Hello, this thinking activity is part of the third unit of the Research Methodology paper, titled "Plagiarism and Academic Integrity." It has been assigned by our teacher, Prakruti Ma'am.
Q) Explain the term Plagiarism and discuss its forms.
The term plagiarism comes from the Latin word "Plagiarius" which literally means to kidnapper. To plagiarize means "to commit literary theft" and to "present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source". In short, if you have used other research scholar's arguments, words, phrases, or ideas in your research writing without giving credits to him/her then it can be said that you are committing plagiarism. In other words plagiarism is passing off another person's ideas, information, or expressions as your own to get a better grade or gain some other advantage
constitutes fraud.
- What are the various forms of plagiarism?
'The easier access to information is, the easier it is to commit plagiarism'
In the Age of Information, where data and resources are easily available, plagiarism has become more common. With so much information at our fingertips, it’s easier for people to copy content, whether they mean to or not, as it can be hard to tell original ideas from borrowed ones. There are several ways in which plagiarism happens.
Repeating or Paraphrasing wording without acknowledging the source
Taking a particularly Apt Phrase without acknowledging the source
Paraphrasing an argument or presenting a Line of Thinking
When you have ulterior motive
Using other person's idea s as your own to get better grade or gain some other advantage which may or may not be academic
Self-plagiarism: If you use arguments from your previously published article in a new research paper, you must cite your own work.
Unintentional Plagiarism
Unintentional plagiarism happens when someone accidentally uses someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit. This can happen if they don’t take proper notes, forget to mark quotes, or copy sentence structures to avoid grammar mistakes.
Moreover, there are two exceptional cases where there are no need to do citation. Firstly, you don’t need to provide citations for information and ideas that are widely known to your readers and generally accepted by scholars, like an author’s basic biography or the dates of a historical event. Secondly, scholars rarely cite proverbs, sayings, or clichés.
In your opinion, why is Academic Integrity necessary?
In my opinion, Academic Integrity is both necessary and important. It is essential to clearly explain to students an institution’s policies on academic integrity to help prevent plagiarism, cheating, collusion, and other forms of dishonest behavior in academics.
There are six "Ethical Codes" to maintain academic integrity.
Honesty
Trust
Fair Treatment
Respect
Responsibility
Courage
Honesty means being truthful in your work, and trust helps create a supportive and reliable environment. Fair treatment ensures everyone gets equal opportunities, while respect values others' ideas and efforts. Responsibility is about owning your actions and following academic rules. Courage is standing up for what is right, even when it’s tough.
Promoting original ideas, proper attribution, and academic integrity is crucial. Encouraging students to embrace honesty not just to avoid punishment but as a value fosters lifelong learning and strengthens an institution’s academic reputation and researcher's academic growth.
Academic integrity also supports learning opportunities. Shortcut solutions like plagiarism, contract cheating, and test banks take away learning opportunities for scholars. When the work is not the scholar’s own, they aren’t putting their original thoughts on paper. Scholars then lose the opportunity to receive feedback that is accurate to their needs and the resulting support they may need to further their learning journey.
These are a few reason and consequences which highlights why academic integrity is important.
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