Doing Honest Work in College, Third Edition: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success

by Charles Lipson

Overview

Doing Honest Work in College stands on three principles: do the work you say you do, give others credit, and present your research fairly. These are straightforward concepts, but the abundance of questionable online sources and temptation of a quick copy-paste can cause confusion as to what’s considered citing and what’s considered cheating. This guide starts out by clearly defining plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty and then gives students the tools they need to avoid those pitfalls. This edition addresses the acceptable use of mobile devices on tests, the proper approach to sources such as podcasts or social media posts, and the limitations of citation management software.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226430744
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	01/11/2019
Series:	Chicago Guides to Academic Life
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,126,725
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Charles Lipson is professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, where he was the Peter B. Ritzma Professor in Political Science and the College.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

THE THREE PRINCIPLES OF ACADEMIC HONESTY

Academic honesty boils down to three simple but powerful principles:

• When you say you did the work yourself, you actually did it.

• When you rely on someone else's work, you cite it. When you use their words, you quote them openly and accurately, and you cite them too.

• When you present research materials, you present them fairly and truthfully. That's true whether the research involves data, documents, or the writings of other scholars.

These are bedrock principles, easy to remember and follow. They apply to all your classes, labs, papers, and exams. They cover everything from English papers to chemistry experiments, from computer codes to architectural drawings. They apply to everyone in the university, from first-year students to professors. They're not just principles for students. They're principles for academic honesty across the entire university.

Of course each university has its own code of conduct, and each class its own rules for specific assignments. In the next chapter I'll discuss these detailed rules and explain how to follow them in papers, labs, study groups, and exams.

I'll also discuss how to use the internet properly for assignments and what you can — and cannot — do with your laptop and cell phone on those assignments and exams. I'll show you how to cite websites, social media, and podcasts as well as books, articles, poems, films, and many other types of sources. With this brief book you can avoid plagiarism and handle nearly every citation you'll ever do, from computer science to visual arts.

Speaking of sciences, what about honesty in study groups and labs? That can be confusing because you sometimes work with fellow students and sometimes by yourself. What exactly are you supposed to do on your own, without any help? I'll pass along useful advice from lab supervisors, who explain how to use study groups effectively and how to avoid any problems.

On all these issues, I'll report on conversations with deans of students. They deal with academic honesty every day and know the issues well. Believe me, it's a lot better to read their advice here than to have them explain it to you privately! That is a meeting you do not want to have.

The most important advice is to listen to your professors' rules for each assignment, ask for clarification if you're unsure, and then follow the three basic principles: If you say you did this work, then you really did it. If you quoted others or used their research, you acknowledge it openly. If you say the data or lab experiment came out a particular way, then it really did. Never make up data, hide bad results, or present others' work as your own.

The most basic point is this: your work should be presented fairly and honestly. Don't misrepresent your findings or anyone else's. Don't misrepresent their ideas. Don't misrepresent the paper or exam as solely your own if you relied on someone else. Give credit where it is due. In a paper, cite your sources. In an exam, do the work yourself.

If you follow this straightforward advice, you'll stay on the right side of your university's rules and meet the highest standards of academic integrity. You will actually learn the material, and your grades will be honestly earned.

Now let's get down to nuts and bolts.

CHAPTER 2

ACADEMIC HONESTY FROM YOUR FIRST CLASS TO YOUR FINAL EXAM

What does it mean to do honest work in college? This chapter explores everyday issues and offers practical solutions, beginning with reading assignments and exams. From the first day of classes, you'll be required to read books and articles, and perhaps watch videos, perform lab experiments, and do group assignments. It's important to know what's expected. It's also important to know what's expected in seminars and discussion sections, as well as specialized classes such as foreign languages. I'll cover all of those and offer concrete advice, all of it to help you do your best work.

Within a few weeks you'll be taking midterm exams. Whether they are in-class or take-home, all exams share one basic rule: you have to do your own work without "borrowing" from others. But beyond that, the rules vary. I'll discuss these different rules and explain what to do if you're unsure about them.

Next I'll turn to one of the most important tasks in college: writing papers. Research for these papers requires you to draw on others' work and combine it with your own ideas. That means taking clear notes and using quotes and citations properly. I'll explain how to do that in this chapter and the next, showing you how to take notes that clearly separate your words and ideas from another author's. I'll explain how to quote and paraphrase in your papers and how to cite the works you rely on, whether they're in print or online.

Readings, exams, and papers are all individual assignments. Other assignments, however, require you to work closely with fellow students. In chemistry and biology, for example, you'll work alongside a lab partner. In statistics and computer science you may join a study group. What are you supposed to do together? And what are you supposed to do separately? I'll explain.

I'll also explain what to do about a low grade. One thing you can always do is get advice about how to do better next time. Teachers want to help students. Most are happy to aid students who want to improve and are willing to work at it. You can also appeal if you think your paper was graded too harshly. To do that, though, you need to follow some basic guidelines. You can't change anything on the paper or exam, and you should offer a clear, sensible reason for the appeal. I'll explain that later in the chapter.

Finally, I'll discuss honor codes, which some colleges use to encourage honest work and personal responsibility.

The aim of this chapter, then, is to give you an overview of what it means to do honest work in college and take you step by step through the issues you'll confront. I'll discuss reading assignments, exams, papers, study groups, and labs, and I'll offer some suggestions about problems that occasionally crop up. I'll also pass along some tips about studying more effectively. All these ideas point toward a single goal: honest learning.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

From the first day of class, you'll get reading assignments. It's a mistake to skip the reading — but it's not cheating. Some students read summaries (such as SparkNotes or CliffsNotes) to supplement their readings or even to substitute for them. As supplements they're fine, if you think they help. As substitutes, however, they shortchange your education. You're missing a chance to read and learn from books of lasting value. But you aren't violating any academic rules.

EXAMS

Exams come in two delicious flavors: in-class and take-home. Because the formats are different, so are the rules governing them. Let's consider each briefly.

In-Class Exams

Most in-class exams are "closed book." They don't allow you to consult any materials such as handwritten notes or data stored on your computer or mobile device. You might be asked to bring your own blue books to an exam — blank ones, of course. Those are the default rules for in-class exams, and they are rarely changed. Stick to them unless you are explicitly told otherwise. If you are unsure about a particular exam, simply ask your professor.

Along the same lines, you should not have access to an exam before it is given. You may be able to guess what's on the exam, and it's fine to look at last year's or last semester's. But current exams are off limits until you take them. It's cheating to pass the questions from this morning's exam to a friend who takes it this afternoon.

Occasionally teachers give open-book exams in class. Students can use their notes, thumb through their books, consult their mobile devices, and type answers on their laptops during the test (though not prior to it). At least those are the normal rules for open-book tests. They certainly cut down on dull work and rote memorization, but they don't make the tests any easier. Students still need to know the material well so they can write compelling answers and, if necessary, find essential information quickly. Just remember: even if the test is open book, you can't drag and drop material from an online source into your answer. Instead you can consult other sources to write your own answer. Follow the usual rule: you can't present someone else's work as your own, whether it's an exam, paper, or lab assignment.

In one legendary test, a teacher explained that his next exam would be open book and students could use "anything you can carry into class." One arrived carrying a graduate student. That student deserves an A for effort and has a bright future as a lawyer!

Actually, you have to write your exams without any help. That's true whether they are open or closed book. No glances at other students' papers. No downloading precooked answers from the internet or your laptop. No text messages. No using others' words and ideas without proper quotes and citations. And, unfortunately, no carrying in graduate students, even very light ones.

It's fine to study together before exams. Practicing answers is a great way to study — or, rather, it's great if you participate actively in the group. It doesn't help much if you just sit and listen. (That's one reason why small study groups are better than large ones.) Once you are inside the exam room, however, you are on your own. That's a central pillar of academic honesty.

Learn from Woody Allen's experience: "I was thrown out of NYU my freshman year for cheating on the metaphysics final. ... I looked within the soul of the boy sitting next to me."

Take-Home Exams

Take-home exams are usually open book. You are permitted to use books, articles, notes, and the web. That's the standard policy, although it pays to check the rules for each exam.

Even if you are allowed to use published works and your own notes, you cannot ask others for help. That's cheating, just as it would be in class.

Similarly, if you incorporate ideas from books, articles, or the internet, you need to indicate that they are others' ideas. Even though it's an exam rather than a research paper, play it safe and cite any work you rely on. (Later I'll show you exactly how to do that.) If it's a direct quote, enclose it in quotation marks and include a specific citation. If you've paraphrased something, use your own words, not a close imitation of the author's. And, of course, you still need to cite the original source.

Even with proper citations and quotes, the work has to be your own. You can't copy chunks of text off the internet, drop them into your exam or research paper, pop in a citation or two, and call it your own. It's not. Cutting and pasting doesn't make it truly your exam or your paper; it's simply a patchwork quilt of others' work.

Actually the rules are even stricter, for both exams and papers. You cannot copy as much as a single sentence — from the web, a book, or anything else — unless you clearly mark it as a quote and cite it properly. Remember the basic principle: when you rely on someone else's work, you cite it; when you use their words, you quote them openly and accurately.

PAPERS

Paper assignments are almost always meant to be done individually. (Later I'll discuss group assignments. For now, let's concentrate on individual work.) You need to do the reading, research, and writing by yourself and take responsibility for the results. It's great to talk about the project, and it's fine to consult teachers, writing tutors, and friends. Feel free to show them a draft version and get their feedback. But you need to do your own research, organize the paper, and write it yourself.

You will almost always utilize the work of others. That's essential to good research. You should read the best works and draw on them with a critical eye — sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing. Learning to do that well is a major goal of higher education. It's one way you'll become a more thoughtful and informed person.

This is not the place to discuss how to write papers. My goal here is more limited. I simply want to say what it means to write papers honestly. That's really very simple. First, whenever you rely on the work of anyone else, cite it so your readers know. That's true whether you agree or disagree with the cited works. If you use anyone else's ideas, include a citation. If you use their exact words, use quotation marks and a citation.

Second, whenever you quote someone directly, use quotation marks. Longer quotes, running more than a few sentences, are indented rather than enclosed with quotation marks, but the principle is the same. Readers will understand this block indent is a quotation:

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

No one will ever think you meant to plagiarize the Gettysburg Address. Still, you need to cite it. Citations are especially important when your sources are obscure or controversial. You must show readers exactly which sources you used, whether they're for data, analysis, or direct quotes.

To put it a little differently, your references (or their absence) shouldn't mislead readers. Use them to strengthen your analysis and amplify your ideas, never as a substitute for doing your own work.

One more important point about papers: you cannot hand in the same paper to more than one class. That's also true for homework assignments. If you write a paper on the Great Depression for an economics class, you can't turn it in to an American history class too. You have to write another paper. You're not allowed to plagiarize your own work. You are still welcome to write about the Great Depression and even to rely on some of the same books and articles, but the paper itself should be substantially different. (If you really want to expand on an earlier paper, explain that to your current teacher and get approval. If you want to turn in the same paper to two current classes, talk to both teachers and get their approval.)

In the next chapter I'll expand on how to write papers honestly. But these are the key ideas: do the work yourself, quote accurately, cite the work you use and the ideas you draw upon, and present all materials fairly.

Buying Papers on the Internet

Don't.

It's dishonest to buy (or sell!) papers. For that matter, it's dishonest to turn in papers you have lifted from friends, downloaded from the internet, or cut-and-pasted from two or three sources. It doesn't matter whether your friends gave you permission or whether the information is freely available on the web. It is dishonest to represent anyone else's work as your own. It's just as dishonest to provide your work to others.

This kind of cheating is often caught. Professors have seen lots of papers, and they have developed good antennae to pick up dishonest ones. There are usually telltale signs. Some papers just don't sound like a particular student. Others don't quite address the assignment. Occasionally the introduction doesn't sound like the conclusion. For example, a paper might begin: "It's for sure America will sign to this international treaty." Then it might conclude, without quotation marks: "Having ratified this pact with such lofty ideals and soaring hopes, America will soon confront its harsh realities." The writer who fumbled through the first sentence could not have written the last one. Someone else did, and the student copied it. Still other papers include obvious signs of cheating such as antiquated citations or out-of-date references. "President Lincoln will probably defeat the Confederacy and win reelection." I'm betting he will. I just hope he doesn't go to the theater.

Faculty are sophisticated about detecting fraud via the internet, and they have a variety of tools to help them. Although it's easy to cheat using the web, it's easy to catch cheating the same way. Faculty simply select some text from a questionable student paper and do a Google search for it. They can also use computer services that work with universities to detect plagiarism and cheating. These services compare newly submitted student papers to everything in their databases, which include thousands of previously submitted student papers, all publicly available websites, and nearly all published articles. They automatically flag sentences in new papers matching those in the database. Then each newly submitted paper, honest or not, becomes part of this ever-expanding database.

This may sound like a cat-and-mouse game, but it's not. It's about honest work, personal integrity, and real learning. Buying papers is cheating. Universities take it seriously with good reason. It's a direct assault on honest learning. Equally important, it's a self-inflicted wound on your own education.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Doing Honest Work in College"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Charles Lipson.
Excerpted by permission of The University of Chicago Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Part 1 Academic Honesty

1 The Three Principles of Academic Honesty 3

2 Academic Honesty from Your First Class to Your Final Exam 5

3 Taking Good Notes 35

4 Plagiarism and Academic Honesty 45

Part 2 Citations In Every Format: A Quick Guide

5 The Basics of Citation 59

6 Chicago (or Turabian) Citations 65

7 MLA Citations for the Humanities 110

8 APA Citations for the Social Sciences, Education, and Business 139

9 CSE Citations for the Biological Sciences 169

10 AMA Citations for the Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry 184

11 ACS Citations for Chemistry 192

12 Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy Citations 200

13 Mathematics, Computer Science, and Engineering Citations 206

14 FAQs about All Reference Styles 219

Thanks 231

Index 233

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