At 11:38 AM 1/16/02 -0600, Paul C. Smith wrote: >All - > It just figures that this would be the semester I'm on > sabbatical, just as >the best plagiarism example yet seems to be popping up. I don't know the >details, and I hate to falsely accuse the guy, but it looks as though >historian Stephen Ambrose believed (as many of our students seem to) that if >he puts a reference to a source in a footnote, he's entitled to use the >exact words found in that source, without adding quotation marks. I don't >really understand how someone could reach his position without knowing >better than that.
This isn't exactly my understanding of what happened. Ambrose immediately apologized and admitted his error, and said the mistake would be corrected in future editions. His accuser described it as a "classy response. So, I don't think this is an example of Ambrose believing that he didn't need to use quotes. I think it is sloppy scholarship - essentially not *remembering* to use quotes - as opposed to an intentional plagiarism. My guess is that he copied down the section in question when doing research, then later failed to remember that it was a direct quote. Take this with a grain of salt, though - I admire his work so I am likely to think the best of him. I do agree that it is a good lesson for students to see that even the "big guys" have this problem. -- Jim Dougan --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
