Case 68. Plagiarism in Coursework

Situation

Jim Collins, a department chair, has just found out that one of the graduating students has been "caught" copying several paragraphs from a published article without attributing the author in a final term paper. The faculty member to whom the paper was submitted insists that the student be dismissed, rather than penalized, while the remainder of the faculty think that the performance of the student in question is excellent and therefore drastic punishment is not merited.

Questions

1.    What ethical issue is underscored here and is there room for flexibility in its administration?
2.    How should conflicts in opinions over the gravity of the violation be resolved in departments where committee votes, not single rules, are the deciding factors?



     Reflect on the above questions and form your own answers before clicking the Discussion key to review the commentary provided with this case.

Discussion

Sociologists must explicitly identify credit and references when data or material is taken verbatim from another's published results. In teaching, it is the responsibility of the department to emphasize to all students the importance of attribution and the gravity of omission.