What are some experiences students and instructors have with plagiarism?

1. When students do not clearly address the topic . . .

Student: All freshmen were forced to read this book about Lance Armstrong, the bicycler, this year. Well, I didn’t get to it. We were supposed to read it in the summer. I was busy in the summer. Anyway, I’m out of time. The topic is a good one, something about how Armstrong overcame obstacles like cancer and the Tour de France. I wrote a paper in high school about overcoming obstacles. If I slap on a new introduction, maybe look up something on Google about Armstrong, and then point out how my life is sort of like his was, then I should be set.

Instructor: I’m not sure this guy has even read the book. Most of his material has little, well, nothing to do with the text. And the introduction has a different focus than the rest of the text. I bet if I did a search on just the introduction . . . yep, there it is, in so many words. He doesn’t use the words verbatim, but it’s clear his introduction is modeled off this page or one like it. I wonder if this is a recycled paper. Perhaps it’s something he’s written before. In our student-teacher conference I’ll sit down and ask him some questions about the book. The assignment clearly states, “use evidence from the text to support your claim.” He is not really answering the question I posed in the assignment, nor is he covering material we discussed in class.

2. When students get ideas from writing center tutors . . .

Student: My teacher said I need help with the “scope” of my research paper. It’s too large. Seems to me I can write about marijuana just fine.
Tutor: I can see your teacher’s point. There’s a lot of materials and angles on this one. Tell me more about what you’re thinking.
Student: Well, I’m from Seattle. There’s a lot of dope there.
Tutor: Seattle. How nice! I hear there’s good fishing in the Northwest.
Student: Yeah. I have friends who used to smoke a lot while fishing, actually.
Tutor: What kind of fishing is good there?
Student: Oh, fly-fishing is all I know about.
Tutor: Sounds like you know a lot about it, actually. Have you thought about writing a paper about fishing in the Northwest? How about how fishing is kind of like life. Have you read Raymond Carver? Could make a great comparison there to what he and maybe Hemingway say.
Student: Dang! Those are great ideas! Yeah, better than something on marijuana probably. Can you tell me the names of those authors again? I need to write them down.
Tutor: Sure!

Instructor: I’ve received three papers this semester that compare and contrast metaphors in Carver with metaphors in Hemingway. Something’s going on. Each of these students changed topics, too. Their dialogue journals were about racism, marijuana, and cloning. Mind you, I’d rather read topics that are more particular and actually have a claim that can be proven with the scope of the assignment. But something’s going on. These papers are not very well developed, anyway. It’s as if these students had never really read Carver or Hemingway before. All three confuse what Carver is suggesting. They don’t have the background. I need to set up individual appointments with these students. Their papers are different, but the ideas behind them are all the same. I wonder if they all live in the same dorm or something. I’m concerned that they’re missing out on much of the writing process, such as working through narrowing a topic and focusing in order to develop a useable claim and thesis. Looks like they’re missing out because they have not begun to develop their thinking in ways necessary to prove their thesis statements.

3. When students get help from peers . . .

Student: English does not come easy for me because it’s my second language. With a lot of work I can do pretty well. It helps me to have someone else read my drafts to me aloud. The Writing Center says this is a good strategy. In fact, I just turned in a paper that my best friend helped me with. She read it aloud. She’s really good. She gives good writing advice as she reads.

Instructor: A student who is bilingual has demonstrated a lot of progress throughout the semester. The Writing Center reports she has been visiting nearly every week. But on her latest draft in a few places she’s using complex sentences that she’s never used before. I doubt she copied these sentences from somewhere because of the personal nature of the essay. But, it’s clear these are not her words. I hope she knows the difference! She could really get into trouble if she can’t see or hear the difference between her words and someone else’s words.

4. When students commit technology-enhanced academic dishonesty . . .

Student: I’m out of time. I have two tests tomorrow, I can’t find my cat, and I have this dang paper to write. I’m supposed to do research on it. I can’t go to the library. Shoot. Well, let’s see. What research can I do about my topic, this issue in South America, online. Google. Okay, some key words. There. Wow! Tons of stuff. Okay, I’m scrolling . . . scrolling . . . this looks interesting. Good stuff! Yeah, this is right on. You know, I really am out of time. And this person says everything I was going to say, basically. I would have come up with all of this if I had the time. Okay then. I’ll change a few things in the beginning and at the end. Okay. Done.

Instructor: I can’t believe this. It is obvious that this student could not have written most of this. The information in this paragraph is very well written. And it would require a lot of research that I know the student has not done. Let’s take a look at the Internet. Yep. This is not only plagiarized . . . it’s copied in many places verbatim. This is not just a zero. I’ll meet with this student and the Writing Program Director, but my first impulse is to fail the student for the course. Whether I take it to the next level depends on if the student says he made a mistake or not. This is completely unacceptable. And the student had plenty of time. I’d rather see something turned in late than this. Talk about academic dishonesty. This is very offensive.

5. When students submit work clearly not their own . . .

Student: Next semester I have to take Composition II. I’m told all of the essays are similar to the final essay in this course, Composition I. Well, if they’re similar, then my roommate probably wouldn’t mind if I borrowed one of his papers for next semester’s course for this semester. He took it last year, anyway. I found it on his computer. No way they can trace it. It’d save me a ton of time. And I know this stuff anyway. I have to do a whole other semester after the break. What’s the difference?

Instructor: I can’t believe this student actually thought she could submit this essay. It includes material from a course she hasn’t even taken yet. We haven’t introduced Toulmin logic and ethos, pathos, and logos. There’s no way this is her paper. My guess is she has an older brother or sister who gave her the essay. I can’t prove this, of course, but I’m concerned. She’s going to miss a lot this semester and next semester if she just submits work without thinking through it. We need an intervention. I’ll schedule a meeting immediately and see if she has anything to tell me.