Introduction
Plagiarism and other unfair practices are a problem for international students. This has resulted from increased use of other people’s inventions and ideas in learning institutions by lecturers without giving due credit to the sources of these ideas (Hall, 2004, para.1).
Definition
Plagiarism is described as a fraud in the sense that people obtain other people’s original ideas and cite them as their own inventions without crediting their source. Some students copy other people’s work directly from various sources such as books, articles or internet articles and present it as their own original work. Where an individual uses another person’s ideas and consequently fail to acknowledge the source of the information, such an act leads to plagiarism (Hall, 2004, para. 2).
Examples of Plagiarism
Many people commit the act unconsciously. In a given case, one can find information which is relevant to the study or research being conducted thus copying it directly or does not give credit to the author. To avoid plagiarism, the researcher must ensure that the work being presented is legitimate.
Example of plagiarism- From 1945 onwards, there has been a fundamental hypothesis that poorer countries of the world are slowly developing towards the western model. In addition, there has been a view that the international aid policy should be geared to this end. Many Arab countries for example Japan-restructured under US guidance after 1945, believe in this hypothesis. The word bank categorizes countries either as high, middle and low income.
The low income countries are characterized by high levels of deceases, poverty, and are working hard with the help of high and middle countries to assist the improve their living standards by assuming western-style economic managements and institutions. This phrase is plagiarized and to some extent the original meaning intended by the author is changed.
Also, the source of the information is not reflected in the text. To avoid plagiarism, this phrase should have been presented as follows; since the World War II, countries which were poorly developed are believed to be adopting western style with examples of Japan (currently developed) in order to develop. This has created levels of development among the developed and developing countries (Buckley, 2004, p.7).
The second example of plagiarism is also illustrated as follows; a person can be a good conversationalist by being a good listener. When one is conversing with someone else, he / she should pay close attention to the words of the speaker and also looking at his or her face. One should show the interest by smiling and/or nodding.
In addition, one should not interrupt while the other is speaking: this is impolite. If one has a good story, he / she should wait until the speaker has finished. To add on this, one should watch the body language as can affect the communication whether one is the speaker or the listener. For instance, one should not sit slumped in a chair or make nervous hand and foot movements. One should be relaxed and bending the body slightly forward to show interest in the person and the conversation.
This phrase lacks the source of this information. Also, it is apparent that the information has been obtained from another source and changed to represent the third person.
To avoid plagiarism, this should have been presented as follows; conversation flows as expected and smoothly if the parties involved are paying attention to each other’s message, avoiding interruptions, showing positive responses and observing correct body languages. Ones behavior during conversation dictates much to the speaker of the kind of a listener a person is. Therefore, it is vital if one observes the necessary requirements during conversation (University of Portsmouth, 2008, p.27).
Conclusion
It is vital for writers to avoid plagiarism. This can only be attained if the sources used are properly documented and cited. Recognizing works of other people can be attained via use of footnotes, parenthetical references, or endnotes. In addition, at the end of the research paper, reference list or work cited page should be created Stanford University Libraries (2008, para.2).
Reference list
Buckley, R. 2004. The Global village: challenges for a shrinking planet. USA: Garnet Publishing.
Hall, B. 2004. What is plagiarism and why it is important? Bloomington: Herman B Wells Library.
Stamford Universities Library.2008. Plagiarism; how to avoid it. Stamford: Stamford Universities library.
University of Portsmouth. 2008. Academic Writing. Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.