Re: plagiarism

Kate Goelz (goelz@cs.rutgers.edu)
Thu, 12 Jun 1997 17:31:36 -0400


No, this is not plagiarism. The original work is "owned" by the
student as are subsequent versions/revisions. Plagiarism is the
taking of another's work and claiming it as your own -- the student
cannot "steal" his/her own work. Researchers submit similar/revised
versions of their work to various conferences and publications
throughout the year, and this is not considered plagairism.

The student should not be punished for a pedagogical disagreement
between teachers. From the information you have given, the student
worked in an open, informed atmoshpere and met the criteria for each
class. Perhaps the teachers should collaborate more before
assignments are made, presenting some that are independent, others
that develop the student's ability to present relevant, complementary
papers that combine research, writing, communication, and revision
skills. In the real world, not everything we do is original and
unfettered; why deny students this learning experience?

kate