Compose a three-paragraph essay in which you examine possible violations of academic integrity policy. Study the three scenarios below, and explain in your own words whether violations of Walden’s policy occurred. Organize your paper by writing one paragraph for each scenario. You are not required to integrate sources in your paper. However, if you do use source material, please do your best to cite it properly, per APA style. You will work on developing your citation skills in the coming weeks.
- Student A was told by his instructor that half of his essay matched a paper previously submitted in a Walden course. Did the student violate Walden’s academic integrity policy?
- Student B used plagiarism-detection software called SafeAssign to check for accidental plagiarism. The student found a 30% match with source material. Did the student violate Walden’s academic integrity policy?
- Student C was told by her instructor that 20% of her paper contained word-for-word source language that included citations but not quotation marks. Did the student violate Walden’s academic integrity policy?
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Introduction:
Academic integrity is a fundamental aspect of any educational system, and Walden University has established clear policies to prevent any violations of integrity. In this essay, we are going to examine three scenarios and analyze whether any violations of Walden’s academic integrity policy occurred. The scenarios presented involve plagiarism, which is one of the most common violations of academic integrity.
Scenario 1:
Student A was informed by his instructor that half of his essay matched a paper previously submitted in a Walden course. Did the student violate Walden’s academic integrity policy? Yes, the student violated Walden’s academic integrity policy as submitting work that has already been submitted for credit in another course is considered self-plagiarism. Each course assignment should be a new piece of work, and students are not allowed to reuse their previous work without obtaining prior consent from the instructor.
Scenario 2:
Student B used plagiarism-detection software called SafeAssign to check for accidental plagiarism, and the student found a 30% match with source material. Did the student violate Walden’s academic integrity policy? No, the student did not violate Walden’s academic integrity policy as using plagiarism-detection software is a measure to avoid any unintentional plagiarism.
Scenario 3:
Student C was informed by her instructor that 20% of her paper contained word-for-word source language that included citations but not quotation marks. Did the student violate Walden’s academic integrity policy? Yes, the student violated Walden’s academic integrity policy by not using quotation marks for the directly quoted material. When material is taken verbatim from a source, quotation marks should be used to differentiate between the student’s work and the source material. Therefore, failing to put the material in quotes amounts to plagiarism, regardless of whether the student provided a citation or not.
Conclusion:
Adhering to academic integrity policies is essential for students to maintain credibility in their academic careers. Walden University has established clear guidelines to prevent any violations of academic integrity. The above scenarios show how easy it can be to violate academic integrity, even unintentionally. Therefore, students should exercise caution when researching and citing sources to avoid plagiarism.
