Plagiarism can be defined as the act of deliberately representing some other author’s words, thoughts, ideas, language as well as expressions as one’s original writing without giving due credit to the author whose ideas have been taken. To comprehend what plagiarism entails, it is highly essential to understand the overall process in which information is shared and how this information can support various arguments in the right way. It must also be realized that whenever any information is collected and shared in our everyday lives, all of that is, in fact, someone else’s ideas, and only new perspectives are being added, or new conclusions are being drawn from that information. In the case of higher education, the educational system focuses on the goal of having the students learn to distinguish between original ideas and the ideas that are coming from another individual’s perspective.
These distinctions are made based on citing properly and acknowledging and mentioning the sources from where the ideas had originated. It is also crucial for the students to recognize that by citing the authentic sources, the readers can be provided with an insight of where to find a detailed explanation of the material that was referred to in the summary of the document.
Students must acknowledge the authentic source from where the ideas of projects are obtained and give them due credit. With this information in mind, the aim is to discuss the processes used previously to minimize the extent of plagiarism in the educational field and understand what can be done to come up with better techniques or improve the current ones.
Introduction
The federal, as well as the state governments, have certain common goals with regards to higher education policy and its impact on the community as a whole. Their chief purpose is to make education accessible to a significant range of students and that too, in the best quality possible. However, owing to the divergent necessity for resources and differing priorities, these federal and state policies, more often than not, neither agree nor meet a common goal. Over time, as the interest in funds for higher education grows, the doubts regarding whether this topic should involve more than just specific funding for students or general funding for an institution itself also increases.
Though federal funding does not necessarily imply that there is a federal control or a uniform national policy, but to promote national goals for postsecondary opportunity and attainment, besides providing funds to students, the federal government must form a partnership with the state governments to support and encourage their efforts of offering high-standard but affordable public higher education. Many such instances of successful partnerships are evident in the experiences of other areas of public policy. No doubt, federal funding can maintain impressive standards and can enhance the impartial character of higher education. However, states can also take the initiative by being more accessible so that a gainful partnership can be built, in which common goals are met. All that is necessary is the understanding between the states and the government so that when they work together, they come up with new laws. These will benefit and regulate the public colleges and universities in making available the best quality postsecondary education for the state residents.
It has also been evidenced that transferring the federal funds to the state governments provides the states with more stable funding. It leaves the program administration duties to the states and allows the federal government to transform the state spending patterns. If the federal government supplies funds, it does not always mean that they will try to dictate or carry out specific activities. Even when the influence of federal priorities increases, the state, as well as the local governments, should be better positioned to realize their communities’ needs and oversee local activities.
Plagiarism and Its Impacts
The management of plagiarism and its consequences bring into place many discussions and dilemmas. In the early years of the twenty-first century, every university in certain countries used to virtually review, revise, and publish its policy and procedures for managing student plagiarism. There, policy revision was considered a marker of quality assurance since there was widespread concern that such cases were either being ignored or managed inconsistently. Revision in policies revisited several issues like the low level of detection and the inconsistent treatment of cases. Previous policies and methods that were implemented to prevent plagiarism were not effective as they were inconsistent and were unable to keep a true record or properly monitor the application of penalties across the school. As years passed, a more centralized system has been developed that has led to the betterment of a design that can handle all the deficiencies of the past techniques and express authenticity as well.
Many institutions providing higher education implement different methods of tackling academic dishonesty and apply appropriate disciplinary actions when needed. However, academic dishonesty cases do not get extended to court because, in these cases, proper disciplinary actions can be taken without stretching the matter further. It is also said that the regulations help the institution to satisfy this obligation by necessitating a secure login and password, monitored examinations, or alternative technologies and practices, which are effective in verifying the students’ identities.
However, the identity verification techniques applied in the case of distance courses and programs have compliance methods that range from being lenient to strict. For that reason, a student may choose to give his secure login and password to anyone, who can complete a test or an assignment on his behalf. This is a type of academic dishonesty, against which disciplinary actions can be taken as a consequence. Still, this can be taken as a legal agreement for the formation, and proposed execution of punishment between both the parties.
Conclusion
The action of academic dishonesty has many consequences and innumerable victims. In the absence of proper monitoring of activities that may lead to such acts, any individual or institution can be thoroughly compromised. This act is not only dishonest and unethical, but it can also pose a threat and inculcate negativity for those students who do not involve themselves in such acts. With the advancement in technology and the introduction of effective restrictive methods, it has become easier to combat the temptation of the students to cheat. However, the appropriate response from the different academic institutions is very important to stop plagiarism, and protect the integrity of the teachers and the alumni along with that of the institution.
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