8.6 CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM
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Different colleges define cheating in different ways. Some include the following activities in their definition of cheating: looking over a classmate’s shoulder for an answer, using a calculator when it is not permitted, obtaining or discussing an exam (or individual questions from an exam) without permission, copying someone else’s lab notes, purchasing or using term papers over the Internet, watching the video instead of reading the book, and copying computer files. Whatever your college’s rules about cheating, you must follow them.
Many colleges do not allow certain activities in addition to lying and cheating. Here are some examples of prohibited behaviors:
intentionally inventing information or results
submitting the same piece of academic work, such as a research paper, for credit in more than one course
giving your exam answers to another student to copy during the actual exam or before that exam is given to another class
bribing anyone in exchange for any kind of academic advantage
helping or trying to help another student commit a dishonest act
Why Students Cheat and the Consequences of Cheating
Students cheat mainly when they believe they cannot do well on their own. Some college students developed a habit of cheating in high school or even elementary or middle school and do not trust their own ability to succeed in classes. Other students simply don’t know the rules. For example, some students incorrectly think that buying a term paper isn’t cheating.
Cultural and college differences may cause some students to cheat. In other countries and at some U.S. colleges, students are encouraged to review past exams as practice exercises. Some colleges permit sharing answers and information for homework and other assignments with friends. Make sure you know the policy at your college.
Pressures from others—family, peers, and instructors—might cause some students to consider cheating. And there is no doubt that we live in a competitive society. But in truth, grades are nothing if you cheat to earn them. Even if your grades help you get a job, it is what you have actually learned that will help you keep that job and be promoted. If you haven’t learned what you need to know, you won’t be ready to work in your chosen field.
Sometimes lack of preparation will cause students to cheat. Perhaps they tell themselves that they aren’t really dishonest and that cheating just “one time” won’t matter. But if you cheat one time, you’re more likely to do it again.
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Although you might see some students who seem to be getting away with cheating, such behaviors can have severe and life-changing results. In some cases, students who have cheated on examinations have been suspended or expelled; graduates have had their college degrees revoked.
Here are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of problems with academic honesty:
Know the rules. Learn the academic code for your college by going to its website or checking in the student handbook.
Set clear boundaries. Refuse when others ask you to help them cheat. This might be hard to do, but you must say no. Leave your cell phone in your book bag; instructors are often suspicious when they see students looking at their cell phones during an exam.
Improve time management. Be well prepared for all quizzes, exams, projects, and papers.
Seek help. Find out where you can get help with study skills, time management, and test taking. If your skills are in good shape but the content of the course is too hard, consult your instructor, join a study group, or visit your campus learning center or tutorial service.
Withdraw from the course. Your college has a policy about dropping courses and a deadline to drop without penalty. You might decide to drop only the course that’s giving you trouble. Some students choose to withdraw from all classes and take time off before returning to school if they find themselves in over their heads or if a long illness, a family crisis, or something else has caused them to fall behind. But before withdrawing, ask about college policies in terms of financial aid and other scholarship programs. See your adviser before you decide to withdraw.
Reexamine goals. Stick to your own realistic goals instead of giving in to pressure from family members or friends to achieve impossibly high standards.
YOUR TURN > DISCUSS IT
Some students think it is acceptable to get answers from another student who took the exam earlier in the term or in a prior term. What do you think?
About Plagiarism
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Plagiarism is taking another person’s work or ideas and presenting them as your own. Plagiarism is unacceptable in a college setting. Just as taking someone else’s property is considered physical theft, taking credit for someone else’s ideas is considered intellectual theft. In written reports and papers, you must give credit anytime you use (a) another person’s actual words; (b) another person’s ideas or theories, even if you don’t quote them directly; or (c) any other information that is not considered common knowledge.
Occasionally, politicians, public figures, writers, and journalists who have plagiarized have jeopardized their careers. In fall 2014, Senator John Walsh of Montana had his master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College revoked because of plagiarism. He later left the 2014 Senate race. In spring 2013, Fox News analyst Juan Williams was criticized for plagiarizing material from a Center for American Progress report in a column he wrote for a political insider publication, but he blamed his research assistant. Even a few college presidents have been found guilty of borrowing the words of others and using them as their own in speeches and written documents. Such discoveries may result not only in embarrassment and shame but also in lawsuits and criminal actions.
Because there is no universal rule about plagiarism, ask your instructors about the guidelines they set in their classes. Once you know the rules, plagiarism is easy to avoid. Keep careful notes as you do your research, so that later on you don’t mistake someone else’s words or ideas for your own. Finally, be sure to check out your college’s official definition of plagiarism, which you will find in the student handbook, college catalog, college website, course syllabi, or first-year course materials. If you have any questions about what is and isn’t acceptable, be sure to ask someone in charge. “I didn’t know” is not a valid excuse.
It should go without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that intentional plagiarism is a bad idea on many levels. Aside from the possibility of being caught and the potential for punishment—a failing grade, suspension, or even expulsion—submitting a paper purchased from an Internet source, copying and pasting passages from someone else’s paper, or lifting material from a published source will cause you to miss out on the discovery and skill development that research assignments are meant to teach.
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