Plagiarism

[Exfactor]

In one of my courses we generally have two discussion board post to respond to weekly, in which we are also to reply to 2 different students. The professor is rarely active in the course. However, today I noticed a couple students in the class are basically copying and pasting word for word from Google, and using answers.yahoo.com to answer discussion post (also copying word for word), and just selecting random peer-reviewed studies from the library that has nothing to do with the subject as a source for their copied material. Is this something that you guys would bring to the attention of the professor?

[bluebooger]

no, but I would definitely reply this to everyone of their answers

"PLAGIARISM is against the rules !"

along with one of these images
I'm Watching U face meme on All The Rage Faces!

Not Okay face meme on All The Rage Faces!

[vaust]

sounds like you are taking your capstone. I probably try to message or mail the instructor directly and let him/her know about it.

[UptonSinclair]

Let me ask this. What do you have to gain from pointing this out? As long as you are handling the course with integrity, let the professor or the school worry about the other students. You have nothing to gain.

[cookderosa]

Let me ask this. What do you have to gain from pointing this out? As long as you are handling the course with integrity, let the professor or the school worry about the other students. You have nothing to gain.

plus 1. Unless you're spending your time collecting evidence (which might make it look like you have something against these students) you have no proof and can potentially ruin these student's academic career. This isn't just an issue of telling, this is a very serious issue. Furthermore, you don't know that the instructor isn't aware. The instructor may be collecting documentation but needs more; which would be shortened by your intervention.

[dposborne]

plus 1. Unless you're spending your time collecting evidence (which might make it look like you have something against these students) you have no proof and can potentially ruin these student's academic career. This isn't just an issue of telling, this is a very serious issue. Furthermore, you don't know that the instructor isn't aware. The instructor may be collecting documentation but needs more; which would be shortened by your intervention.

Per EC's policy on Academic Integrity:

..."Students also have an ethical obligation to report violations of the academic honesty policies they may witness."

Excelsior College | Academic Honesty

[clep3705]

To avoid being accused of self-plagiarism, I will attribute one of my previous posts as the inspiration for these points:

1. Do not base your academic decisions on what I say.
2. Do not base your academic decisions primarily on what this forum tells you.
3. Do not base your academic decisions primarily on what the internet tells you.
4. Learn the rules of your school (see dposborne's post) and make your own decision. If you don't understand your school's rules, ask an authority figure at your school for advice. I, this forum, and the internet don't have the authority to speak for your school or have to bear the consequences of your actions.

Some schools have honor codes. Examples include the military service academies and elite schools such as Harvard College and Rice University have honor codes. I know of a student at one of the aforementioned schools who faced suspension over NOT reporting academic dishonesty. The student did not have actual knowledge of such dishonesty but was suspected of having such knowledge. An extreme case, but the point is that every school is different and generic advice may not be appropriate for all situations.

As one of your classmates (or was it actually Edmund Burke?) said, "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

Weigh the legal and social consequences of reporting academic dishonesty. If a student suffers economic loss as a consequence of your actions, you could open yourself up to being sued. Reporting academic dishonesty is similar to being a whistleblower. Whistleblowers do not fare well in society. What are the costs/benefits/obligations? If you perceive an obligation, is it a valid obligation?

I've tried to present both sides. I want you to make your own decision. I have no intention of implying a specific recommendation for reporting or not reporting.

[clep3705]

I'm sure I'm not the only person wanting to know if this is an ethics course. Or a course on religion and morality.

[learflyer]

The professor will find out on his/her own eventually anyway. Most universities (including online) have plagiarism software that can detect a pattern. My wife is a professor at a large Univ in FL. It is interesting to say the least hearing the excuses from the students.

[Exfactor]

I'm sure I'm not the only person wanting to know if this is an ethics course. Or a course on religion and morality.

It's a history course.

plus 1. Unless you're spending your time collecting evidence (which might make it look like you have something against these students) you have no proof and can potentially ruin these student's academic career. This isn't just an issue of telling, this is a very serious issue. Furthermore, you don't know that the instructor isn't aware. The instructor may be collecting documentation but needs more; which would be shortened by your intervention.

I'm not spending time collecting evidence. I was actually reading information on the topic of our discussion after reading the text on Stanford University website, to get a better ideal of the material, and as I began to respond to other students I realized that the material I was responding to I read previously on the Stanford website. I won't report him though. We only have 2 weeks left in the course. I just found it interesting that people will copy word for word with little to no fear at all.