I don't know how to handle this at all. I've never cheated in my life, and I don't even understand how you would plagiarize the assignment. I'm taking A&P online, and for this assignment, we were to do two virtual labs and watch videos about the respiratory system, including the pathway, etc. The first question of the lab journal was to describe the pathway through the respiratory system, describe inhalation, and describe exhalation. I assume (because he has not responded to my email yet) that is the portion he thinks I plagiarized, because the other two questions were over the virtual lab. It is beyond me how it's possible to plagiarize the pathway of air through the respiratory system.
His comment on my assignment was that I copied it from the internet, and he gave me a zero. I messaged him back that I didn't, but other than just saying I didn't cheat, I don't have any way to prove it, and I won't know anything until he responds. I work more than full time as a domestic violence victim advocate while I'm taking this and another course. My dog just had major surgery, which was unexpected and made my husband's and my finances extremely tight, I'm just starting to get over a nasty bout with viral pharyngitis, and my hard drive crashed yesterday. I can't catch a break, and I feel like I'm killing myself on these classes.
I'm just so upset and need to vent. Any advice would also be more than welcome.
The formatting MAY be where the plagiarism accusation is coming from . I used to be an online instructor, and a change of font is a dead giveaway of copy-and-paste work. I've caught many a cheater that way. I should say- it starts the investigative process. JUST a font change is obviously not the only evidence one goes by.
Explain exactly as you did in the previous post about how you move text over to Blackboard. Perhaps even send a sample over Blackboard of the email you are sending.
Hope this helps.
I didnt even think of that, but its good to know. My school uses a system for submitting assignments thats reformats all work entered to be the same font and such. No matter the font used in whatever word processing program is used to write it before copying it. But it would make sense if blackboard (or other systems) dont do that, a weird format would be suspect. I am taking an online course through a different school that uses Canvas for submitting work instead of the system that that my current school uses. Ill have to make sure that my assignments match the regular formatting of the site when submitting. I never plagiarize, but if I can avoid being accused, that would be good.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
It may be worth your while to invest in a grammar check/spell check program that includes a function to check for plagiarism. I write for a nursing website, and run everything through this program, even though it's not necessarily scholarly work. It's not that expensive, considering what's at stake.
It may be worth your while to invest in a grammar check/spell check program that includes a function to check for plagiarism. I write for a nursing website and run everything through this program, even though it's not necessarily scholarly work. It's not that expensive, considering what's at stake.[/quote']
Any program suggestions? That sounds like a really good idea.
I took a human development class online a few yrs ago and I was also accused of plagiarizing a short paper. I was shocked because I had always been a straight A student and would never jeopardize my future edu/career with that especially after I already earned oneuseless degree and was doing pre reqs for nursing school. So I emailed the teacher and I politely asked on what grounds do you feel I have plagiarized I would like to see and she responded with a highlighted portion of a sentence out of a whole 5 pg paper that had come up in her program as "plagiarized". I responded and said I honestly feel highly insulted to be accused of plagiarism I am a straight A student I have another degree I was in an honor society blah blah I hae gotten As on all of your other assignments I would like you to give me the points I earned and deserve for my paper accordingly thank you. I definitely came off as stunned and aggressive but I was in the right so I didn't feel bad about it,too much was at stake to be messed with.
He said he would hold off taking action for now, and would be looking at my other submissions, which, of course, is perfectly fine; he won't find evidence of cheating in any of them either. However, I did communicate to him that I don't take charges of plagiarism lightly, and if I don't hear back again in the next day or so, regarding just exactly what he will be doing to actually check my assignment, I may bypass him altogether. I am incredibly insulted, and I'm angry too that he levied such a grave accusation and has communicated only one sentence about it. I will, from now on, always run my assignments through some sort of plagiarism check (although, I've already done so on this assignment, and it came out perfectly clean), and while I understand that cheating is a problem, I'm stunned that students have to check their work for this sort of thing. I made it through both my bachelors degree and my masters, never having it cross my mind that I would have to defend my work against accusations of cheating, and my mind is blown with this having happened on a ten point labjournal.
Again, thank you all so much for your suggestions. I definitely won't be letting this go.
It does not sound like plagiarism to me, but unlike some of the posters, I have to say that plagiarism IS a big deal. I worked on a paper with 2 classmates, and one of them did not cite anything she had given to me (I was the clean-up crew who put it all together before submitting it). I asked her where she got her info, and she said it was stuff she knew. This was basic physiology and background, not statistics that one would always expect to be cited. I could not turn it in that way, so I started looking for some sources to cite and found that she had in fact copied everything word for word from a consumer website! AAAARRGGHHH!!!! Of course, how hard was it for me to find and cite the info? Not hard; i.e., she could have done that herself.
I'm NOT saying that you did this in any way. I'm just saying that professors watch for plagiarism all the time, because a lot of students do copy without citing. When in doubt, cite it! I hope this gets resolved.
Also, a word of advice, if you do get to talk with the professor, I would not bring up the extenuating circumstances that you mentioned in your original post. It does sound like you are overloaded with real life stress and don't need this, but keep to the matter at hand and you will do better in the argument! Good luck!!
You should contact the Student Affairs office at your college, discuss the matter with them, and seek their support. A faculty member cannot just arbitrarily accuse you of plagiarism and remove you from a course.
I do understand that plagiarism is a huge problem, and I really wasn't angry at first, because I understand that instructors have to look out for it. My issue is that he hasn't given me any reason that he thinks it was copied, and has since essentially blown off my attempts to communicate and give him as much proof as I can that it was my original work. There is a formal procedure for accusations of academic dishonesty, but he isn't following it. I also definitely won't be telling him about all the other stuff going on, it has nothing to do with my school work, but for the post I was venting about how overwhelmed I already feel, and this is just one more thing. Thank you for your suggestions though!
I have left a message for the department chair, requesting an appointment. Hopefully I can get this resolved in person.
Specializes in mommy/baby, home health, school nurse.
I was accused of plagiarism, way back in the stone age when we had to use these things called typewriters. They couldn't prove anything because obviously I didn't do anything. But they were "gunning for me" through the rest of the program. Sometimes I don't know how I made it through. My advice...Tread lightly.
the only reason that you might have been accused of plagiarism is that , when you lifted the answer from the internet, you probably copied everything from the , or you might have cut and pasted the report on your answers. If professors are wide readers they will easily catch lazy students who does these things, one mistake made by other students is that they are not aware of the copyright marks that goes along a portion of the report where they get these answers and they appear on your reports if you don't read the whole report after you are done with it, you will never realize your mistake.
mrsboots87
1,761 Posts
I didnt even think of that, but its good to know. My school uses a system for submitting assignments thats reformats all work entered to be the same font and such. No matter the font used in whatever word processing program is used to write it before copying it. But it would make sense if blackboard (or other systems) dont do that, a weird format would be suspect. I am taking an online course through a different school that uses Canvas for submitting work instead of the system that that my current school uses. Ill have to make sure that my assignments match the regular formatting of the site when submitting. I never plagiarize, but if I can avoid being accused, that would be good.