subject: Beware Of Plagiarism While Preparing Dissertations [print this page] Plagiarism is defined as the crime of literary theft. Although it isnt really a crime, its a moral offence. Authors that have suffered plagiarism of their work have often turned to courts to settle such claims. When it comes to dissertations for earning a degree, plagiarism is a temptation that students cant help but indulge in. What they dont realize is that not only does resorting to plagiarism get the dissertation rejected; it also leaves a permanent mark on their academic career.
A dissertation needs to be unique, just like the student preparing it. The examiner looks for originality not just in the content, but also the understanding of the overall subject. Its also necessary that original and unique examples or situations are used and quoted in the dissertation. However, copying information from other students dissertations is a strict violation of the untold ethics code that examiners use while reviewing dissertations. Its almost akin to simply replacing the students name with yours and filing it in.
Any student found guilty of plagiarism may be suspended or even expelled from the university. Several universities may also revoke a students degree or awards if found later that he or she had resorted to plagiarism. Considering such extreme consequences that can jeopardize an academic career, the obvious question is why do students resort to plagiarism then?
More often than not, students find themselves under tremendous pressure to complete dissertations quickly, especially the ones that give relatively less attention throughout the year. Students typically spend the entire year pushing the dissertation towards the end, going so far as to not even having decided the topic till a month before the review. Even in the final month, students find it tedious to get serious about the dissertation, going so far to avoiding it till the last minute.
Also, the easy access to material on the internet provides students with unlimited opportunities to simply copy any relevant material, and present it to the dissertation committee. This approach however, is easily detected by the reviewing party, considering that the students choice of sources are usually redundant, which can alert examiners immediately.
Also, modern Plagiarism Detection Software allows examiners to immediately gauge just how original your dissertation really is. Therefore, its only logical to prepare your dissertation with your own intelligence and capabilities.
So, now you know what plagiarism is and why you have got to stay miles away from it at any cost.
