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Ethics Task Force
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Task Force
Topic:
Plagiarism
Science is built on trust and misappropriating the work of others can
jeopardize this trust. The American Association of University
Professors defines plagiarism as “taking over the ideas, methods, or
written words of another, without acknowledgment and with the intention
that they be taken as the work of the deceiver.” Credit may be
acknowledged in three places: the list of authors, an acknowledgment
statement, and list of references or citations (On Being a Scientist,
1995:12). Conflicts over proper credit may arise in any one of these
places.
The protection of intellectual property rights underpins this
long-standing principle of science and scholarship that the work of
others be appropriately acknowledged and cited. According to the
National Academy of Science, “the principle of fairness and the role of
personal recognition within the reward system of science account for
the emphasis given to the proper allocation of credit” (On Being a
Scientist, 1995:12).
Having one’s work cited is an important part of the reward system in
science. Individuals build their professional reputations through their
work and the dissemination of it via publications. If credit for one’s
ideas is misallocated, this undermines the incentive system for
scholarship and publication, which may have consequences for one’s
future career as a scientist.
The difficulty is that, given the free exchange of ideas both within
and outside of the scientific enterprise, it is not always possible to
identify the original source of an idea, set of words, or other forms
of communication. Regardless, this does not absolve scientists from
giving proper credit when they do know where an idea came from and it
is an obligation essential to the integrity of scientific
endeavors.
Case 62. Definition of Plagiarism:
Phrasing
Case 63. Plagiarism in Coursework
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