<p>My daughter attends a private college. She took a seminar this past semester with two papers. For her midterm paper, my daughter received deductions for using quotes (the professor wrote on her paper: DON'T use quotes). </p>
<p>She took this point into consideration when writing her final research paper. </p>
<p>We have been notified that by daughter is currently under investigation by the college for plagiarism. My daughter maintains her innocence. I would like to hear your opinion about this situation (I have included a few of the passages in review below) and any suggestions of how she should defend her case. </p>
<p>She is being charged for improper using citation.</p>
<p>My daughter Ex: His face turned white, and he started to cry (jerry 2006)
Original from Jerry: His face turned pale, and he started to sob.</p>
<p>I don't understand how a cited passage can be considered plagiarized when the definition of plagiarism is presenting another person's ideas, words or work as your own. The citation would tend to blow that one away.</p>
<p>Has the college actually used the word 'plagiarism' in their charge?</p>
<p>Ah.....did your daughter write the paper? Is this an original work? The cites might not be what the investigation is all about. Did she buy the paper online or get if from another source? That is a problem.</p>
<p>Am I to understand that your D did cite the source but didn't use the "method" that the prof wanted? And, the prof didn't require that "method" on earlier papers?</p>
<p>I also thought of style but a wrong style usually results in a low score and not an investigation of plagiarism charges. That is what my thought is. Was the notification in writing from the institution? Have you investigated the recourse your student has? Review board? Ability to present herself and research archive in person?</p>
<p>at my school:
[quote]
**Plagiarism: using the ideas, data, or language of another without specific or proper acknowledgment.
[/quote]
** The instructor decides the grade and any disciplinary action.</p>
<p>My guess is that the inistructor believes the language is similar enough that she should have put quotations marks around the phrase. There is a fine line between paraphrase or plagiarism, and it sounds like the instructor thinks your D crossed it. In normal circumstances, I would also think that she should have done so. However, given that the professor told her not to use direct quotations, I understand why she did that. It is clear that she wasn't trying to take credit for anything not hers, so I think that she should have a good case. Hopefully, the college will warn her, and leave it at that.</p>
<p>The original post is vague. When you say that she quoted the papers, did she include quotation marks, did she indicate the source in the paper, and/or did she include a full citation?</p>
<p>If none of the above, it's plagarism. After that, you probably need the first two to make a good case.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input. For her midterm paper, my daughter using quotation marks, cited the source in the paper, and had a full citation at the end of the paper. However, the professor clearly indicated that she did not want quotes in the paper.</p>
<p>For the final paper, my daughter did not use direct quotations, and instead changed a few words in the sentence. She then cited the source in the paper and had a full citation at the end of the paper.</p>
<p>The college has notified us in writing that my daughter is under investigation for the violation of Cheating/Plagiarism.</p>
<p>Good grief. It sounds like your daughter is guilty of failure to follow instructions...twice....which seems to have aggravated the professor.</p>
<p>But I still don't get plagiarism, or even cheating, when she has clearly cited the original author. If she intended to commit plagiarism she would have tried to hide the fact that the words/ideas were not her own...not plop a big old red flag out there for the world to see in the form of two citations. </p>
<p>Hopefully the professor will get a grip and look at your daughter's 'intent' as well as her actions.</p>
<p>Okay...just consulted my editor daughter about this one. She said your daughter disregarded the instructions not to quote by using another form of quoting. And she thinks the professor should have expressed his/her displeasure with the grading pen, not with charges of cheating or plagiarism.</p>
<p>The only thing that I can think of is that perhaps the professor wanted her ORIGINAL ideas (without using any sources what so ever, and without vomiting someone else's ideas either). Otherwise this is all very unclear and she should go to the professor and calmly discuss the issue - because obviously she doesn't understand (and she should just say so). good luck.</p>
<p>"My daughter Ex: His face turned white, and he started to cry (jerry 2006)
Original from Jerry: His face turned pale, and he started to sob."</p>
<p>I don't think that the professor is indicating that the idea was stolen--she clearly indicated that it wasn't her's by using the citation--but rather the author's words. Changing a word or two isn't sufficient. Your daughter's setence is so close to the original that it looks like she didn't bother to write her own paper, but rather copied directly from the text and then changed a couple words, which is not what you're supposed to do when you paraphrase or summarize. An acceptable sentence might be, "The character was so shocked that he began to weep," or, "He cried once he realized what happened."</p>
<p>Agree with Pearl. Sounds like the professor was after analysis, not summation. Cautionary tale for students....if you are the least bit unclear as to what your professor wants, chase them down and make them explain it.</p>
<p>lulu - I think the main thing to stress in your d's appeal is that she had no intent to deceive or steal (ideas). She clearly gives credit where credit is due.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your suggestions. In hindsight, my daughter and I could say that this is all a result of miscommunication/misinterpretation of the professor's directions, but my daughter thought she understood the instructions as she was writing the paper.</p>
<p>Currently, this case has been brought to the college's judicial committee for review with the possible sanction of suspension. Do you have any advice on what my daughter should say for her defense?</p>
<p>"lulu - I think the main thing to stress in your d's appeal is that she had no intent to deceive or steal (ideas). She clearly gives credit where credit is due." (ldmom06)</p>
<p>That she thought she understood what the professor wanted, and that she tried to cite the source. </p>
<p>She should say, she really thought she understood what she needed to do, and was trying to be clear about the ideas, and never meant to cheat or plagerize, by evidence of the citations.</p>
<p>As this is pretty minor, i would guess a slap on the wrist or probation...she has to be careful to not blame the professor, but mis communication and misunderstanding does happen</p>
<p>Make sure she has the first paper, with the profs instructions and her citations, etc, to show she was really trying to follow instructions the second time.</p>
<p>Are there other students in the class with problems with this professor and instructions...if so, that might help...</p>
<p>Sometimes, these things just have to be followed through, and it will probably be okay, I mean can the punishment for this be the same for something more egregis- ie cheating on a test or buying a paper?</p>
<p>"She should say, she really thought she understood what she needed to do, and was trying to be clear about the ideas, and never meant to cheat or plagerize, by evidence of the citations.</p>
<p>As this is pretty minor, i would guess a slap on the wrist or probation..."</p>
<p>I disagree that this is minor. Granted, we've only seen one sentence, but I'm assuming that the paper has at least several instances of the example from the original post--otherwise, this situation wouldn't make much sense.</p>
<p>It's not that she didn't cite the idea, it's that she passed the author's words off as her own and, essentially, handed in a paper of another's work. That is plagerism. Most schools have a plagerism policy similar to the one hazmat posted that include both ideas and words as requiring proper citation. When you copy someone's words, they need to be in a direct or indirect quotation. From the professor's point of view, she copied the author's words, removed the quotations and changed a word in order to try and pass the sentence off as her own work rather than bothering to summarize the situation in her own words and then adding her own level of analysis. Whether that's the case or not is going to be the student's burden to prove.</p>
<p>It's somewhat common for professors to ask students not to use direct quotations in their papers--they take up a lot of uneccessary space and don't require any thought from the student (as they just have to copy words from the text)--and ask that students briefly summarize only important points as necessary for their own analytical comments.</p>
<p>As for what to say--I think just about everything that can be said has already been said. I would make sure that your daughter understands why this problem has arisen.</p>
<p>Your daughter may be guilty of not following directions; it appears, however, that she is not guilty of plagiarism or cheating. She should state so and point out that she provided full citations. I would also consult a lawyer and tell the college about it.</p>