From - Wed Feb 23 13:39:54 2000 Return-Path: Delivered-To: mpf@cise.ufl.edu Received: from frond.cise.ufl.edu (frond.cise.ufl.edu [128.227.248.104]) by mail.cise.ufl.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 36041DCD2; Wed, 23 Feb 2000 13:32:38 -0500 (EST) Received: (from mpf@localhost) by frond.cise.ufl.edu (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id NAA28128; Wed, 23 Feb 2000 13:32:36 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 13:32:36 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <200002231832.NAA28128@frond.cise.ufl.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: frond.cise.ufl.edu: mpf set sender to mpf@cise.ufl.edu using -f From: "Michael P. Frank" To: (CIS 4930/6930) Subject: Plagiarism X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-UIDL: fdf93ed60ebd06754313143b5d2af974 Class, I have caught an instance of blatant plagiarism - a paper was turned in which I happened to notice consisted of sentences copied verbatim from another source, without attribution or explicit quotation. Up until now, I have not been explicitly looking for plagiarism, because my charitable default position going into a new course is to assume that the students are decent, honest people, and furthermore that they are wise enough to realize that plagiarism is a completely unethical, dishonest act. However, now that I have seen it occur, I will be spot-checking for plagiarism in any papers that look suspicious. Any paper in which I find *a single sentence* of stolen, unquoted text will receive an automatic zero credit. Note that this is a lower score than the 57.5% "E" that I give if you simply skip the written assignment. If you don't have time to compose an *all-original* paper, then don't turn in anything at all! Repeat offenders whom I catch may receive an even more severe response. In general, I would advise that in all your future work (not only in this class but forever), if you have any desire to be a good, honest person, then you ought to follow the following guidelines: * Any text that you copy should be clearly framed as a quotation, and its source attributed. * Every single sentence that you present as your own work must be completely of your own composition, expressed by your own mind, based entirely on knowledge you have learned. * Every idea that you present as your own should be truly your own original idea. If you present an idea that isn't your own, make it clear that it's not your own, and cite sources if possible. * Any written assignment you turn in as your own work should consist mostly of your own writing. You may make verbatim quotes of small amounts of material from outside sources, but keep the amounts small, and be sure to frame *every bit* of copied material as an explicit quotation. * Don't list as "sources" anything that you didn't actually read. But do cite all relevant material that you did draw from in writing the paper. You're all old enough that I shouldn't have needed to inform any of you of these points... I'm very disappointed that this has occurred. -Mike From - Mon Feb 28 11:07:44 2000 Return-Path: Delivered-To: mpf@cise.ufl.edu Received: from frond.cise.ufl.edu (frond.cise.ufl.edu [128.227.248.104]) by mail.cise.ufl.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3B73CDCD5; Wed, 23 Feb 2000 15:44:23 -0500 (EST) Received: (from mpf@localhost) by frond.cise.ufl.edu (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id PAA28402; Wed, 23 Feb 2000 15:44:21 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 15:44:21 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <200002232044.PAA28402@frond.cise.ufl.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: frond.cise.ufl.edu: mpf set sender to mpf@cise.ufl.edu using -f From: "Michael P. Frank" To: (CIS 4930/6930) Subject: More on plagiarism... X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-UIDL: 01df814bba5673b8f9d3593663530ee4 Class, In addition to receiving zero credit, any instances of plagiarism that I catch will be taken through the Student Judicial Process, and therefore will go on your academic record. Any subsequent offenses will require a hearing. See: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/Academic_Honesty.html Here is the definition of plagiarism from that document: Plagiarism. The attempt to represent the work of another as the product of one's own thought, whether the other's work is published or unpublished, or simply the work of a fellow student. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, quoting oral or written materials without citation on an exam, term paper, homework, or other written materials or oral presentations for an academic requirement; submitting a paper which was purchased from a term paper service as your own work; submitting anyone else's paper as your own work. To clarify for purposes of this class: Whenever sufficiently long sequences of words appear in a paper you've turned in that also appear in some other, pre-existing document, this will be taken as prima facia evidence of plagiarism, unless the copied text was explicitly set forth as a quotation, and its source was cited. Simply put, every sentence that you "write" should be of your own composition. -Mike From - Mon Feb 28 11:08:13 2000 Return-Path: Delivered-To: mpf@cise.ufl.edu Received: from frond.cise.ufl.edu (frond.cise.ufl.edu [128.227.248.104]) by mail.cise.ufl.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1B035DCD4; Thu, 24 Feb 2000 15:45:27 -0500 (EST) Received: (from mpf@localhost) by frond.cise.ufl.edu (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id PAA01502; Thu, 24 Feb 2000 15:45:26 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 15:45:26 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <200002242045.PAA01502@frond.cise.ufl.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: frond.cise.ufl.edu: mpf set sender to mpf@cise.ufl.edu using -f From: "Michael P. Frank" To: (CIS 4930/6930) Subject: Option to correct plagiarism. X-Mozilla-Status: 8005 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-UIDL: 7d3ee2f93623b49f3cbbf57b4244c080 Students, For any students who have turned in assignments with copied material posing as your own writing, I offer the following option, to reduce your penalty: * If you volunteer to rewrite the assignment to remove (or quote w. attribution) any verbatim-copied text, and re-submit the assignment, I will regrade it with ONLY a late penalty, and no need for you to sign an adjudication form. * Alternatively, if you don't have time to rewrite the paper, you may volunteer to withdraw it. (For a 57.5% "E" grade.) * However, these options are ONLY available if you volunteer to rewrite or withdraw the paper BEFORE I catch the plagiarism on my own. I will be going back through the earlier papers (I have kept copies) checking for plagiarism. If I catch the plagiarism before you volunteer to fix it on your own, the result will be a zero on that assignment, and an adjudication form which will go on your record. Note that it is NOT enough simply to insert quotation marks and attributions, if your paper is mostly just a collection of copied text. (Given the attribution, it isn't plagiarism, but it still doesn't deserve a good grade.) Your paper must consist primarily of your own original writing. Any remaining quotations must be clearly identified, with citation, and you should primarily only copy things such as tables, data, graphics; that is, literal information you want to present that can't readily be summarized. Or for statements that you wish to comment on or argue with. -Mike