How ironic that this is an issue in an ethics class

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Our first essay (the final copy) in our ethics class is due two weeks from today. What the professor had us do was bring 2 hard copies to class last week, one goes to him, the other you trade with someone else to edit it, and bring back to class next week.

Well the person's i took home, her wording wasn't easy to understand, so typed in a string of words at a search engine to see if i could clarify a few things, and the first result got it word for word at a website (another site popped up a result as an "essay for sale"). When i clicked on the link and compared, apparently this person has plagiarized their WHOLE essay word for word and signed it as their own (the persons "works cited", which i checked throughly as we were told to, does not contain anything other than some magazine articles).

Now, it's likely that the professor didn't just fall off the turnip truck, and might do some checking of his own and discover this (since we have an honor code, and rules spelled out for this sort of thing), but now i'm kinda stuck on what to do. I don't feel right looking over this like i'm not aware that this isn't original work, yet it doesn't seem like it's my place to be a whistleblower.

But yet in the nursing world, if you know something wrong is going on and you don't say anything, you're just as guilty. :stone

Any suggestions?

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

(I wonder if this is a test the prof designed to showcase ethical vs. unethical behavior?).steph

I was wondering the EXACT same thing! If so you should get an "A"!!

[emllpn2006]

I think it is great that you said something about it. If she did this in one class and you caught her chances are she has done it before and gotten away with it. That is defenatly not who I would want taking care of me a nurse who cheated her way through nursing school. I know I may be a little harsh but it just makes you think.

[Lisa CCU RN, RN]

I am wondering why you would bother putting any part of this person's essay into a search engine. I know you said parts of it were unclear, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Was it a word they used you couldn't define? If so, then why not put the word by itself into dictionary.com or something? I don't see why you would bother putting entire phrases in for clarification. A single word shouldn't have brought up an entire essay.

Of course, maybe you just thought they had plagerized all along. But why would that thought enter your mind if you didn't know this person?

[AZmom]

I am wondering why you would bother putting any part of this person's essay into a search engine. I know you said parts of it were unclear, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Was it a word they used you couldn't define? If so, then why not put the word by itself into dictionary.com or something? I don't see why you would bother putting entire phrases in for clarification. A single word shouldn't have brought up an entire essay.

Of course, maybe you just thought they had plagerized all along. But why would that thought enter your mind if you didn't know this person?

I can't answer for the OP, but I think sometimes you can just get a feel for things. I've been in a similar situation, having not even met the person doing the plaigerizing, and yet had a hunch that that's what it was. Stuck a phrase in google when I didn't understand the concept they were trying to relay and voila: they stole it.

And about googling...... One word googles lead to many many hits, some completely irrelevant. Wrap a phrase in quotes and you'll get less hits, but more defined to what you're looking for. I do it that way all. the. time.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I am wondering why you would bother putting any part of this person's essay into a search engine. I know you said parts of it were unclear, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Was it a word they used you couldn't define? If so, then why not put the word by itself into dictionary.com or something? I don't see why you would bother putting entire phrases in for clarification. A single word shouldn't have brought up an entire essay.

Of course, maybe you just thought they had plagerized all along. But why would that thought enter your mind if you didn't know this person?

But really, how she came about this information is hardly relevant in light of what she found.

You could Google any of my tomes for hours and never get a hit because they're original. You might find my references, however, and that is what I assume Marie was doing--trying to shed some light on a concept that was used ambiguously in that student's paper.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I am wondering why you would bother putting any part of this person's essay into a search engine. I know you said parts of it were unclear, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Was it a word they used you couldn't define? If so, then why not put the word by itself into dictionary.com or something? I don't see why you would bother putting entire phrases in for clarification. A single word shouldn't have brought up an entire essay.

Of course, maybe you just thought they had plagerized all along. But why would that thought enter your mind if you didn't know this person?

I appreciate the accusations, thanks.

I said i typed in a 'string' of words, not phrase, not even entire phrases. Some were one at a time, some not. And i never said that i had thought that had plagiarized the whole, simply because i didn't think they had.

The essay, however, was not easy to understand due to certain words used, hence the reason i did a search for some of them. (which i'd already stated this in post #1)

[AllyRN82, MSN, APRN]

I appreciate the accusations, thanks.

I said i typed in a 'string' of words, not phrase, not even entire phrases. Some were one at a time, some not. And i never said that i had thought that had plagiarized the whole, simply because i didn't think they had.

The essay, however, was not easy to understand due to certain words used, hence the reason i did a search for some of them. (which i'd already stated this in post #1)

Oh I wouldn't worry about her comment, Marie.

I think it doesn't matter how you got the info, the fact is that you got it. I think you did the right thing and so do a lot of people on here.

[Lisa CCU RN, RN]

I appreciate the accusations, thanks.

I said i typed in a 'string' of words, not phrase, not even entire phrases. Some were one at a time, some not. And i never said that i had thought that had plagiarized the whole, simply because i didn't think they had.

The essay, however, was not easy to understand due to certain words used, hence the reason i did a search for some of them. (which i'd already stated this in post #1)

Well, I didn't accuse you of anything. At least I don't think I did. I simply asked what made you want to type "strings of words" or phrases or whatever of this person's paper into a search engine.

If I edited someone's paper, I would make suggestions on how to make it flow more smoothly and on syntax and spelling, puntuation and the like. I STILL don't see how I'd get clarification on anything in a person's paper because the paper I person writes isn't likely to be published on the internet.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it's something that wouldn't cross my mind to do UNLESS I thought I had heard or read those words previously.

A professor who reads extensively in a subject would certainly be alerted to a deviation in writing style by a student whose papers they have graded in the past, but you say you didn't know this person. That's why I don't understand what would make you want to verify anything.

Sorry, if you feel "accused". That wasn't my intention, I just didn't see any reason for you to search for anything.

For the record, you did the right thing by alerting the professor.

[rn/writer, RN]

If I edited someone's paper, I would make suggestions on how to make it flow more smoothly and on syntax and spelling, puntuation and the like. I STILL don't see how I'd get clarification on anything in a person's paper because the paper I person writes isn't likely to be published on the internet.

The essay, however, was not easy to understand due to certain words used, hence the reason i did a search for some of them.

I take this to mean that Marie thought looking up keywords might lead her to entries that would help to clarify concepts the other student was writing about.

I do this all the time for both personal and professional reasons. I did it yesterday when someone on this board referred to a kind of testing that I had never heard of. You type in a couple of words or phrases and, voila, there is enough information to fill a library. Of course, if you enter a number of specific key words/phrases, the search narrows Then, if something has been lifted verbatim, that, too, will present itself.

Plagiarizers need to remember that the very same Internet that aids and abets their illicit activity can also be their undoing.

Marie, did you go ahead and edit this paper as if you didn't know about the plagiarism? Let us know what happens?

[JaxiaKiley]

I'm glad you stepped up and told your prof!

(For the record, when I first read this, I was wondering why she'd type it into Google. But then I realized I do it all the time if I run across something that is confusing )

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I went ahead and edited it, since we get a grade for our essay from him, and we get a grade based on how we did with editing someone else's. I wrote a lot of remarks related to "clarification" of point, "wordy", things like that. I also mentions how hard it was to understand what was being said. SEVERAL words in it were words i'd never even heard of, let alone knew what they meant.

[smk1, LPN]

I always amazes me when people try to get away with cheating. If you can't do the work to earn the grade, then you are just digging a deeper hole to climb out of later on. Marie you did the right thing.