Just TurnItIn

Four teenagers from McLean High School in Virginia have filed suit against anti-plagiarism Web site TurnItIn.com. The basis for their suit? The students claim their homework papers are personal work products that deserves the same copyright protections most authors enjoy. \nOnce I picked my jaw up off the floor and stopped the rigorous laughing, I began to seriously think about this issue.\nThe students are essentially claiming that the school does not have the right to use certain tools to make sure they are not plagiarizing.\nFirst off, these students are extremely arrogant if they think anyone cares enough about a high school paper to steal it and try to make a profit off of it. Second, the school has the right to use measures it deems necessary to maintain a safe environment for learning. TurnItIn.com may not be as dramatic as metal detectors or armed security guards, but tools like it are as essential to the learning process.\nWhat is most disturbing is that this lawsuit seems to be part of an overall trend away from academia and quality learning and toward techniques to short-circuit the process.\nAnother such trend is Wikipedia.\nThis year, the Indiana Daily Student has run several stories and analyses about Wikipedia and its use in the classroom.\nNow, maybe I am just a bit too old-school, but using Wikipedia as a source on research papers? Give me a break.\nWhen writing a research paper, one is generally required to use acceptable sources. In the past this has included scholarly articles, peer-reviewed journals and Web sites of research institutions. Nowhere in any kind of acceptable academic world is an online journal to which anyone can add “information” a good source. The professors who allow their students to use Wikipedia as a source are just as responsible for the degradation of academia as the high-schoolers who filed the lawsuit against TurnItIn.com.\nSo what can be done?\nWell, first of all, do your own work.\nI used TurnItIn.com for a class about three years ago, and since I do not plagiarize papers, I had no problems. Then again, I also had professors with high expectations. They expected me to do quality research. If I used Wikipedia, I would have received severe penalties, and rightly so.\nSecond, do not whine when asked to used a tool like TurnItIn.com.\nThe Web site is not going to turn around and use your paper for nefarious purposes. Your professor just wants to make sure your work is sound.\nThe bottom line is that if students do not learn to do good work now, the real world will force them to later.