Plagiarism in The Evil Within - Trevor Marriott (moved discussion)

[Pcdunn]

Interesting thread.

I am a Collections Librarian at a state-run community college with two campuses. My job is to choose, acquire and catalogue new items for the library collection. I also recently participated on a search committee for a new full-time English instructor. During the course of that, we interviewed a person who recounted a story about how she dealt with a student who had plagiarized an assignment by giving her a second chance! (The fact that the student "did it again" does seem to support the idea that college is not for everyone.)

I see a confusion here between copyright law and plagiarism. Copyright law is available on the web, probably the best sources being your country's national library. Press reports published over a hundred years ago are no longer under copyright, but it is best to look up the article in the archives yourself, and then cite the original newspaper title and date of publication in your bibliography.

If you borrow this source from another published book, the citation in your bibliography should clearly indicate the title and page number of the other book source.
You can look up other ways to use brief passages from another author, with his or her name mentioned in your sentence, slightly longer passages put between quotation marks, and how to footnote or create your bibliography in various style manuals. We recommend students visit the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Prudue University because they offer most of the major style manuals in an easily-accessible online format.

Finally, if authors would like to contact me for advice on finding information on these matters, I would be happy to assist.

Pat D.

[lynn cates]

chicken and egg

Hello Ally. Thanks.

Precisely. Our western civilisation has laid the eggs, now we seem offended when the chicks hatch.

Cheers.
LC

[Ally]

I think the lack of academic integrity is symptomatic of a larger societal problem though which is the concept that "truth which might offend should not be spoken". It's never been a concept I have agreed with and I have never particularly followed it. We excuse deceptive behavior all the time, in some, in my opinion, idiotic notion that it's for the greater good, and all we've done is encourage a society that values silence over honesty. Politicians can't be honest, because no one would vote for them if they were. Friends can't be honest because you'd lose friends if you were. No one values honesty any more, it's just not a trait that's widely valued. Therefore, to your students who will cheat to get their degree, they are merely giving in to the premise fostered by society. That success, by whatever means, is more important than failing honestly.

[lynn cates]

whatever it takes

Hello Ally. Academic integrity matters more to me, perhaps, than most posters. But maybe not for the same reason.

The average view of knowledge/education is that it is an instrumental good." "Knowledge is power. Hence, given I want power, I must get an education."

I see knowledge/education as intrinsically good--no goal beyond itself.

So I am less puzzled than most when I hear student say to student, "I will cheat or do whatever it takes to get my degree." (True story.) What else can one expect with our current Weltanschauung?

Cheers.
LC

[Ally]

I am often amazed honestly at what I call "casual lying". That's completely accepted in society. Friend A: "Hey do you want to go to the movies, Saturday" Friend B: No, I can't my mother's in town. (Mother not in town, person just doesn't want to go). What's the point of the lie? Why not just say, sorry, not interested, but maybe another weekend.

What purpose does the lie serve, because nine times out of ten, you get caught anyway. People have been raised to believe it's "polite" to lie so the truth gets a bad rap and people lean on it less, and less. That's what's going on here, people think when the truth is appalling the "polite" thing to do is just not say anything. But this isn't your friend whose ass really does look fat in those jeans, this is a broad matter of academic integrity throughout the field, and so yes, it is everyone's business.

[lynn cates]

Hawk

Hello Colin.

"Professors would pass out quizzes, tests, and exams and return to their offices for the remainder of the respectively scheduled class period."

I like THAT. As it is, I have to watch them like a hawk.

Cheers.
LC

[Colin Roberts]

At my alma mater - The University of the South; Sewanee, Tennessee - any such violation of the Honor Code would be addressed by an adjudication of the Student Honor Council. The most likely outcome would be expulsion from the university.

At the 400 plus year old public school I attended, it was considered very poor form to publically attract attention to another person's doings if one had nothing to do with it in the first place, and the doings in the first degree were between other people.

I realize that you don't wish to engage in further discussion regarding this issue in a public forum, Phil, but if I may do so …

The Honor Code is considered sacrosanct at Sewanee because it permeates every facet of student life in manners that are cherished by everyone concerned.

With a student body of some 1,100 that were housed almost entirely in campus dormitories: I never knew, during my four years in attendance, of a single student that ever locked the door to his or her room.

In my case, I would get the dormitory matron to let me into my room at the beginning of each semester, and that was that: thereby never even taking possession of a key to my room, let alone locking it.

Students would typically stake a claim to a particular library table or cubicle at the beginning of each semester, by simply depositing their books there (and leaving them there 24/7), knowing that they would not be bothered by anyone.

Professors would pass out quizzes, tests, and exams and return to their offices for the remainder of the respectively scheduled class period. They would also give closed-book take-home tests with stated time limits.

Etc.

I could go on endlessly, but suffice it to say that (certain) people are capable of acting in most honorable manners when they know that the faith and trust of others has been bestowed upon them; as at some point along the way, they begin to place a great sense of value in that faith and trust.

Any student that violated the Honor Code at Sewanee, was jeopardizing a way of life that every other student had come to know and love. It was EVERYBODY'S business.

[Phil Carter]

At my alma mater - The University of the South; Sewanee, Tennessee - any such violation of the Honor Code would be addressed by an adjudication of the Student Honor Council. The most likely outcome would be expulsion from the university.

Hello Colin,

Just an observation. This reminds me of the basis of the film's main storyline in "The scent of a woman" with Al Pacino. We all know what the "Honour Council" there did.

At the 400 plus year old public school I attended, it was considered very poor form to publically attract attention to another person's doings if one had nothing to do with it in the first place, and the doings in the first degree were between other people. If the doings were dealt with at the time, or were even ongoing at the time of knowledge or intervention by said third party, one waited for the issue to be sorted out by the original parties before commenting or intervening with one's one summary of said situation.

That is all I will say on the subject, in public. Any response can be made to me privately if so required. As I have only made a personal observation regarding etiquette relating to schooling, in response to your own observations, and not a comment on the parties involved nor the situation itself, that is all I wish to say.


Phil

[lynn cates]

further issues

Hello Chris. Thanks.

The detail that caught my eye was that plagiarism occurred. I did not see that. As I say, these are further issues.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

good

Hello Colin. Thanks.

Yes, even better.

Cheers.
LC

[Chris]

If that's correct, then, of course, that is a different matter. But my understanding is that, to count as a breach of copyright law, one must pass the original work off as one's own--without a mention of the original author.

Of course Ally is right that copyright law prohibits unauthorised copying even if the author is fully acknowledged.

But in any case, Trevor Marriott clearly did pass this work off as his own. The fact that the author's name is included in an acknowledgment list does nothing to change that, because there is no indication anywhere that part of the text published under Marriott's name was largely copied from that author's work.

[Colin Roberts]

We do have a bit of discretion, but a council is even better. Multiple heads.

What I would emphasize in this instance, Lynn, is that the council would consist entirely of students; i.e. peers of the accused.

---

Sewanee, by the way, is the proud owner of eight bells that were cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry:


Breslin Tower, The University of the South; Sewanee, Tennessee; 2007 (Click Image, to Enlarge in flickr)



"2003 Whitechapel": Breslin Tower, The University of the South; Sewanee, Tennessee; 2007 (Click Image, to Enlarge in flickr)

[lynn cates]

In the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Hello Colin. Thanks.

We do have a bit of discretion, but a council is even better. Multiple heads.

Cheers.
LC

[Colin Roberts]

I caught a student once, in an electronic class, who merely copied and pasted another student's post. I sent a private message asking why she had done this. She came clean and received a zero for that assignment.

By rule I am forbidden to post a message in the classroom along the lines of, "Did you see what "Mary" did? What vermin! What ought to be done to her?" (Fantasies don't count--heh-heh.)

At my alma mater - The University of the South; Sewanee, Tennessee - any such violation of the Honor Code would be addressed by an adjudication of the Student Honor Council. The most likely outcome would be expulsion from the university.

[lynn cates]

copyright law

Hello Ally. Thanks.

My knowledge of copyright law involves mostly Fair Use and Public Domain. I am not entirely familiar with percentages of pre-existing works allowed.

As I say, laws are not the same as morals. And it does behoove an author to keep up with laws.

Cheers.
LC