Timeline for I unintentionally self-plagiarized in my graduate courses last semester and just realized, what should I do?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
5 events
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| Mar 11, 2023 at 5:13 | comment | added | Joshua | @user234461: The reality is knowing the rules is no longer possible in the general case; and we must make reasonable allowances for not knowing the rules in passing judgment. The digital age has created the ability to promulgate rules beyond all sense so that a lifetime is needed to read them. | |
| Mar 10, 2023 at 18:25 | comment | added | Josh Part |
you have no reason for questioning your ethics, because you were not aware of the rules I would argue that "being ethical" doesn't necessarily means "always follow the rules". Even if it wasn't in the rules, I would say that it's not the nicests of things to turn in the same work as two different solutions to two different assignments in two different classes. Now, I'm not saying that OP is "the worst person ever" but I wouldn't say either that Op is free of moral charge just because they didn't knew that specific rule.
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| Mar 10, 2023 at 12:11 | comment | added | PLL | @user234461: True, but conversely, making zero allowance for ignorance of the rules creates the incentive for people in OP’s position to cover up good-faith mistakes, which leads to its own problems. Which is why many institutions have some amount of sympathy towards ignorance of the rules when it’s reasonably plausible, while certainly not accepting it as a universal get-out clause. I’m aware that some institutions are absolutely zero-tolerance, but in the cases I’ve heard of, that’s a well-known part of the school’s culture and very clearly communicated to all students. | |
| Mar 9, 2023 at 14:22 | comment | added | user234461 | Ethically you are correct. From a quasi-legal standpoint, ignorance of the rules, as promulgated in the misconduct policy, is no defence because such a defence would create an incentive for ignorance, and because that aspect of guilt is difficult to prove. Of course, the harm of self-plagiarism is less serious (does not misrepresent the author's ability, and does not expose anyone else to accusations of plagiarism based on the duplication) and so one would hope the punishment would be significantly less severe. | |
| Mar 9, 2023 at 1:25 | history | answered | Michael_1812 | CC BY-SA 4.0 |