Okay, well our teachers made us write some papers on Hamlet. You know what that means? SparkNotes time! Anyway, she found out that a lot of the students plagiarized, but has not told us who has done it yet. I know for a fact that like... 8 consecutive words from my paper were practically copy and pasted. But that was all, the rest of the paper was my ideas, but I'm afraid she'll find out about it... since she is now checking ALL of the papers. I have 2 options: Not tell, and hope she doesn't realize. But if she does, then she'll lose respect for me and I will probably get into a lot of trouble. I may also get kicked out of National Honor Society. Or I could tell her and risk the fact that she MIGHT have missed the plagiarism in my paper. And get in (less?) trouble, but then she'll know... and I still don't know about the NHS for that one. So am I better off telling her? Or keeping it to myself and hoping for the best?
2006-12-13 09:52:00 · 8 answers · asked by I'm Anonymous 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
Also, I am in High School. I knew how to cite it, but it was 2:00am and I was tired and I just didn't cite it... This is what I get for having 6 honors classes. Intelligence is definitely a curse. The paper was 2 pages long (double-spaced) and 5 ¶s.
2006-12-13 10:10:43 · update #1
Being a former teacher, I would not consider 8 consecutive words copy and pasted plagiarized....you most likely used them to express an idea. And believe me, more and more do it. If the teacher suspects, he/she can put the paper into a program and have it checked electronically for plagiarism. If you had to write just one paragraph, then i'd be worried. A whole paper with 8 consec. words would not justify you getting in trouble or being kicked out of NHS.
Teachers respect honesty and if you're truly worried, talk to your teacher after class. I honestly believe you have nothing to worry about either way you choose to go.
Good luck in high school!!!!
2006-12-13 10:05:25 · answer #1 · answered by phoozball 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Repeating an idea is not plagiarism as long as you cite your source properly. Passing that idea off as your own is plagiarism.
Wow -- you know how to properly cite and you simply chose not to because you were too sleepy??? Apparently you are not as cursed as you think.
A word about SparkNotes: they are helpful, but they do not take place for actually reading the work. Blah Blah Blah -- I know... Shakespeare can be difficult so any way to avoid reading it is nice. However, you are an NHS kid. You should have more trust in yourself than to run to SparkNotes. Especially on something like Hamlet. I'd think a teacher of AP English would have assigned a much more difficult Shakespeare play. Hamlet is long, but not too terribly difficult. Plus, there are mountains of resources to turn to about Hamlet. SparkNotes should have been the last, unless you really just wanted to do some good, old-fashioned cheating. You are intelligent. Act like it. SparkNotes are not meant for intelligent, honor students like yourself.
We are too far for that though. Next time, do your own work and cite your sources properly. This time I say fess up and beg for mercy. That is just me though. I'd feel too guilty. Tell her privately. Tell her you'll re-write your paper. Then finally, use this as a learning experience and don't do it again.
2006-12-13 10:20:43 · answer #2 · answered by Christina M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What does it mean to plagiarize? It means you steal someone else's work, ideas and creativity. As a National Honor Society member, how would you feel if someone did that to you? I am not your conscience by any means, but I do believe that it is interesting that you are concerned for what may happen to you when you seem to have no regard to the fact that you have stolen. Ask yourself this question, did those 8 words need to be in your paper? Were you at a complete loss for words or how to put them together that you had to take someone else's?
Walk a mile in someone shoes and then answer your question from that perspective.
I wish you luck.
2006-12-13 10:05:36 · answer #3 · answered by Beth B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to her. IF YOU ARE IN COLLEGE, THIS COULD BE THE END OF IT FOR YOU! YOU COULD BE KICKED OUT. Tell her that you want to double check if you paraphrased. This however, won't be a problem if you have used quotes and have cited the source WITHIN the piece, not just in the bibliography.
GOOD LUCK!
2006-12-13 09:56:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't say anything.I had some problems like that in school too,and nothing ever happened. Try not to stress about it. If your teacher does say anything, don't look scared, act shocked and insulted, get a little pissed off. Be like, "I spent all that time working on the paper and you dare accuse me?! " It might work.
2006-12-13 09:57:27 · answer #5 · answered by jm 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If it's really only 8 words, you can play it off no problem. If it's a summary paper anyway. If it's a crit analysis and you ripped off concepts you're screwed.
2006-12-13 09:56:51 · answer #6 · answered by tridentoftime 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would tell her and show it to her, then ask how to do a citation properly. There is too much at stake here, and she will likely respect you for your honesty and willingness to learn something new.
2006-12-13 10:01:41 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good Luck!!!
2006-12-13 09:54:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋