There are only two arguments I have read about this that makes sense.
1.) Passing off something old as something new.
2.) Violating the copyright of a publisher
In the first case, this can be solved simply be adding in a line stating that it is a revised version. In the 2nd case, it doesn't apply to students at all (I know I have never signed over right to my papers to any class) and even for researchers it would only apply if the researcher has explicitly signed over the publishing rights of the paper to the journal in question, but even in that case it's not plagiarism. It's copyright infringement. Having written articles for a newspaper, if I were to republish the same article elsewhere that wouldn't be plagiarism, but it would be copyright infringement.
In the case of a student retaking a class, given that the student is going to have their own unique writing style, if they do the same work for the same class and the same curriculum a second time their paper will naturally resemble the first. If the student happened to do perfectly the first time, but struggled in some other area of the class, I see no reason why they should be forced to even revise the paper.
Being a matter of ethics, unless someone is harmed than it should not be considered unethical.
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(untitled comment)
There are only two arguments I have read about this that makes sense.
1.) Passing off something old as something new. 2.) Violating the copyright of a publisher
In the first case, this can be solved simply be adding in a line stating that it is a revised version. In the 2nd case, it doesn't apply to students at all (I know I have never signed over right to my papers to any class) and even for researchers it would only apply if the researcher has explicitly signed over the publishing rights of the paper to the journal in question, but even in that case it's not plagiarism. It's copyright infringement. Having written articles for a newspaper, if I were to republish the same article elsewhere that wouldn't be plagiarism, but it would be copyright infringement.
In the case of a student retaking a class, given that the student is going to have their own unique writing style, if they do the same work for the same class and the same curriculum a second time their paper will naturally resemble the first. If the student happened to do perfectly the first time, but struggled in some other area of the class, I see no reason why they should be forced to even revise the paper.
Being a matter of ethics, unless someone is harmed than it should not be considered unethical.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Elliander Eldridge.
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