Topic 35 Can Intellectual Integrity Course Help Prevent Plagiarism?
Recent studies have shown that a growing number of college students in China plagiarize. And some universities have hence adopted compulsory course on intellectual integrity. Some people believe that in this way students will treat the issue seriously, while others are negative and regard it as formalistic. As far as I am concerned, the intellectual integrity course will to some extent help change the situation.
On the one hand, intellectual integrity course emphasizes the education of academic morality and helps students to develop a good academic attitude. The phenomenon of plagiarizing in college is the consequence of competitive psychology. In the modern society, as the pace of life has quickened, the worship of money influences the college stdents. They are inclined to become so impulsive and impatient that they even don’t want to think. They are worried about the failure and hope to be better than others. But in fact they are not as capable as required. So they want to win by unscrupulous means. And then plagiarism occurs. In the final analysis it is the question of intellectual integrity. The aim of the course is to cultivate students to be honest. It will help students realize the importance of honesty and it is really a great shame to plagiarize.
On the other hand, although it can help, the intellectual integrity course is not all that is needed to prevent plagiarizing. Education in ideology can help students be aware of the wrongness of plagiarism is wrong, but the colleges still need to establish clear operational norms and regulations to put an end to that sort of thing. Some universities have related norms mainly including publishing the plagiarist’s name, registering in his personal file and even cancelling his degree. Strict requirement, management, surveillance, rewards and punishment will be pursued. Then plagiarism will be prevented effectively. For the above reasons and a lot more not mentioned here, we can reach the conclusion that the intellectual integrity course can help prevent plagiarism in college. And the clear operational norms and regulations also should be established. The universities and colleges should put the education in ideology in priority, and the academic institutions should encourage not only the achievements in scientific research, but also the virtue of honesty. Only in this way can plagiarism be prevented thoroughly.