Considering the dialogue on plagiarism, this was a heated debate that represented different ideas including mine on the whether one is able to maintain entirely his own ideas without borrowing from other authors or sources. In this regard, the term academic dishonesty and proper referencing which emanates from a cognitive development argument are highlighted in the discussion (Popova 12-26). The participants are in academic debate setting in one of the public universities in USA. A part from me, we have Mary (an engineering student), Kevin, Mathew, Praxedes, Irene (student from the faculty of education), and Constance. This discussion or debate commences in the school boardroom.
Me: (Taking a deep sigh) I take this opportunity to welcome you people, what is your perspective about plagiarism? Is it a challenges especially as science students in our day to day academic life?
Irene: (who responds quickly) plagiarism has been found, flagrant and rampant in institutions today, Mr. speaker, the issue is whether we can do without using other people’s work in our research as science students.
Praxedes: (feeling agitated) I think Irene has not understood the question, to me plagiarism is an act of academic theft and dishonesty which is a criminal offence. However, we cannot completely eliminate it.
Kelvin: (after a period of silence) in most cases, our reports and research work is never original because we peg our findings and investigation based on secondary sources. I think this is all plagiarism.
Mary: I beg to disagree with Kelvin, as long as you quote or reference other people’s work, then that is not plagiarism.
Mathew: (possess a question in laughter) you guys never stop to amuse me, how do one claim they are original in their work yet there findings or analysis is explained using other concepts from other people’s work or research?
Me: I agree with Mary, however all other responses are also honored. In my view, if one is doing research after finding their own data, we cannot independently work or analyze without renowned scientific facts, theories, or principles. Though, this has to be done with a lot of acknowledgement of the authors for it not to be plagiarized.
Constance: does it mean that, at one point we cannot do without other people’s work?
Mathew: (nodding in approval) you’re are right.
Praxedes: am kind of confused, then we don’t have learners or people who maintain 100% originality at one point in academic or scientific research.
Kevin: (smiling) there are dimensions of plagiarism that we not want to compromise with.
Irene: Kelvin, enlighten us on this please.
Me: yeah
Kelvin: literary theft in academics is a negligence of writers or researchers which I can group them into revealed dimensions on plagiarism; first is the excuse to plagiarize, secondly is impersonal and personal sources, and quality of the information used.
Praxedes: what about them?
Me: I seem to have understood Kelvin.
Irene: am not in agreement at all.
Mary: Kelvin, I suppose the aspect of plagiarism is a challenge to both of us, unless we find the meaning and how to avert it, lest we all be caught pants down on this.
Me: to me, copying and pasting without proper citation or referencing the authors work is the greatest theft in academics. Who else agrees with me?
Mathew: basing on Popova (20) “Combinatorial creativity and the myth of originality”, one cannot be creative on their own since all information has been published, we can only help ourselves by owning other people’s ideas in a manner that doesn’t seem ours entirely. So I agree.
Me: (nodding in approval) what about you Irene?
Irene: I also want to agree with you on the matter of plagiarism which is highlighted in the student’s integrity policy. Inability to indicate the source of the information or quote as long as it’s not from us is plagiarism.
Praxedes: am convinced
Mathew: right
Constance: (feeling relaxed) so the most important point here is proper use of source to relay our argument in bid to avert plagiarism.
Me: Exactly.
(Everyone is happy and is rush to their respective lectures, debate ends)
Works Cited
Popova, M. "Combinatorial creativity and the myth of originality." Innovations: How human ingenuity is changing the way we live (2012).
