I guess, technically, you are correct in calling their action plagiarism, especially given that formatting references was the main point of the assignment.
The incident raised my interest because in professional writing, copying-pasting references from others' papers is something that seems to be done routinely. In fact, a study reported a couple of years ago (unfortunately, I cannot locate the reference at the moment) found that the exact same error in a citation tends to be repeated across various subsequent publications in a way similar to what your students did. My recollection of the authors' speculation as to why the same error might be repeated was because, instead of constructiong a citation from scratch based on the original paper, authors tend to simply copy the article's citation from the reference section of another published source without ever noticing any errors, thus perpetuating the same error. Such copying may be done because the author does not really have a copy of the article being cited (and perhaps never even read the article) or, more likely, because the paper to be cited appears in an unusual publication venue (e.g., proceedings, technical report) that calls for unusual formatting. I find constructing reference sections to be a real pain in the neck, second only to writing a good discussion section. In spite of all of my efforts, I have yet to have had a paper returned by an editor without some corrections in the formatting of references. Miguel -----Original Message----- From: John W. Nichols, M.A. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 1:27 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Re: How Would You Handle This? Just the act of copying and pasting the reference. Not correcting the errors simply made it obvious. But, not correcting the format errors made the work unacceptable because formatting Web sites is what I am specifically trying to teach. (Plus, simple book referencing. I do not even try to get into edited volumes, journal, and all of the intricacies of other references called for by APA. I have to leave something for all you guys to do, after all.) My rationale for considering it to be plagiarism is based on what I understand to be the commonly accepted definition of plagiarism, which usually goes something like "Using the work of others as if it were your own." One student, trying to be helpful, posted the reference (with errors), other students copied and pasted the error filled reference into their work (without correcting the errors, so I assume they did not know how to properly reference). Would this not be a case of using someone else's work as if it were your own? Miguel Roig wrote: > John, or anyone else, I wonder if you would clarify something for me > regarding this situation. Is the act of copying a reference being labeled > plagiarism in this instance; was there additional material shared/copied? > > Although I would be dismayed by this type of incident, I don't think I would > classify it as a case of plagiarism. > > Miguel > > -----Original Message----- > From: John W. Nichols, M.A. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 6:00 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: [tips] Re: How Would You Handle This? > > They would not have received credit in cases of formatting errors. > Including correctly formatted references with the assignment is the sole > criterion in determining acceptance of the assignment. > > The assignments involve writing up very short summaries of course topics > (mostly Cognitive, Psychosocial, or Moral Development, or Disorders for > each of the periods of development, so there are quite a few they can > pick from). The idea is to encourage them to write up the short > summaries as a study technique to help them prepare for the exams. Two > others are specifically required. See > http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/DevAssignments.html if you are > interested. > > I do not prohibit anything (short of general nastiness or abusive > language) on the discussion list. Helping each other understand things > and discussing the course content is encouraged. In fact, I give them > credit for participating in discussions on the list. > > I just have never had a case of something like this occurring before. > At least, not one so easily caught. It seems to me that it is a form of > plagiarism. Not as bad as submitting an entire paper that someone else > wrote, of course, but still plagiarism nonetheless. > > Marie Helweg-Larsen wrote: > > > John > > Would the students have gotten credit for the assignment had they on > > their own messed up the reference? If so, I would chose option 3. If > > this error does not constitute enough of a mistake to fail the > > assignment I would chose option 2. > > It is pretty sad that the other students would even check the "advice" > > from the student. However, unless you have specifically prohibited > > such advice given on the email list it is just that -- advice that > > other students should carefully consider before taking. I always use > > peer review and point out repeatedly that students must consider all > > the feedback very carefully - this includes evaluating the correctness > > of the advice. > > Marie > > > > Robert Wildblood wrote: > > > >> 3On 10 May2006, at 16:19 PM, John W. Nichols, M.A. wrote: > >> > >> > The Situation: > >> > You have a written assignment that everyone in your class is > >> > required to > >> > do, and you require that proper APA-style referencing be used. > >> > > >> > Many students are new to APA-style referencing but you have > >> > provided > >> > instruction and examples, plus you have provided a link to APA's > >> > style > >> > site. > >> > > >> > One student, in response to questions posted to the class > >> > discussion > >> > list, and in an effort to help his classmates, posts the following > >> > message: > >> > > >> > (snip, snip) > >> > This is what I used. I hope this helps! > >> > Papalis, Diane, Olds, Sally Wendkos, Feldman, Ruth Duskin. (2004). > >> > Human > >> > Development (9th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc. > >> > (snip, snip) > >> > > >> > Slightly more than half the class submits the assignment with the > >> > textbook reference exactly as shown.The spelling of the lead > >> > author's > >> > name is not corrected.The ampersand is not added.Even the blank > >> > space in "McGraw- Hill" is not eliminated. > >> > > >> > My Questions: > >> > Is this a case of plagiarism by the students who obviously copied > >> > and > >> > pasted the reference into their assignments? > >> > If not plagiarism, is it some kind of other improper behavior with > >> > a > >> > specific name? > >> > Has the poster, in an effort to be helpful, committed an offense? > >> > > >> > > >> > Your response?: > >> > 1.You would ignore it. > >> > 2.You would point out that this is not a proper thing to do, but go > >> > ahead and give full credit.(Grading is on an all-or-nothing basis) > >> > 3.You would give a zero on the assignment. > >> > 4.You would give a failing grade for the course. > >> > 5.You would file charges with the Student Government committee that > >> > handles disciplinary action in cases of student academic offenses > >> > (or > >> > whatever the mechanism is used at your school).Such action might > >> > include anything up to, and including, expulsion from the school. > >> > > >> > 6.Other? > >> > > >> > -- > >> > > >> > ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ¨¨¨ <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- > >> > Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. > >> > > >> > John W. Nichols, M.A. > >> > Assistant Professor of Psychology > >> > Tulsa Community College > >> > 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK74119 > >> > (918) 595-7134 > >> > > >> > Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols > >> > MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > --- > >> > To make changes to your subscription go to: > >> > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyri > >> > .pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english > >> > > >> Dr. Bob Wildblood > >> Lecturer in Psychology > >> Indiana University Kokomo > >> 2300 S Washington St > >> PO Box 9003 > >> Kokomo, IN 46904-9003 > >> 765-455-9483 > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> > >> "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many > >> OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across > >> the country." > >> George W. Bush. Poplar Bluff, Missouri; September 6, 2004. > >> > >> "I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch. I > >> assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and > >> that difference is, they pass the laws and I execute them. > >> George W. Bush. Washington, D.C.; December 18, 2000 > >> > >> "I'm the master of low expectations." > >> George W. Bush. Aboard Air Force One; June 4, 2003 > >> > >> "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little > >> temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." > >> Benjamin Franklin, 1775 > >> > >> "We are what we pretend to be, so we better be careful what we > >> pretend to be." > >> Kurt Vonnegut > >> > >> > >> --- > >> To make changes to your subscription go to: > >> http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl > >> enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english > > > > -- > > ********************************************* > > Marie Helweg-Larsen, Ph.D. > > Associate Professor of Psychology > > Dickinson College, P.O. Box 1773 > > Carlisle, PA 17013 > > Office: (717) 245-1562, Fax: (717) 245-1971 > > Webpage: www.dickinson.edu/~helwegm > > ********************************************* > > > > --- > > To make changes to your subscription go to: > > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl > > enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english > > -- > > ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ¨¨¨ <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- > Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. > > John W. Nichols, M.A. > Assistant Professor of Psychology > Tulsa Community College > 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 > (918) 595-7134 > > Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols > MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html > > --- > To make changes to your subscription go to: > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=engl > ish > > --- > To make changes to your subscription go to: > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=engl ish -- ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ¨¨¨ <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. John W. Nichols, M.A. Assistant Professor of Psychology Tulsa Community College 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 (918) 595-7134 Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=engl ish --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
