The much awaited 21st century has come at last. The many revolutions in the last centuries have created a distinct urge for the first light of the new millennium, which will be characterized by the possibility of everything. Food for all by the year 2000, electricity for all by the year 2000 and education for all by the year 2000, as it is commonly said in some third-world countries.
Education for all, what a statement, the cry for leaning and the need for it, is rising at an optimum degree. A call for literacy is ringing across the continents and the global community. As a result of this, research levels are increasing because of the desire to meet up with the demands of the various academic fields, an innumerable number of researchers plough the several research media and institutes seeking answers and/or likely problems.
Despite the sleepless works academics in making the world a better pace and making science the greatest asset of man, one major disheartening issue is the fact that, most of the discoveries, hypothesis and write-ups are plagiarised by some, who are unwilling to go the extra mile, or simply come out in truth and pure conscience to declare that the particular work is an effort of another man. This has proved to be the loudest threat posed on research works.
What is Academic Plagiarism?
Academic Plagiarism is an act of presenting another man's works either through speech or write-up or any electronic media, as if they were yours, without any reference to the source of information. A presentation that is not originally created by you but it is tendered as though it were yours.
What is my attitude towards academic plagiarism?
Academic plagiarism is both an act of cheating and of total impersonation; both are criminal offences. I believe that whoever is caught as a plagiarist should be met with strict disciplinary actions, by the academic body to which the plagiarist presents his or her works. The reason for this is because research works can be very strenuous. It requires a lot of attention, consumers a lot of time, takes away several amount of energy. Furthermore, it demands a great deal of concentration and most researchers are always on the move. This gulps a lot of money. The beauty of its success is to see the works echo through the ages as a monument to the researcher and the researcher alone. However, in the case where this work is “stolen” it is a big heartache. This is the reason why I am of the opinion that an appropriate measure of discipline should be given anyone who commits this crime.
Penalties for Academic Plagiarism in the US academy: - Plagiarism as you agree with me is a criminal offence, punishable by the stated applicable laws of the governing institution. Among the numerous possible penalties are these:-
Failure of Assignment: - This is the first and the paramount decision that is taken against a plagiarist. The reason is, since the creation of the work of research is not originally his/her and appropriate references or remarks are not made to the real owners of such works or papers, the assignment is rendered null. Any such work is not original and should not be tendered as such. Furthermore, insincerity in such dealing is strong enough to make void the assignment.
Failure of Course: - In the US academy when plagiarism is detected in a certain work, after the failure of the assignment, there is also of failure of the course, as a means of expressing the zero tolerance for plagiarism. This is a measure of strict discipline against a plagiarist.
Expulsion: - In the US academic institution, a person convicted of this crime may also suffer a terrible fate of total expulsion, depending on the level of plagiarism. This is because the crime is an act of academic thievery.
Denials of promotion and /or loss of position; - This is another way of treating plagiarism with the strictest measures of dealings. By the forfeiture of positions and promotions that is well deserved a plagiarist is taught a lesson and zero tolerance is also well spelt out to him/her, since one act of plagiarism has cost him so much.
How can Academic plagiarism be avoided? According to blogherald.com/2007/05/28 how-to-stop-plagiarism, I will state three important ways.
Cease and Decease: - This is mostly abbreviated as C and D; is a way of forwarding a formal note of warning to whoever is working as a plagiarist. The appropriate academic and/or research body sends the note of caution to the offender so that he/she may immediately cease and decease from the work, to reduce legal action. This medium is mostly used when the plagiarism is still minimal.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA):- In this way a write-up is sent to the various online search engines stating that the particular effort is a plagiarised work, followed by a demand to effect deletion of the materials so as to stop the encouragement of the work. When this is done, the work is declared a false achievement and as such it is treated with contempt.
Notification of Advertisement Network in Use: - Through the same (DMCA) notes and writings of notification are sent to the various advertisement networks, to stop promoting this work. When actions like this are taken, the work is not only announced through the most effective media as stolen, it is also prevented from further spread. Hence it reduces the possibility of an undue advantage given to a plagiarist for another's effort. The advertisement network in turn deletes the plagiarized work and then further appropriate actions can now be taken against the offender.
What tools exists to detect it and how do they work? The existing tools that I personally feel are.
Search Engines: - When a work is submitted, the concerned academic body should check for the authenticity of the authorship and the originality of the work done. This is achieved by checking the search engines for the existence of such works on any e-library or related electronic archives. By so doing no plagiarist will sneak past unnoticed and undetected. Therefore the use of search engines is very important to uncovering the activities of plagiarists.
Personal Effort: - A researcher should endeavour to post his/her works as journals or otherwise on the web. This will help reduce plagiarism, since search engines will always indicate its authorship and link the originality of the work back to the real researcher whenever it is checked for plagiarism. So, researchers themselves are advised to take to this safe means of avoiding the plagiarism of their works.
Conclusion: - Plagiarism is a crime against research; it should be condemned at all academic levels and should never be given a breathing space and so should plagiarist be treated. This is my personal cry against this crime plagiarism and I hope my little effort is worthy of fighting against it.
