Blog 9 Plagiarism Tutorial

The Online Tutorial at esl.osu.edu/staff/bloch/plagiarism is a program with ten questions, answers and explanations about the Plagiarism. It describes several situations where plagiarism could happen and how to determine the plagiarism. The first question I want to describe is question 6 that judge whether professor plagiarized my writing in the class if he/ she uses. In my opinion, this should be considered as plagiarism because of no permission from the author. This calls up that my professor Eric gives me a contract sheet about whether he can use my digital story video in future. I think this is closed to the situation from question #6. But in China, I think teacher seldom ask student about this, for example, Chinese teacher would use the excellent student’s writing to teach in future or after the student graduate without permit. So in future, even some I gain someone’s work such as an article or a movie, I need ask for a permission to use. The plagiarism is clearer that permission from the original is vital.

Moreover, the question #8 discusses a situation that can happen online easily. When I cut and paste some article from the Internet, I should give a reference list; otherwise, it is plagiarism. Actually “reference list” is fresh to me even I know it. First of all, I never use reference list before I come to the United States. It is a very significant part of an article. People always cite, quote and use some other’s idea in their writing, so a reference list is indispensable. However, in teacher never told me about using reference list, paraphrasing and quoting. The rule in the United States changes me so I would pay more attention on how to avoid plagiarism. Question #8 alerts me people should not only avoid plagiarism but also avoid be plagiarized.

To sum up, these questions teach me about plagiarism again so it engraves on my mind. I understand that I may plagiarize before I came to this new country and the importance of protecting intellectual property.