My “Own” Thoughts on Unintentional or Intentional Plagiarism
I think if people are honest with themselves about where they are getting their information when writing a research paper, they can usually avoid plagiarism. However, in the academic environment in beginning composition classes, I can understand that when several students have been given a list of topics to choose from for an academic paper and are required to access articles from the same database, they could unintentionally plagiarize. Even though you may include your own ideas in the paper, other students may come up with the same ideas and conclusions based on the limited topics. There are only so many facts about a given topic and so many words in the English language to express your conclusions in your paper. For the most part, as a beginning student, you are not conducting experiments to come up with your own ideas based on the results and the biggest part of your paper is going to be based on facts of others from your reading. I think it is easy to cite this information and we can find ways to make it interesting, informative or persuasive, but I don’t think this could be classified as a research paper. I would not intentionally plagiarize and the stories I have heard from people who unintentionally plagiarized their paper frightens me. I now know that I would probably not write a formal research paper. I think I would prefer writing fiction and poetry, which would be from my own imagination and my own random thoughts.
I’m finding out a lot of things about myself in my college career. Education is definitely a good way to find out what you like and who you are.
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Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteWell, you can exercise creativity in a research paper. Your own original ideas about your topic make the paper interesting. Then, just back up your thesis and claims with academic sources. Don't forget to examine those who think aromatherapy is bogus or witchcraft!
http://medheadlines.com/2008/03/04/aromatherapy-has-little-health-benefits/
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/forums/viewthread/6388/
But do not let these sources detract from your ideas.
You can even use an original poem about aromatherapy as an introduction to your paper if you want.
P.S., I love Oahu. My son lives in Honolulu. We love Waimanalo Beach.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I am glad that you return to school and loving it. Good for you. Blessing goes out to you.
I am so scared now that I was one that was charged with Plagiarism. I read my information more often then before. I just want to be on point so this wouldn't happened to me again. I think this class is giving me a better understanding on how to not to use qoutes. I think that was my down fall last seminer.
Your family is beautiful. I am the last of 10. This is why family means the world to me.
Good Luck! See you on the blog and discussion.
Kathaynn
Maybe the fact that I am so scared of unintentionally plagiarizing should not deter me from writing... maybe it will be a good quality in helping me to avoid plagiarism. I shouldn't let others' bad experiences influence me not to write, but to be careful. Everyone's circumstances are different and I probably do not know all the facts. I will loosen up and give it another shot being more open minded and not so paranoid.
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