Re: Can plagiarism be good?

[Ken Umbach <kumbach@UNLIMITED.NET>]

If the kid can't improve on another's words, he or she can at least use
quotation marks or indented block format, with source citation -- that may
be poor or lazy work, but at least is not _per_se_ dishonest.

At 11:28 PM 3/21/98 -0700, kjmcinty@tenet.edu wrote [as edited]:
>...
>Here are the conditions under which "good" plagiarism might happen.
>1) The student has struggled and produced a goodly amount of research
>which indicates a depth of study and understanding of the subject.
>2) The student is fascinated and excited about the information and can
>discuss it with you showing that [his or her] personal database (brain) has
>undergone transformation [i.e., learning] because of the research.  3) The
student uses
>words which require [learning] new meanings and usages and expand[ing]
>... vocabulary 4) The student values words and putting them together
>or wordsmithing.  5) The student has combined ... information to
>create a new understanding of the subject.

As student who has done all that can certainly do his or her own writing --
and almost certainly HAS done so (including proper use of quoted material,
shown AS quoted, and with source cited).  In any event, by definition
"plagiarism" is bad (it is dishonest, and it is theft).  To speak of "good
plagiarism" is as much a contradiction in terms as speaking of "good
corruption" or "good theft."

Just my $.02.

Ken

--
Kenneth W. Umbach, Ph.D., Policy Analyst
California Research Bureau, California State Library
900 N St., Suite 300 -- Sacramento, California 95814
E-mail: kumbach@unlimited.net or kumbach@library.ca.gov
Phone (voice) 916-653-6002 (fax) 916-654-5829
Personal Web page and selected papers: http://members.unlimited.net/~kumbach
This message reflects my opinion, not that of my employer or anyone else.

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