It is a "commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage" (International Center for Academic Integrity). Students sometimes feel fearful in discussions of academic integrity and plagiarism. They are afraid of making a mistake and they find citation rules confusing, so they ask us why the citation process is necessary. There are several reasons why your instructors ask you to cite. The simplest answer is that you are asked to cite to verify that you did the research, but there's much more to it than that! Read on to learn some of the reasons why citation is expected in academia and how to do it the right way.
1. It is a way of showing gratitude to the authors for sharing their information, contributing to the field, and expanding your knowledge.
2. Information has value; therefore, giving credit to your sources shows that you know the value of their effort and work.
3. The subject of your research is part of an ongoing conversation that you are helping to continue. The authors learned from their own sources, education, and training, which they cited. By citing your authors, you acknowledge your entry into the scholarly conversation.
4. You are allowing your readers to find your sources for their own study and knowledge acquisition.
5. By citing and acknowledging your sources, you add scholarly expertise and authority to your discussion.
6. Finally, you are showing a mature, ethical use of scholarly literature. It is simply the right thing to do!
The ethical use of information involves telling your reader where you found your evidence. Instead of passing off all the words in your paper as your own original thoughts, you must give credit to the sources that informed you and expanded your knowledge. Even if you put the information into your own words, the evidence to support your claims came from an author that deserves to be acknowledged. If you forget to acknowledge an author's ideas or information, it is known as accidental plagiarism. If you intentionally try to pass off someone else's work as your original work, it is known as plagiarism or academic dishonesty.
The methods that you use to ethically handle information are:
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