Introduction
Purpose: The purpose of the essay is to discuss plagiarism as a problem in the field of academia. It is also important to highlight how it occurs and the several steps that could be taken to prevent it from happening.
Background: The focus will be on plagiarism and the discussions surrounding it. It will also seek to develop recommendations that could eventually assist in narrowing down the problem in the academic setting.
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Scope: First, it will highlight what entails plagiarism, the trends, and the harmfulness it has in the academic sector and the culture at large. I will summarize the major findings and finally document the recommendations.
Background to the problem under investigation
Plagiarism in the academic setting is described as the presentation of someone's work as one's own ideas with or without their consent. It also involves the incorporation of part or whole of someone's work without their full acknowledgment.
Many universities regard plagiarism as a serious academic offense that automatically leads to discontinuation or any other severe punishment. It is regarded not only as immoral but also unethical irrespective of the person that commits it.
An academic plagiarist can easily get recognition and praise at the expense of the original creator of the content. Essentially, it is regarded as one of the ways in which an individual can steal intellectual property from the owner.
Plagiarism is a serious problem in the field of academia. It is documented that more than 70,000 article abstracts have a striking similarity with one another. Also, most allegations reported regarding the vice of plagiarism go unpunished. As a result, this has given rise to this problem in many academic settings.
Many universities, especially in the US, have taken several steps in a bid to stop this problem which threatens to destroy the moral fabric and integrity of education not only in the country but the rest of the world.
Solution 1: the use of computer programs
Several internet-based software has been used to assist in checking plagiarism and deterring students from engaging in unethical behavior. The first one is known as Tunitin.com. It works with universities to ensure that students do not engage in the malpractice.
Another good example of internet-based software is known as the SafeAssignment. It has the ability to scan up to 8 billion internet documents including a further 300,000 documents availed by Paper Mills. It gives the plagiarism report to the user (Shahabuddin, 2009).
Solution 2: Holding plagiarists Accountable
Without holding the plagiarists accountable, the vice will keep on continuing in the academic field. A lack of accountability means that new ideas will not emerge. Secondly, it means that the plagiarists will continue acquiring the acknowledgment that is not theirs.
Holding the plagiarists accountable will offer the researchers and authors the peace of mind they deserve. It will thus avoid the tendency to repackage old ideas in new forms.
Universities must develop stringent measures against plagiarism. Clear policies should be placed regarding the malpractice with the consequences of well-defined for the involved persons.
Solution 3: Colleges must help students
Colleges must show their determination to help students overcome the problem of plagiarism. First, they should be taught basic skills such as paraphrasing rather than copy-pasting, which helps to limit the chances of plagiarism.
Secondly, the learners should receive proper training on citations to assist them to acknowledge authors whom they borrow work from. Direct quotations, figures, or research conclusions should be cited appropriately, including the author's name, the year of publication, and the page number from which they details are extracted.
Clear policy guidelines should be established to deter plagiarism.
Major Findings/conclusion
Plagiarism is a significant issue that continues to throne the field of academia. It is both unethical and also illegal in the eyes of the intellectual property laws. It is a wrong thing to do no matter the extent. It is regarded as a serious form of scientific misconduct.
Educators and mentors have a responsibility of stopping this vice. They must teach it by giving positive examples and explicit statements. Punitive action should be taken against persons engaging in the act to protect content creators and ensure that new ideas are continuously generated.
Failure to take the necessary steps against plagiarism in the education sector is a serious threat to the education sector. It threatens the welfare of many generations to come, which will depend significantly on the new discoveries that are made today.
Therefore, any sign of plagiarism should be dealt with accordingly. Individuals must show an increased sense of sensitivity to the insidious nature that comes with the problem.
Challenges will remain as regards taking punitive action due to the difficulty associated with defining, prosecuting, and catching plagiarists. Therefore, the most reliable way will rest in promoting good academic practices.
Recommendations
Those whose works have been plagiarized should be protected.
The use of software to detect plagiarism should be prioritized.
Plagiarists should be exposed, and punitive action is taken against them.
Students, especially at the college levels, should be enrolled in an intensive training session on how they can avoid plagiarism.
References
Shahabuddin, S., (2009). Plagiarism in academia. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21(3), 353-359.
