This session mainly covered ethical considerations, guidelines and instructions about avoiding plagiarism. Ethical consideration is an umbrella term consists of several issues, dos and don’ts of plagiarism. The reasons why we must take a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism can be categorized as ethical concerns, academic integrity, credibility, legal consequences, fairness. Plagiarism is simply defined as uncredited use of texts. It is copying someone else’s work without proper credit is seen as immoral and deceitful. constitutes intellectual theft by claiming ownership of another person’s ideas and effort.in sum, it is buying, borrowing, stealing, copying, and hiring or forcing someone else to write for you. University and educational establishments enforce stringent regulations on plagiarism to uphold academic honesty and foster creativity in students’ assignments. It guarantees that students acquire the ability to combine information, enhance critical thinking abilities, and generate original ideas. Plagiarism damages an individual’s credibility and reputation. It may damage one’s professional and academic standing. Plagiarism may bring legal consequences for the transgressor, particularly if it involves copyright violation of intellectual property rights. Plagiarism nullifies and downgrades students’ effort, time, budget and stifles their creativity in their work. Students contribute to a just and competitive educational setting by avoiding plagiarism. Hence, it is crucial to steer clear of plagiarism to maintain ethical principles, protect academic and professional honesty, and encourage equity in the learning and research journey.
There are six excuses that do not work when it comes to adhering to a zero-plagiarism policy. The first one is “I didn’t mean to plagiarize.” The second one is “I forgot to bring the citation.” The third one can be the writer’s carelessness in meeting the related standards. The fourth one is “I am presenting facts, not ideas.” The fifth one is “this writer is better.” In dealing with any of these six misconceptions or mistakes, there is one pivotal note: on the part of the writer, not knowing the rules or misconducting the regulations doesn’t exempt responsibility. An analogy between a writer and a driver may help clarify its intricacies and significance to some extent. When you sit to drive on highways, it means you know the rules and regulations. It is not possible to start driving a car on a highway and then have an accident. When it comes to legal responsibility, you cannot seek excuses claiming you didn’t know how to push the brake to slow down the car or how to stay in lane. It makes no difference. Using a car as a driver presupposes your full awareness, commitment and mastery to the rules of driving skill. The same thing goes when you pen something academically. It should strictly adhere to rules and regulations, following ethical considerations and avoiding plagiarism.
When it comes to avoiding plagiarism, it is essential to follow its rules and regulations in all aspects of academic writing and submission, including term papers, theses, dissertations, assignments, and so forth. Paraphrasing, as previously covered, can assist writers in avoiding plagiarism. An important method for eliminating superficial paraphrasing is to read the book, paper, or part of the book deeply and carefully. Then, close them and try to rewrite the content as closely as possible in your own words. By comparing the original source with your work, you can easily maintain its originality and novelty, conveying the original message in a new form. Care must be taken not to paraphrase technical terms.