scholarly journals Patterns in plagiarism and patchwriting in science and engineering graduate students' research proposals

Author(s):  
Michelle Vieyra ◽  
Denise Strickland ◽  
Briana Timmerman

As part of a larger study, written research proposals were collected from 115 science and engineering master’s and doctoral students and reviewed by SafeAssign™ with approximately one-third of them containing sentences that were plagiarised as previously reported in Gilmore, Strickland, Timmerman, Maher and Feldon (2010). (We use the term plagiarism, but do not imply any intentional deceit by the students.) Here we report on the patterns of plagiarised material in the hope that it will contribute to the growing awareness of the problem of plagiarism in graduate schools as well as provide insight into the causes of plagiarism. Instances of plagiarism were coded as to 1) the type of source material (primary, secondary, technical, or popular literature), 2) the nature of the inappropriate use (directly copied, a few words changed, minor grammar alterations, or attempted but insufficient paraphrasing), 3) where in the proposal (introduction, methods, results, or discussion) the plagiarism appeared, and 4) whether or not the plagiarised information was cited and if it was, whether or not the citation was accurate. Plagiarised text was found in 28% of the proposals. Clustering of certain patterns of behaviour, such as directly copying material from popular literature while paraphrasing information from primary scientific literature, were examined in an attempt to gain insight into the cause of the plagiarism. It is our interpretation that the source of the plagiarism was a lack of familiarity with scientific writing as a genre and lack of awareness of its norms and conventions.

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 840-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward H Shortliffe

Abstract This article offers suggested guidelines for graduate students who are embarking on informatics doctoral studies and anticipating the dissertation research and its documentation. Much of the guidance is pertinent for writing dissertations in other disciplines as well. The messages are largely directed at doctoral students, but some elements are also pertinent for master’s students. All are relevant for faculty research advisors. The value of the dissertation is often underestimated. Too often it is seen as a hurdle to be overcome rather than an opportunity to gain insight into one’s own research and to learn how to communicate effectively about it. Ideas that have been ill-formed often do not gel effectively until one tries to write about them. The main lesson is that the preparation of a carefully crafted, rigorous, logically evidence-based, and influential dissertation can be remarkably rewarding, both personally and professionally.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn E. Davis ◽  
Pascale Meehan ◽  
Carla Klehm ◽  
Sarah Kurnick ◽  
Catherine Cameron

AbstractGraduate schools provide students opportunities for fieldwork and training in archaeological methods and theory, but they often overlook instruction in field safety and well-being. We suggest that more explicit guidance on how to conduct safe fieldwork will improve the overall success of student-led projects and prepare students to direct safe and successful fieldwork programs as professionals. In this article, we draw on the experiences of current and recent graduate students as well as professors who have overseen graduate fieldwork to outline key considerations in improving field safety and well-being and to offer recommendations for specific training and safety protocols. In devising these considerations and recommendations, we have referenced both domestic and international field projects, as well as those involving community collaboration.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Alan Fine ◽  
Hannah Wohl ◽  
Simone Ispa-Landa

Purpose This study aims to explore how graduate students in the social sciences develop reading and note-taking routines. Design/methodology/approach Using a professional socialization framework drawing on grounded theory, this study draws on a snowball sample of 36 graduate students in the social sciences at US universities. Qualitative interviews were conducted to learn about graduate students’ reading and note-taking techniques. Findings This study uncovered how doctoral students experienced the shift from undergraduate to graduate training. Graduate school requires students to adopt new modes of reading and note-taking. However, students lacked explicit mentorship in these skills. Once they realized that the goal was to enter an academic conversation to produce knowledge, they developed new reading and note-taking routines by soliciting and implementing suggestions from advanced doctoral students and faculty mentors. Research limitations/implications The specific requirements of the individual graduate program shape students’ goals for reading and note-taking. Further examination of the relationship between graduate students’ reading and note-taking and institutional requirements is warranted with a larger sample of universities, including non-American institutions. Practical implications Graduate students benefit from explicit mentoring in reading and note-taking skills from doctoral faculty and advanced graduate students. Originality/value This study uncovers the perspectives of graduate students in the social sciences as they transition from undergraduate coursework in a doctoral program of study. This empirical, interview-based research highlights the centrality of reading and note-taking in doctoral studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 158-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Ince ◽  
Christopher Hoadley ◽  
Paul A. Kirschner

PurposeThis paper aims to review current literature pertaining to information literacy and digital literacy skills and practices within the research workflow for doctoral students and makes recommendations for how libraries (and others) can foster skill-sets for graduate student research workflows for the twenty-first century scholarly researcher.Design/methodology/approachA review of existing information literacy practices for doctoral students was conducted, and four key areas of knowledge were identified and discussed.FindingsThe findings validate the need for graduate students to have training in information literacy, information management, knowledge management and scholarly communication. It recommends empirical studies to be conducted to inform future practices for doctoral students.Practical implicationsThis paper offers four areas of training to be considered by librarians and faculty advisers to better prepare scholars for their future.Originality/valueThis paper presents a distinctive synthesis of the types of information literacy and digital literacy skills needed by graduate students.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián Pastor-Barceló ◽  
Vicente Prado-Gascó ◽  
Pilar Bustillo-Casero

Purpose: This research focuses on the construction and validation of a scale designed to assess the quality of the supervised classes: Interaction on Supervised Classes Scale (ISCS).Design/methodology/approach: This is a descriptive correlational study. For the construction of the scale three phases were performed in which different experts assessed the adequacy of the items. Finally, the psychometric properties of the final version were studied in a sample of 314 consumers (69.1% women) aged between 18 and 77 with an average of 39.33 years (SD=12.25).Findings: The scale presents adequate validity and reliability, being a useful tool for measuring the interaction in Supervised Classes.Research limitations/implications: The sampling, non-probabilistic or convenience, have taken the sample of a unique sports facility and the small sample size.Practical implications: The ISCS allows managers to receive better feedback, allowing them to obtain deeper insight into the quality and satisfaction of the service. According to its results, the managers may implement different strategies to improve quality in a key service within sports centers.Originality/value: For the first time the interaction between customers and between customers and employees is evaluated both inside and outside the center, a topic that had not yet been studied in the scientific literature. The scale can be applied to any type of directed activity, and will allow a greater understanding of the quality of service.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ademola Amida ◽  
Sameera Algarni ◽  
Robert Stupnisky

PurposeThis study explored graduate students' academic success by testing a hypothesized model based on the self-determination theory (SDT), which posits that motivation, time management and career aspiration predicts perceived success.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was employed to garner data from a population of 324 graduate students, and then analyzed using structural equation modeling in R.FindingsIntrinsic motivation was the strongest motivation type that predicted graduate students' perceived success. Time management was another important predictor of perceived success, while career aspiration did not impact students' perception of success. Doctoral students showed significantly higher relatedness when compared to master degree students. In addition, male students showed significantly higher career aspirations than females, while female students showed significantly higher time management than their male counterparts. The results of this study support the SDT as a framework to understand graduate students' academic success.Originality/valueImplementing the research findings may increase graduate students' academic success. This study suggests direct ways of increasing graduate students' achievement through intrinsic motivation, time management and autonomy, as well as reducing amotivation (lack of motivation) to indirectly enhance academic success.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Christin Conrad

The article deals with an encounter between Julie Hagen Schwarz, a Baltic German artist (1824–1902), and the Ausburg artist Moritz Rugendas (1802–1858), which was of great importance for the former, while she was studying in Munich around 1850. It also deals with the first presentation of her work in the Munich artist community, which resulted from cooperation with and promotion by Rugendas. Special attention is paid to the history of Hagen’s “Portrait of Moritz Rugendas in Brasilian Costume”, which originated from the artist’s close cooperation with the master Rugendas. Its presentation in the Munich and Augsburg Art Associations (Kunstverein) in October 1849 and May 1850 and the effect this had on the artistic career of Julie Hagen is examined. From this moment on, her works were discussed by colleagues and important personalities. She received many portrait commissions and her works were shown at several exhibitions in Munich and Augsburg. A discussion on the whereabouts of the still lost original painting and the provenance and authorship of a smaller copy in the collection of the Kadriorg Museum in Tallinn, which until now was identified as a “Self-Portrait” by Moritz Rugendas, follows. The attribution and the provenance of the preserved work from the Liphart collection are considered, along with the source texts, which suggest that Julie Hagen was the author and a correction of the attribution is in order.The collected findings published here were developed from the preserved letters of Julie Hagen, which, as rich and unique source material, show the artistic career of the painter. As a representative of her generation of female artists, it also provides an insight into the social context and educational situation of ambitious female painters around 1850. In connection with the correct attribution, the art-history investigation and positioning of the artist in the art community, it is hoped that the uncertainty that currently exists when evaluating the artistic performance of female painters and the low status assigned to them in exhibitions and the acquisition policy of museums will give way to growing interest, understanding and greater recognition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. E35-E38
Author(s):  
Heather T. Whittaker ◽  
Lashanda Skerritt ◽  
Matthew Dankner ◽  
Mark J. Eisenberg

It is important to strengthen critical thinking and scientific writing abilities during medical training to support trainees in their research endeavors and prepare students for careers in academic medicine. This commentary describes an interactive workshop to encourage student engagement with scientific literature and contribution to scholarly discourse by writing letters to the editor (LTEs). Students in the MD-PhD program at McGill University were asked to identify an article from a high-impact journal and think about ways in which they could address its scientific content. Students completed this preparation on their own time and then attended a 90-minute workshop where their LTEs were finalized and submitted. The LTE workshops were conducted in 2017 and 2019, and student participation and informal feedback indicated that perceptions of the workshops were positive. The workshops provided students an opportunity to strengthen their critical appraisal and academic communication skills while also contributing to the scientific literature. Letters written by aspiring and practicing physicians add valuable clinical insight to the literature and promote physician engagement with research. Strategies to support the adoption of LTE workshops include incorporating them into longitudinal curricula in medical school and integrating them into journal clubs during residency or fellowship.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy N. Ugwu ◽  
Maria Adamuti-Trache

This study examines the post-graduation plans of international science and engineering doctoral students at a public research-intensive university, and the extent to which graduate school experiences influence post-graduation plans. The study is grounded in Tinto’s Integration Model as well as Berry’s Acculturation Model. Study findings highlight the variety of challenges international doctoral students go through such as adapting to a new culture, experiencing English language difficulties, and cultural, social, and academic adjustment barriers. Using survey data collected in 2013-2014, this study reveals the complexity of factors that affect post-graduation plans and need for institutional initiatives to provide socio-cultural and academic support, and recommends changes in immigration policies to sustain the retention of talented international scientists and engineers upon degree completion.


F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Bankston ◽  
Gary S. McDowell

Background: On December 1 2016, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be updated by the U.S. Department of Labor. The key changes are an increase in the salary threshold for exemption from overtime for working more than 40 hours per week, and indexing the salary level so that it is updated automatically every 3 years. This update is predicted to have a profound effect on the academic enterprise as a large proportion of the postdoctoral researcher population is currently paid at a salary below the new threshold for exemption. Here we review the key changes to the FLSA, how they came about, and how the postdoctoral population is affected by the ruling. Methods: We describe recent data collection efforts (checking university websites and contacting HR departments) to uncover what institutions in the 2014 NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering are doing to comply with the FLSA ruling for postdocs. Results: Our data show that 41% of the estimated postdoctoral workforce in STEM and 57% of institutions checked have not decided or have no public decision yet available one month prior to implementation, and only 35.5% of institutions are planning to raise salaries to the new minimum. Conclusions: Our data show the uncertainty of postdoc salaries in the U.S. one month prior to implementation of the FLSA ruling. This implementation also gives rise to various issues that have arisen in an already strained research enterprise, including short-, medium- and long-term effects on academe.


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