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The importance of academic writing
Importance of critical thinking in daily life
How to minimize plagiarism in academic
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Academic writing is the process of using language that is appropriate for both the audience to understand as well as for the the task, and is a practices that abides by different rules then one would usually associate with that of personal writing. In contrast to personal writing, academic writing explores theories and deeper levels of thinking whilst adhering to a specific ‘tone’ and following traditional conventions and styles of punctuation, grammar, and spelling. There are specific skills that aid success in academia, three of which will be discussed in the body of this essay; critical thinking, planning and plagiarism.
The first skill that will be identified as a key skill for academic writing at university level is critical thinking. The term ‘critical thinking’ is used in a body of research literature to describe reasonable, elective thinking, focusing on task, people or belief (Ennis, 1993). This definition leads to the understanding that critical thinking is a vital skill involved in academic writing as it allows students to ask and answer questions to help make sense of the task. Critical thinking also enables students to make accurate judgements about the validity of sources, such as journal articles and asses the relevance that they have in regards to the argument that they are trying to make. This is done through asking questions as part of the critical thinking model such as “why” “who” and “when”. These questions and channel of thinking are important as they permit students to think independently as well as provide an original perspective on previous research. if applied correctly, critical thinking can work hand in hand with other important academic skill, such as helping to avoid plagiarism, which will be discu...
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...ment with a text. Being aware that universities and other higher education institutions check for plagiarism, also presents students with the opportunities to deliver original work and as well ideas, and encourages them to do so. Students can improve on their skills to avoid plagiarism by planning and recording the test they have used checking that they have given suitable acknowledgement to other authors original ideas.
Works Cited
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/documents/planning-and-preparing-to-write-assignments.pdf
critical thinking
ENNIS, R. H. (1993). ‘Critical thinking assessment’, Theory into Practice, 32, 179–86
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/402351.article
Park, C. 2003. In other (people's) words: Plagiarism by university students – literature and lessons. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(5): 471–488.
In the first place, writing at any level is a challenge. It is a process that requires active thinking as well as creativity. Equally important, is the drive to understand what is necessary to inform the reader when using someone else’s work. In his findings, Gabriel begins with examples of students that committed plagiarism in colleges both unknowingly and intentionally. After exploring the opinions of writing tutors and officials in these situations, he suggests that many students fail to realize that plagiarism is a crime (Gabriel). He relies on the expert opinions of educators who deal with these situations on a daily basis. One such opinion mentioned, is that of Teresa Fishman, the director for the Center of Academic Integrity at Clemson University (Gabriel). She stated, “It’s possible to believe this information is just out there for anyone to take” (qtd. in Plagiarism Lines). This is said in reference to how easy technology has made “copying” and “pasting” of information according to Gabriel. He visits both sides of the fence, so to speak, concerning the views...
My English 1310 course was taught by Professor Daniel Stuart. He taught us the concept of academic writing and why it is important. Academic writing is the process of down ideas, using a formal tone, deductive reasoning and third person. Writing done to carry out the requirements of a college or university on a research based level. It requires a starting point or introduction, followed by a thesis on the preferred topic, then comes proving and disproving of the evidence based arguments. Learning academic writing is important because it is a way to communicate our thoughts clearly and originality. It helps us think and see what evidence we can come up to contribute to that thinking. This course approached this idea of academic writing by
They show their view of plagiarism clearly in their documents through the use of terms such as “without hesitation” and “will not be tolerated” (Student code of conduct and discipline, 2015, p. 6; 9. Academic Honesty, n.d.). Many college students try to find out the ways how to avoid being accused of committing a serious academic offence as much as they can. Putting their own name on someone else’s works and getting good grades, some of them might succeed cleverly, but it is nothing but dishonesty. Both colleges warn students the consequences of plagiarism strongly, saying it can bring negative
New York Times journalist, Trip Gabriel, puts into perspective students ability to use their creativity throughout their academic career in “Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age.” This article discusses issues of plagiarism in the digital age, especially through college students. There are different perspectives from various people either attending college or professors that argue why plagiarism occurs. Whether it’s because of laziness, unpreparedness going into college, originality, or authorship not taken into consideration. Overall, this article infers the different standpoints of plagiarism, demonstrating the ease the digital age gives students to plagiarize, and the importance
"can shift attention away from teaching students how to avoid plagiarism in the first place. In “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices,” the Council of Writing Program Administrators urges teachers to “use plagiarism detection services cautiously,” for they should “never be used to justify the avoidance of responsible teaching methods.”
Estow, Sarah, Eva K. Lawrence, and Kathrynn A. Adams. "Practice Makes Perfect: Improving Students' Skills in Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism with a Themed Methods Course." ERIK, 2012: 4.
Greene and Lidinsky declared that “by habits of mind, we mean the patterns of thought that lead you to question assumptions and opinions, explore alternative opinions, anticipate opposing arguments, compare one type of experience to another and identify the causes and consequences of ideas and events”(2012). Academic writing is making an argument in order to persuade an audience, or to change someone’s mind. Greene and Lidinsky mention analysis and how academic writers do more than just dissect sources. Writers have to continually ask questions and search for answers for these questions. Academic writing is a way to compare your sources with your beliefs and tie those two together. In the chapter Greene and Lidinsky discuss the four key habits of mind which are; inquiring, seeking and valuing complexity, understanding that academic writing is a conversation, and finally understanding that writing is a process. Inquiry means to seek or request for the truth, information, or knowledge. Inquiry in your writing means you have to observe, ask questions, and examine how there could be other options. In order to seek and value complexity you can’t just look at two perspectives, you have to consider numerous points of view. Writing in many ways is similar to having a conversation with another individual. You have to be able to concentrate carefully on the words of others and also respect what they are trying to say. Academic writing is a long and difficult process. In order to write an appealing academic essay, you have to pick a topic that interests you and you also have to devote long hours for your writing and ideas to flourish. Academic writing involves looking at multiple perspectives and taking all of them into consideration which results in your ideas becoming better. The writing process involves three main
As students of high school and college, and even in the professional world, we are asked to research and write on subjects that are seen to be important. The research that we are asked to do, has been done many times in the past, which means people are bound to use others’ ideas and words with no recognition, sometimes without even knowing it. This leads to plagiarism, which is something many people have heard of, but never learned the true definition and the harm it can create. Schools and society need to be more proactive in explaining what plagiarism is, how to write correctly in order to prevent it, and teach the consequences plagiarism has.
Plagiarism, or the unaccredited use of another's work or ideas, has become more and more of a problem in recent times than it was in the past. According to statistics found in a survey conducted by the Free Press, 58% of high school students let someone copy their work in 1969, but by 1989 this number had risen to 97%. The expansion of the World Wide Web and the number of people accessing the Web on a regular basis has caused an epidemic of plagiarism in this country, especially among students. This is a serious problem that must be addressed because many students feel that if they are not getting in trouble for cheating, than it is okay.
Carroll, J. 2002. A Handbook for Deterring Plagiarism in Higher Education. Oxford: Oxford Centre for
My English 1310 course was taught by Professor Daniel Stuart. He taught us the concept of academic writing and why it is important. Academic writing is the process of breaking down ideas, using a formal tone, deductive reasoning and third person. Writing done to carry out the requirements of a college or university on a research based level. It requires a starting point or introduction, followed by a thesis on the preferred topic, then comes proving and disproving of the evidence based arguments. It is important because it is a way to communicate our thoughts clearly and originality. It helps us think and see what evidence we can come up to contribute to that thinking. This course approached this idea of academic writing by exploring further
The better educated you are, the better off you are socially, and economically. Having a degree is, in general, a good indicator of your level of education. To get it some students study very hard. Others, on the contrary, prefer to take some shortcuts that seem to be easier for them. Those, not so much interested in acquiring a solid education, simply want to plagiarize to pass their classes, to get that degree. Plagiarism spreads out through any level of our education system. It even extends beyond that limit to reach almost any aspect of our society. With the internet revolution, this problem becomes more acute. “The web has provided global access to an unfathomable cornucopia of term papers, essays, and other scholarly works, right there out in the open for purchase or outright theft” (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015, p. 160). This paper will discuss the different types of plagiarism. Before getting deeper into that discussion, we will start by explaining the word plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a very serious issue because it can affect the learning of many students. For example teachers and principals in an academic institute are very strict towards this matter so, it can lead to many consequences such as suspension, failure or even the risk of being expelled from a school and possibly even a school board. To avoid these consequences it is important to avoid plagiarizing, which can be a very hard thing to do for people who consistently rely on someone else’s work. There are many different ways to avoid plagiarism such as, making sure what the source is trying to say in order to fulfill the task assigned.
Plagiarism is a serious offense and a growing trend in our society today. Some may associate plagiarism with the idea of taking someone else’s writing and making it their own. In fact plagiarism involves anything that is copied or taken and said to be of your own work. Dictionary.com defines plagiarism as “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work, as by not crediting the author”. In fact this definition covers all types of cheating and misrepresentation of ones own work. There are many numbers and statistics that can be found on the amount of individuals that have admitted to cheating. Perhaps the most astounding number is one that was reported by Moeck in 2002 aloft of 40% of higher education students commit academic dishonesty. This number I’m sure has grown since this report and will continue to grow with the development of the Internet. There are a number of ideas and strategies that can be employed in order to stop this ever-growing phenomenon. As teachers and adults, we are responsible for stopping this trend and educating students about the consequences and dangers of plagiarism. I believe there are a variety of reasons individuals plagiarize. First, students are insecure with their own ability; they don’t believe they can do the work therefore they take others. Second, students believe they can get away with the act because they know others who have plagiarized, and there were not any consequences. Lastly, students are uneducated on what plagiarism is and do not know the consequences of their actions if they commit an act. These ideas will be the focus of the position taken on plagiarism in today’s academic society.
Improving critical thinking skill is one of the key elements to being a university student. It is important because it provides general knowledge and civic capacity which leads to a higher sense of public values and social responsibilities; all of which can be obtained through a passion for higher education. Teaching critical thinking can help students see outside the box because it evokes imagination and introduces students to a creative space where they can communicate and think innovatively (Hooks, 2010). However, as Giroux states the university is slowing losing its public character when it comes to neoliberalism (Giroux, 2010). Also due to privatizations of humanities, many students are not able to process the skill of critical thinking as