Introduction
Issues of academic integrity are on the minds of most instructors, in different levels of education. For example, plagiarism and academic dishonesty are ubiquitous in many academic circles. The growing numbers of educational institutions that have site licenses to use anti plagiarism softwares show that issues of academic integrity are both pervasive and frustrating in the education sector.
This paper is an essay about a book titled, “Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success”, by Lipson (1). From an ethical and moral perspective, this essay provides an overview of the book and explains its contribution to my academic endeavors. It also highlights its importance in improving the quality of my academic pursuits.
Overarching Importance of the Book
In his book, Lipson (2) discusses two main issues – academic honesty and citation. His text is useful to academicians because it highlights the importance of honest work by explaining the main principles of honesty and the importance of maintaining consistent standards of academic integrity throughout all stages of one’s academic career.
His work is also beneficial to academicians because it explains the importance of citation (to avoid plagiarism) and provides a guide for students to follow when using different citation styles, including APA, MLA, Chicago and other citation styles (Lipson 66-87).
Although this citation guide is elaborate, I did not find some citation styles useful to my academic pursuits because some of them focus on academic disciplines that I do not pursue. For example, I did not find the ACS and CSE citations useful to me because they focus on chemistry and biology (respectively), which I do not study.
Citation (Use of Internet)
Lipson (21) presents some valuable lessons regarding the use of internet research as a source of study materials. Many researchers use virtual articles because of increased access to the internet and the ease of obtaining materials online. However, Lipson (21-22) cautions us not to use internet sources blindly. Some of the most significant issues he highlights include the following:
- The quality of information on the web varies significantly (anybody with a computer and an internet connection can post anything on the web)
- While internet search may help to narrow down on a topic, it may erode the context of the research
- Easy access to virtual information (copy pasting) may easily lead to plagiarism, which is an academic offense
- Do not copy-paste too much information from online sources because it could be difficult to keep track of all the information
To address some of the above-mentioned issues, he recommends the following actions
- Search for additional test strings in online research (look for background information) to understand the context of study (Lipson 25)
- Screen sources and use only reliable virtual databases, such as e-journals to avoid plagiarism (Lipson 25)
- Have Q-notes to keep track of all the information copied and pasted in the final paper
- To save the URLs and of the websites visited and the dates accessed because such information would be important in later referencing (Lipson 21-22)
- To crosscheck sources of virtual information (Lipson 21)
- If unsure about which sources to use, it is important to ask the academic supervisor, or a librarian, for guidance
The technical issues of the book notwithstanding, I found the context of the book to be of importance to my personal and academic development
Importance of the Book to My Personal and Academic Development
The gist of the information presented by Lipson (10) is the need to uphold academic integrity in academics. Academic integrity is a relatively broad term that outlines the moral and ethical codes of conducting academic studies. The concept addresses several issues, such as plagiarism, avoidance, and cheating (Lipson 10-15).
The main objective of upholding academic integrity is to observe high (quality) standards of conducting academic studies. The purpose of doing so is to encourage honesty and rigor when conducting research studies. Most of the integrity issues discussed by Lipson (10) made me reflect on the importance of having a proper studying schedule that lessens the need to cheat, or participate in dishonest academic work.
Particularly, his focus on time management has addressed the core of my failure to complete my assignments on time because procrastination and poor time management have contributed to my failure to deliver assignments on time. Furthermore, they have often increased the temptation to cheat. To address this problem, I would be a better planner. For example, I would break down the research process into different stages.
Each of them would have a timeline for completion. Instead of waiting until it is too late to start a research project, I would make sure I start each research process on time and complete it before it is due. My poor time management techniques have always increased the pressure to meet deadlines and possibly compromised my quality of work.
In order of importance, my priorities in school have been to
- Learn
- Participate in extra-curricular activities
- Socialize (meet new people)
- Visit new places
Academics fall within the learning context. Since it is first in my list of priorities, the information presented by Lipson (10), in his book, is invaluable to my personal and academic development. For example, it is useful in understanding the consequences of my actions. Indeed, when in college, it is easy to overlook how current actions affect the future. For example, there is a pressure to pass examinations and present good grades, regardless of the means used to do so.
Therefore, a student may believe that “the end justifies the means” because, after all, people are more inclined to appreciate performance, as opposed to the methods a student uses to get the grades. However, I believe my actions and lifestyle choices would affect my future because we live in a world where information spreads rapidly and the lack of integrity could mean the end of one’s career. Lipson (41) affirms this fact when he emphasizes the need for honesty in research work.
He cautions people from cooking data and presenting them in a manner that would please their audiences, while hiding the truth. Instead, he encourages academicians to present information as they are and not as people would want to see it (Lipson 41).
This assertion has influenced my perspective of life because I believe engaging in dishonest work is a short-term view of life because some of these ills could plague one’s career progress. For example, people may suffer a reputational damage if people learn that they cheated on their exams. Such concerns show that my present actions and lifestyle choices affect my future.
Lipson’s (26) work has also brought my attention to the need to change my communication style, behaviors, relationships, and perspective of life. In terms of my communication style, his work has highlighted the need for me to listen more and to be a better reader (Lipson 26).
I have found this inspiration through his excerpt on foreign language, where he says honesty could help people to learn new languages by teaching them how to be good readers and how to translate language more accurately (Lipson 26). By learning the same skills, Lipson (26) also says such skills would help to make readers more spontaneous speakers and writers. I believe these skills would positively influence my communication skills and relationships with my colleagues and family members.
Lipson’s (26) work has also encouraged me to change my perspective about my weaknesses and shortcomings. Concisely, I have learned that instead of looking at them as some of my greatest failures, I should look at them as learning experiences. Such changes in perspective could change my approach in life by making me more positive and receptive to criticism. This change would not only positively affect my behaviors, but also improve my attitude towards my academic and personal endeavors.
Summary
“Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success” is not only an interesting literary piece about academic integrity and its importance, but also an elaborate guide to undertaking quality academic work. I would recommend other students to read it to avoid common academic violations, such as cheating and plagiarism (among others), because it openly explains the principles of academic integrity and outlines ways that most students could follow to meet them.
The book covers different spheres of academic work, including group work, laboratory assignments, and individual projects. In this regard, it is useful to different people in the academic field.
For example, teachers could find the book important in starting discussions about some of the ethical and moral issues associated with academic work. Students are also bound to find the text useful in understanding different citation styles, regardless of whichever academic field they like. Compressively, the book is an interesting read for teachers and students alike.
Works Cited
Lipson, Charles. Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success, Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2008. Print.