A school’s policy on plagiarism is generally very clearly stated along with specific consequences for committing an offense. Find and review your school’s plagiarism policy. You might find this on the school’s website or in a handbook. If you are unable to locate your school’s policy, select a college or university and review that institution’s plagiarism policy. You may see that a college or university has much stronger consequences for students who plagiarize. Once you have located a plagiarism policy, take some time to review it closely. After you have a clear understanding of the policy, use a word processing program to answer the following questions using complete and thorough sentences: Does the policy define plagiarism giving the reader a clear understanding of what the institution considers plagiarism? If so, how is it defined? What does the policy state as the consequences for plagiarizing? Do you feel these consequences are appropriate? Why or why not? Does the policy provide any guidelines for avoiding plagiarism? If so, what are they? If not, do you think they should be included? Explain your reasoning.
As an AI language model, I don't have real-time access to specific school policies. However, I can offer you a general example of how a school's plagiarism policy might be defined, and provide some insights into the questions you've raised.
Example:
1. Definition of Plagiarism: The policy clearly defines plagiarism as the act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as your own, without proper attribution or acknowledgment. This includes copying and pasting from sources without citation, paraphrasing without giving credit, and using someone else's work with only slight modifications.
2. Consequences for Plagiarism: The policy states the potential consequences for committing plagiarism, which may vary depending on the severity of the offense. These consequences can include academic penalties (e.g., a failing grade on the assignment or course), disciplinary actions (e.g., probation or suspension), and even expulsion in extreme cases.
3. Appropriateness of Consequences: Whether the consequences are appropriate or not depends on personal opinion and the severity of the offense. However, academic institutions usually aim to deter and discourage plagiarism to maintain academic integrity and fairness. Thus, consequences may be considered reasonable if they effectively address the seriousness of the offense while providing a chance for the student to learn from their mistake.
4. Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism: Schools often provide guidelines or tips for students to avoid plagiarism. These may include properly citing sources, using quotation marks for direct quotes, paraphrasing effectively while attributing the original source, and understanding the difference between common knowledge and original ideas. These guidelines are beneficial in helping students develop good academic practices.
Including guidelines for avoiding plagiarism in a policy is highly recommended. By providing clear instructions on how to avoid plagiarism, it educates students on the importance of academic integrity. It also helps ensure that students understand the expectations and standards regarding originality and citation.