The Plague of Plagiarism

Nice alliteration, right? An interesting article from Regret the Error on a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution being fired for plagiarism. Evidently he wrote a 28 paragraph article, but 12 paragraphs were lifted from a previously published article.

But the Regret the Error folks have an interesting point.

So, is plagiarism strictly a numbers game? If you lift one paragraph, or six, is that just a failure of attribution? What about seven or 10? What if you say that you mistook the stolen material for your own. Is that acceptable? In the AJC example, the writer lifted 12 passages and had to resign. If he had only lifted five, could he have kept his job?

We don't ask these questions in a mocking tone. They are valid because it's almost impossible to resolve the different ways that newspapers handle plagiarism. Some see fit to fire the staffer and apologize to readers; others bury the incident in a correction, fail to explain clearly what happened, and just hope the whole thing goes away. Few take the time to investigate the previous work of the reporter in question.

I deal with this sort of thing every semester in my class(es) at Azusa Pacific University. This semester, I had two pairs of students turn in virtually the same papers. So, after some discussion, they flunked the assignment, 20% of their semester grade was a "zero".

Still, it is a good question. What constitutes plagiarism? Is it one quote, uncredited? Five quotes? What about eight quotes rewritten in similar but different language?

By the way, the cartoon is used with permission of the author, Randy Glasbergen. He has some really funny cartoons, and they can be found here. So I am NOT using someone else's work without their permission, or without giving credit to them. (As well as my hard earned $$$ for using it!) This cartoon is an oldie, but a goodie.

In my syllabus, I indicate the following, and I stressed it at the very first class session.

1. Academic dishonesty corrupts the soul of the student and tarnishes the academic institution. It will not be tolerated in any form.
   
2. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarizing from someone in class on a paper or quiz or exam.
   
3. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarizing from a written source. If you use someone else's work, give credit where credit is due, always cite your sources.
   
4. First Offense: "Zero" on the exam or work at issue.
   
5. Second Offense: "Failure" of the course.
   
6. For further information, see the Student Handbook

The Student Handbook has this to say:

http://www.apu.edu/registrar/undergraduate/policies/integrity/

Academic Integrity

The maintenance of academic integrity and quality education is the responsibility of each student at Azusa Pacific University. Cheating or plagiarism in connection with an academic program is an offense for which a student may be expelled, suspended, or given a less severe disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense that diminishes the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of the educational system.

For more information, see the Academic Integrity Policy Brochure (PDF)*

Academic dishonesty includes:

1. Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized material, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
   
2. Using any external assistance (e.g., books, notes, calculators, and conversations with others) unless specifically authorized by the instructor.
   
3. Allowing others to conduct research or prepare work for students without advance authorization from the instructor.
   
4. Submitting portions of the same academic work for credit in more than one course without authorization.
   
5. Intentional falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
   
6. Intentionally, or knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty.
   
7. Intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, or work of another as one's own in any academic exercise.

With the relative ease of "research" on the internet, from buying papers to just pulling off quotes, it is very tempting for any student to plagiarize. And yet, those of us who teach must help them resist the temptation.

Two of my students were quite apologetic over the incident. One was freaking out over the assignment, and asked the other for help. She sent him her paper, which he copied, making only minor adjustments. My students believe they are "good" people, and that this sort of behavior is an aberration. I disagree. I wrote to the offending parties:

I know enough of our fallen nature, which has not submitted to the discipline of the cross, is still alive and kicking in us. I am saddened for you to have your illusions of "being a good person" shocked by this incident, but it is better to know who we are really, and what forces we are dealing with, than to go through life with pious Christian platitudes. Jesus was, above all, not a pessimist nor an optimist, but a realist. And there lies the grace and truth of the matter.

There is forgiveness in Jesus to be sure. However, if I let this go unpunished, it is what Bonhoeffer calls "cheap grace." And the lesson will not be learned. I must follow the university guidelines, for your own sake and the sake of the university. As to the latter, I must uphold the tenets of academic discipline and integrity in this university, so this is my decision.