Helping college students avoid self-plagiarism and multiple submissions.

1. Time Strapped Student and the Deadline
Temptations of Multiple Submissions
By:
Heba Morsi

2. Multiple Submissions - The Temptation
● You are busy...
● You have a deadline...
● The instructor asks for an assignment...
● The requirements are very close to another
assignment you've recently completed for another
class...
● You want to re-cycle, re-use, re-purpose your own
work. You know...go green. Going green is all the
buzz right now!

3. Multiple Submissions – The Temptation
● What's the harm?
● “I'm not plagiarizing...its my own work.” You
reason.
● “I'm efficiently using my time and resources.”
You justify.
● “Besides, the instructor didn't warn against it.” You
explain.
● “Nor will they ever know.” You hope.

4. Multiple Submissions – The Argument
● In a recent NY Times Column, Joe from Connecticut
asked “Can I Use the Same Paper for Multiple College
Courses?”:
“When I was in college, I’d sometimes write a single paper that would satisfy
assignments in more than one course. For instance, I once wrote a paper on how “The
Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” expressed satire; I submitted it for assignments in
both my poetry course as well as my completely separate satire course. I did not
disclose this to either professor. When I share this with people, half call the practice
cheating, and the other half call it genius. My niece told me it would certainly be
grounds for expulsion at her college. In my mind, I was adding a level of intellectual
complexity to my studies. Was this an ethical practice, or was I cheating?”
● Follow the link and read the columnist response.
● More importantly, review reader comments.
● http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/magazine/can-i-use-the-same-paper-for-multiple-college-
courses.html?_r=1&

5. Multiple Submissions - Defined
● Submitting the same assignment or a modified version of it
to earn credit in multiple courses is referred to as:
– Multiple Submissions
– Self-Plagiarism
– Academic Dishonesty
– Questionable
– Unethical

6. Multiple Submissions - Defined
● Central Michigan University in the U.S. defines it as:
● “Multiple submissions are the submission of the same or
substantially the same work for credit in two or more
courses.
● Multiple submissions shall include the use of any prior
academic effort previously submitted for academic credit
at this or a different institution.
● Multiple submissions shall not include those situations
where the prior written approval by the instructor in the
current course is given to the student to use a prior
academic work or endeavor.”

7. Multiple Submissions - Defined
● Imperial College in the U.K. further extends its definition
to include journal submissions:
● “Text recycling – reusing content that has previously been
published
● Redundant or duplicate publication – authors must avoid
multiple submissions of the same paper/same data to
different journals
● ‘Salami slicing’ – reporting results of one study/project in
separate publications when one would suffice
● Misuse of copyright – once a paper is published the
copyright is held by the publisher and the work does not
belong to the author.”

8. Multiple Submissions – University Policies
● A simple Google search will return a myriad of
college and university sites clearly spelling out
their student conduct policies.
● Visit Google and search for: 'university policy on
multiple submissions'
● Visit your own university or college website and
do the same search.

9. Multiple Submissions - Consequences
● Central Michigan University in the U.S. has an “Academic
Consequences of Violations” policy which states:
● “A student is not permitted to withdraw from a course in which an
instructor has imposed academic consequences (such as a reduction
in grade) for academic misconduct. The instructor shall exercise his
or her professional judgment in determining the appropriate
academic consequences of the violation. Academic consequences
may include a warning or reprimand, a requirement to resubmit
work (with or without an additional reduction in grade for the
assignment), a lowering of the grade for the assignment (including
withholding of any credit for the assignment), or a lowering of the
grade for the entire course (including failing the course).
Cont.

10. Multiple Submissions - Consequences
● Central Michigan University in the U.S. has an “Academic
Consequences of Violations” policy which states: Cont.
● “In addition, instructors are encouraged to report serious incidents of
academic misconduct to the Office of Student Conduct or the
College of Graduate Studies for formal proceedings seeking
disciplinary sanctions under the Code of Student Rights,
Responsibilities and Disciplinary Procedures.”

11. Multiple Submissions – Understanding Pressure
● University of North Carolina understands the pressures on
students and writes:
● “Graduate students are under a lot of pressure while
completing their academic programs. These pressures may
tempt scholars and researchers to “cut corners,” borrow an
idea without proper attribution, or stray from standard
practices in a particular academic field. Student teachers
and researchers should strive to be attentive to how these
pressures impact their conduct in the classroom, the
library, and the laboratory.”

12. Multiple Submissions – Understanding Pressure
● University of North Carolina concludes by stating:
● “These pressures or some combination thereof will be
present throughout your graduate career and beyond. As
you make your way in an academic discipline, continue to
be aware of the ethical implications of the work that you
do. The professional associations that govern your
discipline are likely to have published guidelines for
professional practice and scholarship. Allow these
guidelines to inform your own, personal values in
conducting scholarship, teaching, and research.”

13. Multiple Submissions – Helpful Resources
● Purdue University Online Writing Lab has a wealth of
information on avoiding plagiarism and provides this
overview:
● “Develop a topic based on what has already been said and
written BUT Write something new and original
● Rely on experts' and authorities' opinions BUT Improve
upon and/or disagree with those same opinions
● Give credit to previous researchers BUT Make your own
significant contribution
● Improve your English to fit into a discourse community by
building upon what you hear and read BUT Use your own
words and your own voice.”

14. Multiple Submissions – Helpful Resources
● The Council of Writing Program Administrators has
issued a statement on Best Practices. This
statement addresses & supports both student and
professors in their quest for authenticity.
● The Council website has many more writing
resources.

15. Multiple Submissions – Helpful Resources
● iThenticate.com has some good articles to help
individuals and institutions identify and avoid
plagiarism.
● Two Good Reads are:
– 5 Common Excuses for Plagiarism by David
Rothschild posted March 30, 2011
– Self-Plagiarism: Is it Really Plagiarism? By
Robert Creutz posted on December 1, 2010

16. Multiple Submissions – “We Can Be Trusted”
● I really like this quote from 2002 Commencement Address
given by Fred Rogers at Dartmouth College. Mr. Rogers
attended Dartmouth in late 1940's.
● “You know it's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy
outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the
knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear
the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff."
— Fred “Mr. Rogers” Rogers

17. Multiple Submissions – “We Can Be Trusted”
● I really like this quote from 2002 Commencement Address
given by Fred Rogers at Dartmouth College. Mr. Rogers
attended Dartmouth in late 1940's.
● “You know it's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy
outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the
knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear
the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff."
— Fred “Mr. Rogers” Rogers

18. References
● Central Michigan University. Policy on Academic Integrity. (nd)
Retrieved November 1, 2014 from
https://www.cmich.edu/ess/ombuds/Documents/ACADEMIC_INTEGRITY_POLICY.● Council on Writing Program Administrators. Defining and Avoiding
Plagarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices. (nd). Retrieved
November 1, 2014 from
http://wpacouncil.org/positions/WPAplagiarism.pdf
● Creutz, R. (December 1, 2010). Self-Plagiarism: Is it really Plagiarism?
iThenticate Plagiarism Blog. Retrieved from
http://www.ithenticate.com/plagiarism-detection-blog/bid/52948/self-plagiarism-● Klosterman, C. (May 31, 2013). Can I use the Same Paper for Multiple
College Courses? Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/magazine/can-i-use-the-same-paper-for-multiple-

19. References
● Purdue University Owl Online Writing Lab. Avoiding Plagiarism. (nd)
Retrieved November 1, 2014 from
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
● Rogers, F. (June 9, 2002) Commencement Address at Dartmouth College.
Retrieved from
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2002/june/060902c.html
● Rothschild, D. (March 30, 2011). 5 Common Excuses for Plagiarism.
iThenticate Plagiarism Blog. Retrieved from
http://www.ithenticate.com/plagiarism-detection-blog/bid/52928/5-common-excuses-● University of North Carolina. Academic Integrity and Ethics. (nd)
Retrieved November 1, 2014 from
http://gradschool.unc.edu/academics/resources/ethics.html#violations