. Your audience can consist of high school
or college students, whichever is more suitable for your purposes and
situation.
The
final slide of your PowerPoint presentation should include three essay-type questions
for your students that will 1) demonstrate your understanding of the deeper
ethical issues surrounding plagiarism, and 2) encourage your students to
grapple with the topic on a philosophical rather than merely pragmatic level.
Submission Submit your PowerPoint presentation to the instructor
via email as an attachment and post your PowerPoint file as a shared file in
the discussion area labeled for this assignment. We will be reviewing others’ presentations
on the topic and discussing them later in the semester.
Rubric
|
Unacceptable |
Developing |
Accomplished
|
|
PowerPoint presentation
is: ü
Too brief ü
Superficial in
content (cursory treatment of subject with little or no depth or thought
evident) ü
Generally off topic
(not focused on ethics) ü
Of poor
technical quality Essay questions: ü
Do not
demonstrate your understanding of the ethical dimensions of plagiarism ü
Are unlikely
to engage your students in deep reflection on the topic |
PowerPoint presentation
is: ü
Close to the
required length ü
Adequate in
content (thorough if unoriginal treatment of material) ü
Mostly on
topic ü
Of sufficient
technical quality Essay questions: ü
Demonstrate
some understanding of the ethical dimensions of plagiarism ü
Are likely to
engage your students in some higher level thinking on the subject of
plagiarism |
PowerPoint presentation is
: ü
15-20 slides
long ü
Superior in
content (i.e., engaging and insightful treatment of topic) ü
On topic
throughout ü
Of superior
technical quality (includes text large enough to read from a distance; not
too much text per page; interesting graphics; consistency of design) Essay questions: ü
Demonstrate a
clear understanding of the ethical dimensions of plagiarism ü
Are likely to
engage your students in deep reflection on the topic |
Other
Resources
The New Ethics – NPR Story.
September 29, 2004.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4052989
This story on “The New
Ethics” aired on the National Public Radio show Talk of the Nation on September 29, 2004 following the publication
of Professor Anita Allen’s book of the same title. Professor Allen is a
Professor of Law and Philosophy at the
The Plagiarism Resource Site,
http://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu/
“The goal of this web
site is to help reduce the impact of plagiarism on education and educational
institutions. At present, it distributes free software to detect plagiarism and
provides links to other resources. This site's sole author is Lou Bloomfield,
Professor of Physics,
The Plagiarism Resource Site,
Lou Bloomfield’s Unpublished Essays
http://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu/essays/unpublished_essays.html
This page contains what
appear to be the beginnings of three unpublished essays on the following
topics: the motivations for
cheating on the part of students and grade inflation on the part of professors,
and the importance of instructors stating their goals for all assigned
work. These essays, though
undeveloped, are all interesting.
In particular, the essay about students’ motivations for cheating
might lead down some interesting avenues of discussion about the ethics of plagiarism.
Internet and College Cheating -- NPR Story. May 21, 2002.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1143717
This story originally aired
on National Public Radio’s call-in talk show Talk of the Nation in May, 2002. In it, the host, John Ydstie, visits the
Academic Integrity
http://teachers.redclay.k12.de.us/mary.tise/copyright.html
This webpage exists as a
link from librarian Mary Tise’s library homepage for the