Dear Professional friends
I would like to share my opinion on the above issue that may lead to further discussion and help to reach a solution.
Background: U.G.C. and managements are compelling the departments / libraries to organize conferences / seminars to get NAAC grade points and supporting financially. The organizers need participants hence accepting every paper that is submitted.
The professionals need papers for their CAS promotions or selections and the seminars / conferences are a channel for fast track publication. Further they are submitting for journal publication also.
These developments are indeed desirable for the development and recognition of the profession.
Outcome: However the outcome is not that encouraging as expected to be. The quantitative growth lead to the qualitative depreciation.
Reason: Many of the professionals are not familiar with writing standards and skills. They are not familiar with difference between research article and research paper; innovative ideas and opinion studies; pasting and logical presentation; copying and citing; arbitrary citation and standard citation using a style manual
These are not a part of their studies. Even if so, one will forget after examinations. Therefore there is no opportunity for the professionals to learn and acquire the skills of writing and presentation and the standards to be followed. Hence the need is to train our professionals in these aspects. Only then we can expect true academic contributions.
The way out: There may be many ways to improve the situation but submitting three propositions for discussion
1. Conducting workshops on preparation and presentation of research paper not for name sake but with real zeal.
2. Applying anti-plagiarism software and reject the identified papers. This is good from the quality point of view but may demoralize the professionals.
3. Having a panel of voluntary editors who will review papers and suggest revision / modification of papers instead of outright rejection. This will improve the writing skills of the author and encourage him/her for standard contributions.
I think it is high time to find solutions to the problem and enhance the standard of papers.
ThanksVaralakshmi
Dr R.S.R.Varalakshmi
Professor (Rtd)
54-12-64/5, Bhanu Nagar
H.B.Colony Post
Visakhapatnam - 530 022
To: nmlis@yahoogroups.com
From: naglaxman@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2013 13:23:01 +0530
Subject: [nmlis] Fwd: [LIS-Forum] Prevalent Practice of Plagiarism: Is there a Solution ?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pandurang Konnur
Date: Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 11:09 PM
Subject: [LIS-Forum] Prevalent Practice of Plagiarism: Is there a Solution ?
To: lis-forum , lis-forum-owner@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in, lis-forum-request@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in, francis@library.iisc.ernet.in
Dear Friends,
Dew to my busy schedule, I could not see the LIS Forum mail posted by
Vasantha Raju and subsequent postings of Prof.Mallinath Kumbar and
Dr.A.L.Murthy.
I AM DEEPLY HURT BY THIS ACT OF PLAGIARISM. AS MY NAME IS TAKEN AS THE
CO-AUTHOR, I OWN THIS RESPONSIBILITY AND PLEAD GUILTY FOR THIS ACT WHICH
HAS TAKEN PLACE WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE.
The first author was working for his PhD under my guidence and he was to
publish two articles before his submission. He came to me with a request
that he has made a survey on Education Institutions in Gadag City and
written an article based on the survey and requested me to put a word to
the editor of SRELS. When I looked at the article, I found that it is an
empirical work based on a survey in the place where the author is working.
Then I allowed him to use my name as second author and requested the editor
to help the research scholar by publishing this article. No guide for that
matter can check the authenticity of the article more than this and I did
so.
To day after reading these postings, I spoke to the first author. In the
first instance, he declined the copying. I told him to go through both the
articles and send me the truth by mail. I got the mail as under:
*" Sir, As you phoned today regarding the article, I have taken/copied some
(may be 15 to 20%) of the literature like abstract, references from the
particular article but the data was from my survey I have copied the
methodology only, not fully copied. And I used the same schedule to survey
the colleges at Gadag City. One more thing that I referred all the
references and collected the literature from references. It may be same
what I had collected and the author of particular article copied from same
references. Sir, Once again I wish to tell you that I have not copied full
article as it is. I am very sorry for the same. Further, here onwards, I
will not copy or put any same information what the other articles have. And
the article published in SRELS was reviewed by experts also."
Now I have two options before me:
One to request the publishers of the journal to withdraw the article from
the journal database.
Two to surrender all my academic publications back to the profession.
Because a sentence used by my friend has touched ma a lot. In my entire
currier I have never taken any black spot like this. I have published more
than 50 articles (most of them are available on Google scholar). If any of
them are traced as pleagured, I will leave my profession on the same day.
Just because of the foolish act of my student, I have to be targeted by
immatured statements like:
*"Those who have the power and money move up to the ladder no matter what
their academic credentials are."*
I do not know whome this statement is aiming at. But I request my younger
generation Librarians to be little cautious while making statements in the
forums like this.
Secondly my request to all research guides to be cautious before allowing
their Research Scholars to put their names as a co-author.
*However I leave the judgement to the members of this forum and I assure
that I will be abide by your judgement
With very high regard to the profession at large.
--
*Dr. P. V. Konnur*
Professor & Director,
School of Applied Sciences,
Chairman
Department of Library & Information Science,
*Rani Channamma University,*
Vidhya Sangama, Belgavi – 591 156
Karnataka State, (India)
Phone : 91-831-2565216-17
Mobile : 91-9449679737
E-Mail : pvkonnur@gmail.com
--
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