Plagiarism has been condemned lately by all types of experts, including scholars, university board members and even commercial parties, such as TurnItIn, which sells plagiarism detection software righteously claiming that plagiarism should be combated through the most efficient and up to date tools.
Well, if such company ever reaches its ultimate goal of eliminating plagiarism, it will go out of business, since there will be no more need for plagiarism detection.
Meanwhile, we see that everyone discussing plagiarism has certain motivation and interest to defend one point or another. Students, however, don't seem to have an interest to speak on this subject at all, or worse - they have never been asked.
I neither belong to the camp that combats plagiarism, nor to the one that defends or partially justifies it. I simply want to make the voice of college students heard with no hidden reason behind it.
My own college profile of a "straight A student" had nothing to do with any type of plagiarism that would involve direct copy/paste and serious violation of copyright law. However, now that the definition of plagiarism has evolved to such a broad extent, I can't tell for sure whether all my college assignments can be referred as 100% original and plagiarism-free.
While I was able to devote most of my time to studying (with 2 scholarships that covered almost 85% of my college expenses, and monthly checks from my parents, who had above average income and the only daughter to spend it on), I saw many of my friends struggling with their assignments, especially when it came to writing essays and developing research papers.
At that point I didn't question the meaning and purpose of my own devoted enthusiasm for education. I enjoyed the process as the end in itself, didn't have to worry about money and had all those skills and talents for being a successful student. Most of my friends, however, were different. I didn't like to hang out with the "know-it-all" crowd. I enjoyed the company of people with different backgrounds and different perspectives on life. I could learn something new from each one of them.
My friends and I were very close and we could trust each other any secret with no doubt. So, I knew they cheated on the exams occasionally and hired someone to write their term papers. However, their integrity has never been challenged in my eyes by this knowledge. I knew them well enough to tell that they had their own reasons. Were they valid enough? I can't judge that objectively, because they were my friends and I was on their side. But one thing I can tell for sure - these reasons must be heard before blaming anyone a degraded cheater.
Victim Of Social Pressure
My friend Joshua grew up in a hard-working, but relatively poor family with three other siblings, who were younger than him. His father was a high school teacher and his mother was a nurse. They both were hard on Joshua about his education and future career. It took them a lot of efforts and a lot of money to get Joshua through college, so my friend was carrying a heavy burden of high expectations and big responsibility. He had no excuses for failure and no right for mistakes, so he could not allow himself fail some class and spend thousands of dollars to repeat it next semester just because his writing skills weren't good enough.
Sad, but true. The knowledge itself is no longer a valuable asset in our society, what matters is one's degree or certification. Our society has invented the terms where grades are all that matter for education, why blame it on students after all.
Joshua would have been an empty space for an employer without his degree, no matter how smart he was in engineering. So, he needed that degree no matter what.
May be it was due to lack of self-confidence, or perhaps our English professor was too hard on us, but Joshua always had problems with his writing assignments at college. He never seemed to meet the instructions no matter how hard he tried. English was not the only problem. Other classes required a lot of writing, too.
When faced with the threat of failure, Joshua turned to other people's help. First he asked for our advice and we tried to work out some solution for him. Unfortunately, nothing else helps to develop writing skills other than practice. But Joshua didn't have extra time for it, so it didn't work.
Then, he started using works of older students, since the assignments for some classes often repeated themselves every year. However, when caught once by one of our professors plagiarizing the same essay that was turned in a year before, Joshua decided it was too risky, because he could have been expelled.
Finally, when nothing else seemed to work for him, he started ordering his term papers and essays from one of those companies that offer writing services for a fee. I thought this was quite expensive, but then I learned that competition for these services is quite fierce, and some like www.Go2Essay.com or www.CustomResearchPapers.us now offer custom written papers for as low as $14.95 per page. I was against such solution of the problem, but it seemed to work just fine for Joshua.
Academic Honesty Doesn'T Pay Off
My other friend Kim was from a wealthy family of a self-made businessman, who owned everything he had to his own persistence and self-discipline. He didn't want Kim to grow as a spoiled offspring of a wealthy family. When Kim was applying for a college, her father said that if she gets accepted, he would pay for her education, but would leave all other expenses up to her. So, Kim had to find a job when she was a freshman.
Not a big deal, when you still can count on your parents to support you. However, in Kim's case she couldn't afford quitting her job even if there were too many college assignments to cope with, because she wouldn't have means to support herself otherwise. Her father didn't care much for Kim's grades as long as she could get through another semester. He only advised her to learn hard at those classes that she thought were interesting or useful for her future career, while the rest was permissible to skip as long as she could get a passing grade.
In her junior year Kim had finally decided that she would go in advertisement. She was very good at drawing and really enjoyed her creative design classes. When hired for one advertisement agency as a logo designer, she was soon making $15 per hour and working full-time almost always. The end of each semester was a real catastrophe for her, since she felt too much pressure from her deadlines both at work and at college.
Kim didn't feel that there was something wrong with hiring people for writing her academic papers, which were not of particular interest or relevance to her career. However, she never cheated on her creative design assignments. She held them sacred and was truly the best student in her group.
Perhaps, it was her father's influence, but Kim valued her time and was quite picky with how she spends it and whom she spends it with. None of Kim's friends, including me, could tell that she was lazy or had a lot of disposable income to spend on her custom written papers. For Kim these services were the only way to ensure that she wouldn't loose her job spending half of the day writing her paper on a subject of no relevance to her, and than turning it with no guarantee of a passing grade and no reward for her time.
At the end of each semester with so many writing assignments coming from different classes it was not just a matter of making some extra money, but a question of life and death: either she writes all assignments herself and goes broke next month, or she survives the pressure by delegating some of her essays to other people. Even if it looks like an academic dishonesty for other people, I know Kim was always honest to herself in pursuit of her goals, and after all it's the only thing that matters.
These are just few examples of how the perception of plagiarism as a disastrous crime can be challenged if viewed from different perspective. I don't think that plagiarism is the best solution for students and I do not defend its practice, however I do believe that the roots of plagiarism should not be looked in the nature of modern students, but instead - in the nature of modern education system, which values grades higher than knowledge and is designed to respond to the national standards rather than student needs.
Thus, plagiarism detection software may help to combat plagiarism in a short-term run, however, unless we re-evaluate and improve the existing system of education, the root of plagiarism will not be extirpated for a long-time benefit.
About author:
Sindy Coffard is a staff writer of custom writing services company CustomResearchPapers.us She helps high school, college and university students do their homework and writing assignments, including research papers, term papers, book reports, admission essays, etc.
Find it here : http://www.customresearchpapers.us/whyst turncrp.php5
![]() Google News Updated : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:07:30 GMT Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way - Ars Technica
Ars Technica - By Emil Protalinski | Published: September 06, 2008 - 01:15PM CT First Gates-Seinfeld ad leaves us scratching our heads. The first Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates ad has arrived. Seinfeld ads only part of Microsoft push Windows Vista: The OS About Nothing Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:27:03 GMT Buckeyes survive Ohio's threat, 26-14 - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Beanie Wells didn't play. The Ohio Bobcats sure did. Lightly regarded even in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio put a scare into No. Ohio State Football: OSU 26, OU 14 Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:31:47 GMT "Bangkok" a skillful action excursion - Reuters
Reuters - By Stephen Farber LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Everything is relative in the realm of hyperviolent movies, and compared to this summer's other assassination thriller, "Wanted," "Bangkok Dangerous" is a model of restraint and moral rectitude. 'Dangerous' prosperous at box office An Assassin Arrives to Turn Off the Lights Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:41:52 GMT Obama, McCain to Honor Victims of 9/11 Together - Voice of America
Voice of America - By VOA News US presidential candidates Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain have agreed to appear together on September 11, the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Conventions, Anything but Dull, Are a TV Hit Comment by John S. Baick Professor of History, Western New England CollegePubl.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:01:14 GMT McCain, Obama battle over economy, leadership - AFP
AFP - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (AFP) - Economic issues dominated the campaign trail Saturday as presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain battled over who could best lead the nation in troubled times. Reuters Politics Summary Barack Obama, John McCain say they hate meddlers ... but both ... Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:15:37 GMT 'Wrestler' brings Venice fest to its feet - Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter - By Eric J. Lyman VENICE -- "The Wrestler" was the toast of the Lido on the Venice Film Festival's penultimate day, with star Mickey Rourke's interpretation of an aging wrestler struggling to come to terms with the end of his career creating a buzz that ... 'The Wrestler' wins Venice Film Fest top award Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:14:35 GMT Boeing Machinists Take To Picket Line After Talks Collapse - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - NEW YORK (AFP)-- Boeing machinists took to the picket line on Saturday as they launched a strike that has halted production and could cost the US aerospace giant more than $100 million per day. Low strike pay could limit length of Boeing work stoppage Boeing machinists walk off the job Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:46:08 GMT RSS Parser |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Distance education has been getting a lot of attention lately,... Read More Paula Bone is a marketing professor who teaches "Consumer Behavior"... Read More Physical Therapy Schools administer course instruction to potential physical therapists.... Read More Online masters degrees are higher education college degrees that are... Read More So its the beginning of the school year, your first... Read More Students nowadays start their research projects by looking up information... Read More The L.E.A.D.E.R. WayINTRODUCTIONIn June 1997,the Prime Minister of Singapore unveiled... Read More PCDI | Professional Career Development Institute - The College and... Read More I keep a box of tissues on the table where... Read More NATUROPATHIC SCHOOLS instruct in Naturopathic medicine which is an holistic... Read More The problem with student and any small move comes when... Read More So, our children want to fly away from the nest... Read More Sending your kids to college has never been more difficult... Read More An Oxford student has been convicted of downloading child pornography... Read More Choosing an online education program should be exciting and fun.... Read More Digital Education is really coming along thanks to the US... Read More It is highly recommended that early in the college selection... Read More Here are some benefits to studying for your college classes... Read More Distance Learning is a priority for most who have already... Read More The Shakespearean play "Othello" describes a cruel chain of events... Read More You may be bursting at the seams with natural talent,... Read More Attend ClassGo to class, every class, every time. It is... Read More Do best friends make the best college roommates? Not always!... Read More Forensics is not just one field of study but encompasses... Read More Finding money for college can be a challenge for many... Read More
Adsense
websites
Online Degree Education - Advantages
Oustanding Business Professors at WVU, Part 1
Physical Therapy Schools
What Are Online Masters Degrees?
I Hate My Roommate!
Academic Research on the Internet : There Is a Better Way
Principalship: Leading Change in Schools
PCDI - The College and University Alternative for Working Professionals Pursuing Their Degrees
Parents: Take the SAT Challenge!
Naturopathic Schools
Student Removals - How to Get the Lowest Quote
College Tuition Costs are Spiralling
Getting Into College No Longer A Numbers Game!
Oxford Student Convicted of Child Pornography Offenses
What to Look for When Choosing an Online Degree Program
Online Education and Digital Divide
Tips On College Selection
College Study Tips: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Distance Learning: Balancing Your Education and Busy Lifestyle
GCSE English I Hate the Moor Notes about Othello
Limperts Academy of Design Opens Interior Design Education / US and Canada
How to Survive with As
Do Best Friends Make the Best College Roommates?
CSI Has Made The Study Of Forensics An Exciting Career Opportunity
Need Money for College?
Stanford University's Online Lessons Learned Stanford University's Center for... Read More
Online Colleges require successful team buildingMost online colleges require their... Read More
IntroductionWhilst it is recognized that South Africa is still in... Read More
Some people are calling it distance-free learning for the Medical... Read More
At last, summer is here! After a school year full... Read More
You've already decided that you're ready to author online and... Read More
Why not build a Christian family enterprise with the energy,... Read More
What is the average cost of college tuition? This is... Read More
Distance education has been around longer than people may realise.... Read More
During a recent conversation with a client, he shared with... Read More
Now I remember being a freshman in college, and let... Read More
I can still remember my shopping list for my first... Read More
We're going to college, and we need cash. We have... Read More
You may not miss eating Ramen noodles everyday, but you... Read More
Many parents and students I counsel confuse Early Admission, Early... Read More
The problem with student and any small move comes when... Read More
Distance Learning is a priority for most who have already... Read More
Many have complained of the Government's procurement process for research... Read More
The first day of college begins with hopes and dreams... Read More
In modern society passing educational examinations becomes an increasingly important... Read More
Many who work in the healthcare or nursing industry know... Read More
Before CHIROPRACTIC SCHOOLS accept one into their educational system, it... Read More
It's hard enough sharing a dorm room the size of... Read More
So its 12:30 Pm and there you are at the... Read More
It's time to take the SAT's. How should you prepare?... Read More
College & University |