[ SECRET POST #2461 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2461 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 070 secrets from Secret Submission Post #352.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

As every single prof likes to repeat before essay time begins, you have to cite words, phrases, and even ideas that you take from other places.

But what if, say, you come up with a great idea and it's already implemented into your essay. And then, during your research, you stumble upon the exact same idea in someone else's work, one that's pretty prominent. How on earth would that constitute plagiarism? To me it seems highly unfair that we'd have to credit someone else for our own original ideas, seeing as virtually nothing is truly original anyway. But for fear of getting smacked with accusations of plagiarism I'd still feel compelled to cite them.

How does this work, exactly? Is it still necessary to cite them? I'm absolutely terrified of being seen as a plagiarist.

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

You don't have to cite it if you come up with the idea on your own. You can supplement the idea by citing parts of the other person's work as a way of giving partial credit, but you don't have to give up every idea you have because someone thought of it first.

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

State your idea as clearly as you can, careful to use your own words. Then use the information you found as supporting evidence that your theory/idea is academically sound. Reference the work you are using to support your idea and you are in the clear.

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

This is a thing that happens. There are actually academic ways of getting around it. Iirc it's generally accepted that you can write your idea as it occurred to you, and then put a note at the end of the paper saying "Near the completion of this paper, I found ______ article by ______ author that expresses a similar view" and then give the source etc. Basically you're saying "I thought of this and after I finished writing it, I found out this other person was also talking about the same thing so have a look if you like."

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

Ugh, I really feel you. I'm having this problem myself atm - I wrote something in my thesis and only afterwards found a source where they wrote almost the same thing, only in a different language. Now, I'm trying to rephrase it and it's annyoying, because it's a basic overview over a topic and there are only so many ways you can write that. But if I leave it as is, I'm afraid my prof will think I just clumsily translated and stole it...

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

SA

Maybe think of it this way: Give the texts you found as a source to be on the secure side, but regard it more as a matter of "see, those people thought about it as well and it's supporting my point".

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

You could always list it as a secondary source, or just talk to your professor about it from the get go, assuming (s)he is approachable. Many of mine would have been understanding and impressed that you actually asked.

Re: Question about plagiarism

[cbrachyrhynchos]

Academic writing is intertextual. You don't have to credit someone else for your original ideas, but you do have to note that those ideas have been also explored by other authors in the relevant literature.

Or to be blunt, your precious snowflake originality is less important than your ability to demonstrate the connections between your work and the larger community of practice.

Re: Question about plagiarism

[(Anonymous)]

That's not being blunt, that's being nasty.