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- is this plagiarism?
is this plagiarism?
is it considered plagiarism if you use (or just a part of a code) taken from the internet?
how about if the student know how the code works or implemented? if this the case and you are the prof would you allow it?
how about if the student know how the code works or implemented? if this the case and you are the prof would you allow it?
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
plagiarism - the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.
This is not to be confused with copyright infringement which could bring additional sanctions.
If you are going to cheat by plagiarising someone else's work then you may as well do it with code that works.
And not knowing what 'implemented' means in the context of computer code is probably equivalent to icing on the sentencing cake and should get the convicted criminal about 35 years without parole just for that.
This is not to be confused with copyright infringement which could bring additional sanctions.
| how about if the student know how the code works or implemented |
And not knowing what 'implemented' means in the context of computer code is probably equivalent to icing on the sentencing cake and should get the convicted criminal about 35 years without parole just for that.
It depends on your professor AND on what you are doing with it.
1) Code found on the internet is (usually) put there so that other people can use it.
i. It may have some kind of license or disclaimer associated with it.
ii. If not, you can safely assume it is usable.
2) Professors expect you to demonstrate understanding by writing code.
i. This typically means that you must design and write code yourself.
(Even if it is just to implement a well-understood algorithm.)
So the major question is, if external tools/libraries/code is to be permitted:
Does it overlap what you are required to implement/demonstrate?
Example
A common homework is to implement a primitive database in a file, like books in a library. One of the options from the menu may be to display a sorted list of books available for lending.
It would be entirely reasonable to use a sorting library (such as std::sort() in <algorithm>) to sort the titles to display. The purpose of the homework is not to implement a sorting algorithm; being able to use a sorting algorithm effectively in a larger context is what is being graded.
However, it would be completely unethical to use code that manages a list of records and/or provides serialization in any form -- you are being graded on these things!
Finally, if you do use external code, even if the original author posted it on a site like cplusplus.com, make sure you annotate it specifically: name the author and where you found it sufficient that your professor can find and look at the original source. If you have modified the code in any way you may wish to indicate that as well. (It may impress your professor.)
IANAL.
1) Code found on the internet is (usually) put there so that other people can use it.
i. It may have some kind of license or disclaimer associated with it.
ii. If not, you can safely assume it is usable.
2) Professors expect you to demonstrate understanding by writing code.
i. This typically means that you must design and write code yourself.
(Even if it is just to implement a well-understood algorithm.)
So the major question is, if external tools/libraries/code is to be permitted:
Does it overlap what you are required to implement/demonstrate?
Example
A common homework is to implement a primitive database in a file, like books in a library. One of the options from the menu may be to display a sorted list of books available for lending.
It would be entirely reasonable to use a sorting library (such as std::sort() in <algorithm>) to sort the titles to display. The purpose of the homework is not to implement a sorting algorithm; being able to use a sorting algorithm effectively in a larger context is what is being graded.
However, it would be completely unethical to use code that manages a list of records and/or provides serialization in any form -- you are being graded on these things!
Finally, if you do use external code, even if the original author posted it on a site like cplusplus.com, make sure you annotate it specifically: name the author and where you found it sufficient that your professor can find and look at the original source. If you have modified the code in any way you may wish to indicate that as well. (It may impress your professor.)
IANAL.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
"IANAL" and I can see why. To highlight the logical fallacy in the AND argument committing a murder AND not getting caught is still murder. Passing off someone else's work as your own is still plagiarism whether you are doing 'something' with it or not. Attribution or giving credit to the source is the only 'antidote' but still leaves the potential for fair use and copyright considerations.
Let one of the best law school in the world have its 2 cents worth.
http://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page342054
Let one of the best law school in the world have its 2 cents worth.
http://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page342054
Last edited on
Hey, kemort, I don't know what bees are under your bonnet lately, but if you had bothered to read my entire post (instead of the first and last lines) then you'd know that your attack is itself a straw man.
It is not plagiarism to use another's work if you attribute it as another's work!
I make it abundantly clear that he should always annotate foreign code properly, and that my posting remains un-edited.
Go get a life.
It is not plagiarism to use another's work if you attribute it as another's work!
I make it abundantly clear that he should always annotate foreign code properly, and that my posting remains un-edited.
Go get a life.
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