Signup date: 29 Mar 2016 at 1:28pm
Last login: 08 Jun 2016 at 11:19am
Post count: 8
Definitely. I am not using this as an excuse though. Yesterday, I checked some old files and lectures of the course which was supposed to teach us the methodology of research. I discovered that, apart from being totally in Arabic, most of the stuff we learned were only meant to be memorized as, except for a small project, we never got to practice them. Yes, they tell us that we have to organize the ideas in a readable way (they probably meant paraphrasing but hey, how could I predict that 5 years ago?), they tell us about secondary vs primary sources, but hey, without practice, how could we differentiate during an actual research? As for that small project, we never got to hear any feedback, it was only delivered, graded, had the exam and that's it.
Are we talking here about the intentional act of falsifying data only? Or also about the unintentional plagiarism? Also and in worst case scenario, do you think that the consequences of such acts of mine (both the intentional and the unintentional one) would go as far as revoking my degrees?
As I said, this was only the senior undergraduate project which is credited as any course to just complete and graduate, it's never going to be published as it lies on the shelf of the uni library (hoping that no one cites it lol). Thankfully, I learned how to properly cite just before my master's thesis so that I can produce a well-written researched one.
It's not about them finding me as this was 4 or 5 years ago, it's just I am not myself ethically happy to the fact that I have unintentionally plagiarized (due to my ignorance and carelessness of how to properly cite during my undergrad. years and a bit of my master's ungraded essays) and I falsified data of 1 interview of around 12 questions of which, as requested, its answers were mostly (I say mostly) adopted from the bank's online site.
No, I am not seeking reassurance and I feel guilty because of that, that's why I am posting here, I feel like I need to confess, at least, regarding the interview part (if the whole unintentional plagiarism doesn't merit doing so), thanks for listening.
Due to the limitations of the words here, I did not explain well. Please understand that I only 'made-up' the answers of the interview (and it's just only 1 interview, no a survey) after the bank refused to answer them and it instructed me to go online to their website for the answers. So the answers are mostly based on the online information of the bank... Still, I should have acted better back then... any feedback?
A masters student, I am trying to understand and separate between the actual real consequences of my actions and the exaggerations of my mind (I suffer from Moral Scrupulosity/OCD).
I have committed 2 acts of academic dishonesty 4 and 5 years ago:
Unintentional plagiarism and self-plagiarism: I used to copy-paste online information without quotation marks but still referenced at the end thinking that it's okay as long as I am citing (even during some of my master's assignments); honestly, this is what I knew back then and I never had the intention to deceive someone that I own the ideas or something... and just recently I learned how to properly cite using Harvard style (adequate paraphrasing, quotation marks, correct citation format, etc...). As for self-plagiarism, I presented a web application as a senior project which was developed for a purpose outside the academic life (to sell it to an organization; not for another course) so I used it as a project.
Intentional dishonesty: I falsified an interview questions since the bank refused to sit down for a one, I did not inform my instructors about it when discussing the senior project. I feel bad now.
After reading about plagiarism, I went to the extreme and I fell into an obsession that my degrees SHOULD be revoked because of what I've done, even my masters program (despite the fact that, according to my current instructors, I am an excellent student) should be terminated. I feel the urge and need to go and confess everything to all my 4 instructors (who were involved in both of my projects) and the director. I want the option to correct my projects by paraphrasing what I've copied as a way to feel 'deserving' of my bachelor degrees (even though the project itself is credited the same as any other course), hoping for them to accept the self-plagiarism act and also forgive me for faking the answers of the interview.
Is it really that much bleak? Or am I just exaggerating and overthinking the whole situation due to my OCD, morality and anxiety? What should I do?
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