He told me that he didn't notice. Several other students made similar ignorance pleas when confronted, despite the fact that we emphasized acceptable footnoting practices for research papers during both semesters. Thus it was quite startling to yet again see students attempt to pass off other people's works as their own. Conclusion Often lost in the discussion of plagiarism is the interest of the students who don't cheat. They do legitimate research and write their own papers.
Students have a right to expect fairness in the classroom.
When teachers turn a blind eye to plagiarism, it undermines that right and denigrates grades, degrees, and even institutions. Plagiarism is alive and well on campuses and in cyberspace. But educators should take some solace in the fact that while the Internet is a useful resource for plagiarists, it is also an excellent tool to use against them. Julie J.C.H. Ryan is a graduate teaching assistant at George Washington University and an information security consultant. All Rights Reserved.