The consequences for committing plagiarism can be severe, including penalties such as receiving a failing grade or even expulsion from the university. Universities educate students on how to avoid plagiarism and the potential consequences of committing it [1]“Plagiarism investigation and penalties,” [online] Available: https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/citing-your-sources/what-common-knowledge. [Accessed: 5 November, 2022]..
Investigation & what happens afterwards?
Upon discovery of plagiarism, the incident will be reported to the dean for review. Typically, a meeting between the course supervisor, dean, and student will be held to determine the appropriate action. Minor incidents may be handled directly, while major incidents are typically overseen by a university committee. The student may also be required to seek external counseling. Each university has its own academic integrity committee, so the specific penalties may vary. Regardless, plagiarism should not be taken lightly as the consequences can be severe.
Case Study 1
Action:
You took the slides with you to an open-book exam, or you have your notes from the professor in class that you copied word for word. You use these notes in the exam or on an written essay.
Consequences:
This counts as plagiarism. The committee may determine that this is enough to fail you for the grade. To avoid this, you can use quotation marks and mention that these are the ideas given by the professor or from the slides.
Case Study 2
Action:
You buy or sell full reports to or from other students. It is also possible that you find written essays online, and since you are running out of time to write your own essay, you turn in this online version.
Consequences:
These types of bought/found reports normally go through a plagiarism scanner, which can easily determine the originality of the work. When you are found to be guilty to this offense, you can be dropped from the course or worse. Furthermore, most websites that are claiming “plagiarism-free” reports, are scammers. You will never know to how many they sold the exact same report to. Do NOT fall for this trick!
References & Links
| ↑1 | “Plagiarism investigation and penalties,” [online] Available: https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/citing-your-sources/what-common-knowledge. [Accessed: 5 November, 2022]. |
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