Quite a nasty situation on my hands...

Alright, this is messed up. I had an essay due for my PHL300 class. It was about Plato's Sophist and the essay could be emailed to the prof. (instead of handing in person)

Anywho, I was already a bit late with the paper, so I was pulling an all nighter days after the essay was due, it was about 5:30am when I sent in the essay, and I was dead tired, now here is the problem. The prof. called me in to her office just yesterday, and told me I plagarized off a website. Now, I DID go to that site, and I used some of the material, and I did not deny that. However, I forgot to cite it in the bibliography. I used only 2 maybe 3 lines from the site, so it's not like I was going for actual "plagarism" here, I really don't know why I didn't cite it. I told the prof. that it was a late night, and I was up late, and I'm pretty sure that I just forgot to put the citation in the biblio, and I just not thinking straight.

However, there is still the process that the prof. has to send the essay to the head of the department and explain the situation, with a possible meeting taking place (with me and the heads or something), along with the possibility of failing the course and/or expulsion from the school.

Now, I am QUITE sure that I just forgot to cite it. I have a copy of the original email I sent with my essay attachment, and it proves that it was late night (I know this is not an excuse) but it just proves that it was 530am and I was just rushing and I was tired and that's why I forgot it. Another reason which goes hand in hand is that when I write an essay, I take one of my old essays and just change around the bibliography (instead of writing it all over again) and I just change the author/title of the book, cuz it's faster, and while doing this, since it was late and all, I forgot to add the website that I had visited. She mentioned 1 site, but there were actually 3 that I visited, I just forgot that I had used internet sources.

Now, the head of the PHL department is going to call me sometime soon, and probably arrange a meeting of some sort. I'm scared ****less, I'm just gonna tell her my story, and I dunno wut will happen, she might not believe me. I have NEVER plagarised in my life before, I've written tons of essays for previous PHL courses (with no problems) and I'm just gonna say this was an honest mistake, and I forgot.

What you think I should do? Or what should I add? If anything?!?!?!?!

:cry:

Just be honest. All you can do bro. My mother is a Professor of English and has come across this before. If the student has a reasonable honest explaination, she'll usually let it slide, or allow them to re-write a different paper.

just plead your case like you just did for us, they'll forgive you... Hell, I'm fighting back tears as I type this! :cry: ;)

Just tell the truth. It's the best policy. If she sees you're genuine and you explain your situation well, you should be kool and the gang. Keep us posted. RR

Everyone is correct dude. Just tell the truth. That way they cant catch you in any lies ya know.

Good Luck

Be up front and honest and explain your situation....I'm sure they'll understand. Don't be surprised if they hit you with some form of punishment but I wouldn't think it would be harsh at all.

what they said

Bro i got sent to the deans office at UofT my first year cause i gave everyone my java assignment and they all copied it and didn't change it .... ahahahha lol don't worry they go light on first offences. they were like "we don't wanna kick first year students in the teeth anymore, so were letting you off with a warning and they mailed a letter to me telling me it had been quashed"
JUST CHILL BRO

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Originally Posted by Full Intensity

Bro i got sent to the deans office at UofT my first year cause i gave everyone my java assignment and they all copied it and didn't change it .... ahahahha lol don't worry they go light on first offences. they were like "we don't wanna kick first year students in the teeth anymore, so were letting you off with a warning and they mailed a letter to me telling me it had been quashed"
JUST CHILL BRO

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Thanks for all the replies guys, I guess I'll just tell them what I just told you guys :)

FI, thanks, that does make me feel better :) And like I said, I didn't just find an essay off the website and claim it as my own, I only used like 2 lines or something, so I hope they consider that :)

Sounds like everyone's in agreement...this is nothing to fail you over, or remove you from the program (although I know this is what's threatened in every class i've ever taken). Seems like it was an honest mistake...so far you've been nothing but upfront about the fact that you did use the website and just forgot to cite it. I think it would be more serious had you actually taken an entire essay. In this case, only using it as a reference for a few pieces of your essay...you should be A-OK.

The process at this point, is probably just a formality. They may give you a hearing...possibly a slap on the wrist, but i wouldn't sweat it too much until they've told you anything else.

My question to you is this:

Did you simply forget to cite the site in the bibliography, meaning that there was an in-text indication of a citation (ie there was a footnote or parenthetical cite that simply never corresponded to the works cited page) or did you forget to cite it as a work AS WELL AS in text?

The former situation is a relatively easy one to forgive; the latter situation, however, is decidedly worse. I'm not trying to rain on your parade right now, but if the latter is the case, be prepared to deal with some tougher questions, particularly if you don't have a whole lot of citations. For example, if your paper has 60 footnotes or ten works consulted you're in better shape than if you have 8 footnotes and two works cited.

Either way, I think it's certain you'll be able to explain the situation...but look for language in your paper that bolsters your claim you intended to cite...ie, "as Jones argues" or "according to several scholars".

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Originally Posted by Full Intensity

Bro i got sent to the deans office at UofT my first year cause i gave everyone my java assignment and they all copied it and didn't change it .... ahahahha lol don't worry they go light on first offences. they were like "we don't wanna kick first year students in the teeth anymore, so were letting you off with a warning and they mailed a letter to me telling me it had been quashed"
JUST CHILL BRO

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:lol: I know what you mean FI. With comp sci labs this happens ALL the time. Give 120 students the same assignment what do they think is gonna happen?

Terinox, don't sweat it. As long as everything else is in order and the paper is not a blatant cut and paste of someone else's work you are ok. Missing and improper citations are so common in academic essays if they expelled everyone who did this not a single person would ever graduate.

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Originally Posted by BigGreen

My question to you is this:

Did you simply forget to cite the site in the bibliography, meaning that there was an in-text indication of a citation (ie there was a footnote or parenthetical cite that simply never corresponded to the works cited page) or did you forget to cite it as a work AS WELL AS in text?

The former situation is a relatively easy one to forgive; the latter situation, however, is decidedly worse. I'm not trying to rain on your parade right now, but if the latter is the case, be prepared to deal with some tougher questions, particularly if you don't have a whole lot of citations. For example, if your paper has 60 footnotes or ten works consulted you're in better shape than if you have 8 footnotes and two works cited.

Either way, I think it's certain you'll be able to explain the situation...but look for language in your paper that bolsters your claim you intended to cite...ie, "as Jones argues" or "according to several scholars".

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It is unfortunetly the latter of those two. However, this is what I'm guessing happened, I can't even fully remember the night I did it. I figure that I was up late, and I had 3 browsers open, I read from three different sites, and used 2 lines or so from one of the sites (and just read from the others). I had then closed all three browsers, and continued with the essay and what not. Since this was the second essay (for the same class), I had taken my old essay, and just changed the title page (instead of writing it all out again, ex: my name, date, course code), and then I had deleted the body (writing my new essay), and since I didn't want to write the whole biblio again, I just changed my old biblio, and as I did this, I'm guessing I had completely forgotten that I had used those 3 websites, and just left them out completely. I still write a citation (even if I just read a website/book) generally. Also, because this was a last minute thing, and I was rushing, I did not do it the formal way (like being professional with footnotes and stuff) and I knew I would lose marks for that. I just put the page number of the quote from the book/text, and nothing from the site.

Bump for keeping us posted.

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Originally Posted by chicamahomico

Bump for keeping us posted.

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Unfortunetly I still haven't recieved the call. I'm worried, dunno wut's going on, the prof told me they usually take care of it fast (since it's around exam time too).

Good luck, bro.

Please keep us updated. I want to make sure everything is OK. (which I'm sure it will be)

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Originally Posted by Terinox

Unfortunetly I still haven't recieved the call. I'm worried, dunno wut's going on, the prof told me they usually take care of it fast (since it's around exam time too).

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I would wager that they are just dicking around because it's exam time and they have a dozen other things that are more important because they know it's just going to be a meeting with you and nothing more will come of it.