Question
: Do the following scenarios constitute plagiarism or not? Explain.
1. Sam found a chart on a medical organization web page which compared the incidence of job-related accidents to employee training. He found the title of the chart, the date, and knows the URL (web address) for the chart. He put this information in his References page and added the title and date information in parentheses under the chart.
3. Julia has been working on her paper for her composition class and came up with a draft for workshop. She got some good ideas from a workshop, but before submitting her final paper she gives the paper to her sister so she can get some help with making it sound better. Her sister helps her with grammar and punctuation and rewrites a few sentences to make the transitions smoother and the vocabulary more elevated. Julia then turns it in for a grade.
4. Mark found an interesting text from a book and decided to use it in his paper. He changed some of the words and sentences in the text but kept the overall structure of the text and the vocabulary the same as in the original text. He then cited the source both inside the text and at the end of the paper.
5. You find a great source for research on the Internet. The site has no author, so you copy the information and use it in your assignment without citation.
1. Sam found a chart on a medical organization web page which compared the incidence of job-related accidents to employee training. He found the title of the chart, the date, and knows the URL (web address) for the chart. He put this information in his References page and added the title and date information in parentheses under the chart.
3. Julia has been working on her paper for her composition class and came up with a draft for workshop. She got some good ideas from a workshop, but before submitting her final paper she gives the paper to her sister so she can get some help with making it sound better. Her sister helps her with grammar and punctuation and rewrites a few sentences to make the transitions smoother and the vocabulary more elevated. Julia then turns it in for a grade.
4. Mark found an interesting text from a book and decided to use it in his paper. He changed some of the words and sentences in the text but kept the overall structure of the text and the vocabulary the same as in the original text. He then cited the source both inside the text and at the end of the paper.
5. You find a great source for research on the Internet. The site has no author, so you copy the information and use it in your assignment without citation.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Let's analyze each scenario to determine whether it constitutes plagiarism or not.
1. **Sam's Scenario**: Sam found a chart on a medical organization web page and included the title, date, and URL in his References page, along with the title and date under the chart. **This does not constitute plagiarism** because he has properly cited the source. By providing the necessary information—title, date, and URL—he gives credit to the original creator of the chart, which is an essential step in avoiding plagiarism.
2. **Julia's Scenario**: Julia receives help from her sister to improve grammar, punctuation, and transitions in her draft. **This does not constitute plagiarism**. Since her sister's assistance involves revising and improving Julia's own writing rather than providing new ideas or contents, Julia can claim the final work as her own. As long as she is the original author of the ideas and the primary content, seeking assistance in editing does not constitute academic dishonesty.
3. **Mark's Scenario**: Mark found a text, changed some of the words and sentences, but kept the overall structure and vocabulary similar to the original text. He cited the source correctly both in-text and in the References. **This constitutes plagiarism** despite the citation. This is a classic case of "patchwriting," where the writer is not creating original content but rather modifying someone else’s work. Even with a citation, failing to express the ideas in one's own unique voice and structure can be considered plagiarism because he has not transformed the original work into a sufficiently original piece.
4. **The Unknown Source Scenario**: You find a source without an author, copy the information, and use it in your assignment without citation. **This constitutes plagiarism** because failing to cite any information, regardless of the source's authorship, constitutes a lack of credit to the original creator. Using someone else's ideas or information without proper attribution is considered academic dishonesty, regardless of whether the source has an identifiable author.
In summary:
1. Not plagiarism
2. Not plagiarism
3. Plagiarism
4. Plagiarism
1. **Sam's Scenario**: Sam found a chart on a medical organization web page and included the title, date, and URL in his References page, along with the title and date under the chart. **This does not constitute plagiarism** because he has properly cited the source. By providing the necessary information—title, date, and URL—he gives credit to the original creator of the chart, which is an essential step in avoiding plagiarism.
2. **Julia's Scenario**: Julia receives help from her sister to improve grammar, punctuation, and transitions in her draft. **This does not constitute plagiarism**. Since her sister's assistance involves revising and improving Julia's own writing rather than providing new ideas or contents, Julia can claim the final work as her own. As long as she is the original author of the ideas and the primary content, seeking assistance in editing does not constitute academic dishonesty.
3. **Mark's Scenario**: Mark found a text, changed some of the words and sentences, but kept the overall structure and vocabulary similar to the original text. He cited the source correctly both in-text and in the References. **This constitutes plagiarism** despite the citation. This is a classic case of "patchwriting," where the writer is not creating original content but rather modifying someone else’s work. Even with a citation, failing to express the ideas in one's own unique voice and structure can be considered plagiarism because he has not transformed the original work into a sufficiently original piece.
4. **The Unknown Source Scenario**: You find a source without an author, copy the information, and use it in your assignment without citation. **This constitutes plagiarism** because failing to cite any information, regardless of the source's authorship, constitutes a lack of credit to the original creator. Using someone else's ideas or information without proper attribution is considered academic dishonesty, regardless of whether the source has an identifiable author.
In summary:
1. Not plagiarism
2. Not plagiarism
3. Plagiarism
4. Plagiarism