Response to discussion 1
Rachael
In the medical field, I see more people over-cite than under-cite or plagiarize for fear of professional repercussions. As a society, we advance by building on one’s ideas, specifically healthcare, in the sense that we grow on the successes and failures of others to advance our clinical practice guidelines and standards of care. It is ingrained in us as medical professionals to give credit where credit is due. In many cases, the author’s intent is not to cheat or steal someone’s ideas, but perhaps the fault lies in the institutional lack of adequate training and education on proper citing techniques. In high school, my English teacher spent days teaching the MLA format. In nursing school, I was expected to utilize APA formatting by reading a book. Luckily, I was afforded multiple opportunities before graduation to correct my deficiencies, and I did not intend to appear to be plagiarizing. Perhaps the lack of hands-on educational instruction and societal understanding could be why we fail at properly citing our references.
After reviewing all of the materials for Module 1, I wondered which ideas I had fully developed as opposed to being products of my experiences or that I had “stolen” from papers and videos in my many years in my profession and life. If someone blatantly cheats off a test or copies a paper, then yes, that is wrong. One is left to ponder our experiences, research, and exposure to information throughout life. At what point are our thoughts considered original? Is there such a thing as an original idea?
D’yani
Have you ever witnessed someone copying work? Did you hear about it from a family member or friend? Share a scenario that affected you and how you felt about the unethical behavior you witnessed (or heard about).
As a previous college student living on campus, I have witnessed other students copying work. In this particular situation, it had to do with one student having to complete an essay as an assignment and another student offering “services” to write other people’s essays or even do their homework altogether. There would be relatively large study groups, and I had overheard students talking about the deal. “I can write your essay for you or do your homework for you at this set price. I’m an amazing writer.” This is a perfect example of global plagiarism.
This situation may have not affected me directly but at the time it was a disappointing feeling for not just me but fellow students in the study group as well. For all of us to not only work hard to get into the college of our choice but working hard to maintain the work ethic to stay in school. To both of the students, not all deals/opportunities are worth making/paying money for, especially in this scenario. They aren’t learning anything. After witnessing the unethical behavior, it really just reminded me why I wanted to get my degree in the first place. I wasn’t being forced to be there, it’s a privilege/amazing opportunity to be able to attend a university. Not everyone gets to experience it. It motivated me to remain honest, authentic, have integrity, and not give into the social norm of cheating to cut corners out of convenience. It also motivated me to not surround myself with people who are okay with that behavior. The way someone does one thing is how they do everything.
