[Solved, Lock Please]

Wezoin

For one of my courses I wrote a 15 page essay, complete with a 3 or 4 page bibliography. In this essay the majority of my evidence was just common knowledge stuff (that I did not take from any item in my bibliography) so I didn't bother citing it. Infact, about 12 pages of it were based around the idea of competition bringing about lower prices and better product quality, and was completely stuff that I used logic to figure out from that one idea. The other pages had citations on them.

Today my prof was handing back the reports, and requested to see me in her office. I went in and she said that bassically because I didn't cite where I got the information for the first part of the essay it's plagiarism. She said she didn't think it was intentional, and therefore was asking me to put a citation for it, and resubmit the paper, which is now to be docked 10% (this paper is worth 25% of my final grade.) I thanked her for the opportunity and left politely, until I realised that she was talking about the competition thing.

In my opinion, this is just common knowledge, and, as far as I'm aware, common knowledge doesn't need to be cited. My question is should I be challenging her on this? She has no evidence suggesting that I plagiarised it from anywhere other than the fact that there is no citation after it.

What I'm most concerned with is, if I go to the ombudsperson to challenge her, it'll likely annoy her and result in her grading my paper more strictly/harshly and perhaps even cutting my grade by more than 10% since, from the looks of things, she didn't actually grade my paper yet. Also, at this University (and I believe all others in Canada) if you're found out to be plagiarising you are thrown out, and cannot attend any other university in Canada. If I challenge this and for some crazy reason they decide I am plagiarising, I will be thrown out, so it's a pretty big risk.

Right now I'm seeing this as a lose-lose situation, and would really appreciate any input. My first thought was to send her a nice apologetic email, and somehow work in that I believe the statement she's talking about to be common knowledge which would not have required a citation. Is this a good idea?

Lewisham

Wezoin wrote: »

In my opinion, this is just common knowledge, and, as far as I'm aware, common knowledge doesn't need to be cited.

Just because you think it's "common knowledge" does not mean it doesn't need to be cited, especially if you went to 12 pages of "common knowledge". Not citing the basics of the subject is one thing, but you must have gone into some depth if you discussed something for 12 pages. She's trying to make you understand that you should cite any fact or figure.

If it is as common as you say it is, finding an appropriate citation will be simple.

I would probably go and speak to her humbly, explain why you did what you did, and ask if she would reconsider removing the penalty: it doesn't seem to fair to burn you for that when she said she knew what you did was unintentional.

JustPlainPavek

You're getting a chance to go back and add citations to 4/5ths of a paper for only a 10% drop in grade? Take that opportunity, man, and cite your damn sources.

Asher

I'd say rewrite with citations.
Also, what level/year are you in? At the Uni I go to we were pretty much told that in an undergraduate course, you shouldn't be having original ideas, or if you do, find someone else who has had the same idea and cite them. Everything I've been taught is to cite everything possible. Having only 3 pages our of a 15 page essay cited seems like a huge gap. Maybe things are done differently in Canada to Australia, but that would be just asking for trouble here. If this stuff is "common knowledge" then you shouldn't have much trouble finding references for it should you?
Anyway, I hope you find some of this useful.

Drez

There is no such thing as "common knowledge" in a college paper. Nothing can come from you as a source, unless you are specifically called upon by the assignment to personally hypothesize, even even then - nine times out of ten - you are expected to offer opinion that you arrive at through cited sources and frame it as such.

Wezoin

Yeah, I was definately going to at least add some citations to it, I just wasnt sure if I should be challenging the drop, just because it doesn't really seem like plagiarism. Also, bassically all of my classes insist you have some original ideas or you get docked marks for "letting the facts do the work for you" even though, yes, I acknowledge a huge amount of my essay was void of any outside evidence, which is why I would have gladly accepted being docked for "Not enough evidence" or "wasting too much time on one point" or anything like that.

Alright, H/A has spoken, I suppose. I shall humbly take the drop.

Drez

I don't agree with the teacher accusing you of "plagiarism" as a pretext for dropping your grade, this is actually a good thing for you. First, a 10% point drop is not excessive. Second, you'll remember not to do this again. She is absolutely right to dock you for not citing anything in 12 pages of a 15 page paper. I'm sorry, but that's just not how college papers work. The only logic you should apply is in how to apply other people's logic to get your point across.

If you're asking us if you should take some kind of principled stand against being accused of "plagiarism" here, my answer is an emphatic no. Take the 10% penalty, take whatever reason she gives you, and go redo the paper the right way.

Drez

Er. I can't edit posts, but that first sentence should read "While I don't agree..." in case it doesn't make sense. Which it doesn't without "while" at the beginning. Sorry.