Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

Recently, we have seen a lot of plagiarism in reports. Many of them are submitted by simply cutting and pasting articles from the Internet without indicating the source. If it is confirmed that the report is plagiarized, it is considered cheating in an exam, and students may be suspended from school and have all their grades for the course taken during the semester invalidated, which is a very severe punishment.

Despite such strict sanctions, it is unclear why plagiarism reports continue to appear. As French sociologist Durkheim said, "crime is normal for society," a certain amount of cheating may be proof that universities are running normally. However, that is not enough, so in my classes I explain that even if students get credits by cheating, they will not have grown as individuals, and that if they gain success through cheating, they will suffer when they take on a position of responsibility in the future.

Durkheim's words continue, "Not only is it normal for there to be a certain amount of crime, but it is also normal for it to be properly punished." As in sports, rules must be properly applied to allow each player to perform at their best. Plagiarism is not only seen among students, but also among us, university Faculty, and occasionally makes the news. It may be possible to live as a "good example of what not to do," but I would like to continue to preach the futility of plagiarism from the podium.

(YI)

No. 1161