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Mariner Tutorials


Intellectual / Academic Honesty

What's In This Module: Introduction:

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."

Interesting thought, don't you think? But, who said it and when?

Whenever we use the exact words -- or even the ideas -- of other writers in our own writing, it is imperative that we give credit to the original source. For the record, the above quote is by H. G. Wells, from his book The Outline of History (originally published in 1920).

If you incorporate this statement into your writing, you need to give credit to Mr. Wells -- whether you quote his words exactly (using quotation marks around the text), or put his ideas into your own words (for example, by writing that only education can prevent global disaster).

Most colleges and universities have explicit rules regarding intellectual or academic honesty. Students in the University of Maine System can check the Student Conduct Handbook for your campus to see what the rules are. The University of Maine System campuses with their handbooks online are as follows: What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is using other people's words or ideas, then representing them as your own without acknowledging your sources. The originator of a work owns it and the rights to its use by others. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to cite all quoted or paraphrased material correctly.

What is Fabrication of Data?

Fabrication is inventing or falsifying information to fit a desired outcome. Tactics can include improperly quoting material, making up citations to fit a required time period for data, putting authoritative names to non-identified material, inventing quotes or dates or statistics. All these methods of "getting the results" you want are dishonest. The penalty for such actions can be a failing grade in a course or even expulsion from the university.

What is Cheating?

Cheating involves all of the above, but most people think of cheating as copying answers from another student during an exam or copying or buying a term paper from another person or company.

Instructors know that students can purchase essays or term papers. For papers obtained from the Web, instructors can use software that identifies papers that have been produced by an outside source. Save yourself time and misery by doing your own work.

Why not Cheat?

Making up data or copying from another student or taking someone else's ideas/material without properly acknowledging them is dishonest and corrupts the educational process. Students who use dishonest methods do an injustice to their fellow students and endanger their own futures.

Do the work and the work will be yours forever.

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