Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success

To err is human, but to hand in a term paper that a student has borrowed from a friend, or purchased on the Internet instead of writing by himself or herself is a perfect way to be expelled from high school, college or graduate school. This wonderful book, written by one of America's most highly-respected teachers, Professor Charles Lipson of the University of Chicago, should be the first book a student reads before entering high school. Buy this for yourself, for your friends and for your family: anyone in school should own a copy. Three cheers for a terrific book.

To explain exactly what honest academic work is---and to prevent plagiarism, the stealing of the words of others and insertion of them into one's own work, pretending that one is the actual author---the University of Chicago's brilliant Professor Charles H. Lipson has come to the rescue. A highly-acclaimed and deeply respected author, scholar and much-beloved professor, Dr. Lipson writes with admirable clarity and provides vivid and memorable examples of what not to do. In no way pedantic, Professor Lipson shows how integrity in one's academic writings will be a major advantage to any student, and how failure to do work with integrity and honesty can only lead to a label of "dishonest" or "plagiarist" which will stay with the student for decades to come, invariably for the rest of his or her life. People do not forget dishonesty. It is a permanent wound that never heals. It may seem self-evident that no one should appropriate the work of others as their own or to cheat in other ways on term papers. Alas, it is not self-evident and, indeed, many Ivy League universities have retained proven plagiarists on their faculties. The United States cannot and will not maintain its leadership in the world if its college students cannot do honest work and maintain their integrity even as they compete for high grades, and ultimately scholarships and jobs with their fellow students. Professor Lipson carefully explains why doing dishonest work in college can tarnish an entire lifetime. His own exemplary writings, both in this book and his many others, are a model for how a writer can achieve respect, admiration and a worldwide reputation for excellent writing without resorting to anything but careful reading, punctilious note-taking, independent analysis and clear, concise writing.

I require this book of my university writing students and recommend it to others. Like Rayne's students, mine find the author's tone off putting at times. Tone aside, students have told me they find the information itself accessible and valuable for the short (i.e., my class) and long term (i.e., their other courses), prompting me to keep this book on my syllabus each term. Many of my students confide they've been taught the MLA citation as the best--or only--citation style for ALL of their papers. Therefore, to learn about a range of citation styles and to have a brief introduction to each has helped my students understand that ACADEMIA--not just English teachers--values and encourages writers to credit their sources. My science and engineering students have been particularly vocal in saying the book's discussions beyond MLA and APA citations help them feel validated in the writing they produce. While my students like the fact that they now have one book that contains a snapshot of eight citation styles, I like that the book starts from the point that all writers in the academy cite sources as a way of entering, building upon, and continuing the conversations of our respective fields. Consequently, as Rayne observes, the book is not about punishment (as so many discussions on citations are or become); rather, it's a call for students to cite their sources in order to engage authentically in the work of the academy. Certainly there are limits to the book (e.g., citation samples, being brief, oversimplify some styles), but DOING HONEST WORK offers a springboard for further conversations and/or readings about one of the most fundamental principles of academic work.

I teach online college freshman level in the social sciences, and often struggle with the issue of plagiarism and lack of knowledge of the student upon entering college of the various academic research writing styles. I am also doing post graduate work in the education field and am currently involved in a research project on this problem in education. I found the book a valuable resource, and easy to understand. The book gives a basic broad view of the different styles of writing for the various disciplines, as well as basic information on proper citations and the meaning of plagiarism. Great book for a college freshman just starting out, or academic that works with various styles of writing.

I cannot say enough about how invaluable this book is! As a high school English teacher, I have recommended this book to students and colleagues alike. It is a practical, clear, and comprehensive look at citation from a number of different styles. Not only do I use it in my classroom, but I have also shared it with members of my graduate courses. Everyone can benefit from some portion of the book; I have had it out on display in my classroom for the past week and have had numerous students pick it up and say things like "Wow, this actually makes it [citation] so much easier." A handful of them have actually gone out and purchased the book as well- that in itself speaks volumes!