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jt3  Audits of Student Papers

Term Paper Audit Policy

(NOTE: this policy is adapted from a policy developed by Fr. Ray Bucko, S.J.)

In order to maintain a reasonable workload with respect to grading and verifying the accuracy and intellectual integrity of papers I am instituting a paper audit policy. 

Procedures

After I receive a finished paper (or one of the intermediate stages of a paper) I will grade them using the paper assessment form that is part of the assignment for the paper, and return them to you.  Instead of a percentage score on the assessment form I may assign an “audit” notice.  An “audit” notice means that you will not receive a percentage grade on the paper until I have a personal interview with you.  At this interview you are expected to provide all of your research material and we will go over the paper checking it against this material.  If you use interlibrary loan books or reference materials, you are expected to keep a photo-copy of all the passages you cite or utilize in your paper.  If you used electronic resources for your paper you must print out the relevant documents and underline the passages that you used.  Other supporting materials such as rough drafts of the paper and notes you have taken as you researched the paper should also be brought to the audit. 

Reasons for an Audit

You will receive an audit grade for one of three reasons (I will not indicate the reason when I notify you of the audit): 

1.  Your paper is excellent and I want to tell you this in person and explain why I feel it is an outstanding work. 

2.   Yours is one of several papers I have chosen at random to check citations, footnotes and bibliographies to be sure that they are accurate.

3.   Your paper shows definite signs of plagiarism.  You are expected to demonstrate to me through your research material that I am mistaken. 

Why I am Instituting this Policy 

First, students who have done an excellent job should be personally commended.  Second, accurate footnotes and citations are essential to good scholarship.  Since students often do not return books to the library on time it is very difficult for me to track down everyone’s research material.  This process will make it possible for me to evaluate papers fairly and thoroughly. 

Finally, there is evidence of a high incidence of plagiarism in papers nationwide.  Most of this comes from poor research techniques and from trying to write an entire paper in a short period of time.  Sometimes plagiarism is as simple as copying the work of another student. 

According to the student handbook plagiarism is penalized by failure in the course.  A second instance of plagiarism makes the student liable to expulsion from the college. 

If You are Called for a Paper Audit

If you receive notice of an audit, you are expected to contact me and arrange for an interview within one week of receiving your paper.  If you do not arrange to meet with me within one week, you will receive a failing grade for the course.  I will do one of the following during the audit: 

1.    If you are called in to be praised for an excellent job I will go over the paper with you and explain what I think is good about the paper. 

2.    If you are called in to have your references checked I will have you substantiate the accuracy of some of your quotes, citations, and bibliographic entries.  If there are inaccuracies they will affect the grade of your paper adversely. 

3.   If you are called in because I feel you have plagiarized part or all of your paper you will need to demonstrate to me that a) you are indeed able to write in the style which you utilize in your paper, b) you thoroughly have assimilated the knowledge you put forth in the paper and understand what you wrote,  c) you have quoted passages and/or paraphrased passages with proper attribution, or d) you have not obtained the paper, in whole or in part, from the internet.    

turnitin.com

The Creighton College of Arts & Sciences now subscribes to www.turnitin.com, a service that helps analyze papers in order to document inadequate documentation.

By taking this course, students agree that all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the terms of use agreement posted on the Turnitin.com Web site.

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