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Match Overview 6%
Case Study
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Trident University International
ETH501 Business Ethics
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Case Study
Ethical Implications of Presenting Others’ Ideas as One’s Own
Presenting others’ ideas as one’s own, or plagiarism, has significant ethical implications
that impact both the integrity of individuals and the trust within academic and professional
communities. In an educational context, plagiarism is an act of dishonesty that compromises the
integrity of the academic system. It hinders the growth of evaluation skills and creativity, which
are vital for students and working professionals. Furthermore, plagiarism erodes the confidence
of academicians, scholars, and institutions that are expected to set high ethical and academic
integrity standards (Mulenga & Shilongo, 2024). As many students use an AI tool, such as
ChatGPT, there is more awareness towards these platforms, particularly if these tools have the
students submit work written by the tool as their own. This is why a student should declare the
work of such tools when submitting any work to avoid being dishonest and unaccountable.
Plagiarism in professional writing could, therefore, result in severe legal implications
since it is viewed as a violation of the author’s rights, protected by law as property. However,
plagiarism is not only an unlawful act but also comes with a high risk of harming an individual
or an organization’s image and credibility. Clients, coworkers, and partners expect writers to
present them with unique, accurate, and reliable information; if writers do not deliver on these
expectations, they risk losing such relationships and any future business. Issues of ethics of
plagiarism depict the importance of having strict measures and policies in educational and
organizational practice. By promoting uniqueness and honesty, one not only follows ethical rules
but also fosters a culture of trustworthiness in both academics and business.
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The Importance of Synthesis and Proper Citation
Synthesis and citation are essential components of ethical academic and professional
writing. Synthesis means using data from several reliable sources to create a logical standpoint
that will let a writer understand the position of a knowledge subject and provide valuable inputs
into a discussion. Apart from that, this skill is beneficial in demonstrating the lack of knowledge
on a particular topic, supporting the argument with concrete evidence, and establishing its
presentation as credible. On the other hand, the purpose of citation is to give appropriate credit to
the earlier works of other researchers (Huang et al., 2024). It makes communication of the
research information free from bias and discrepancies, and readers can check the sources to
ensure the information is credible.
Citing is about more than just crediting other authors; it also stops readers from recycling
information that is not true by making the sources readily available. Subsequently, it becomes
indispensable to cite sources appropriately, especially in modern society, where data is easily
accessible, and the likelihood of accidental plagiarism is high. Also, in a business context, correct
citations help the writer avoid legal issues about intellectual property rights. Additionally,
synthesis and proper citation help writers maintain and adhere to ethical standards, promoting the
credibility of the overall information system and improving the status of writers as reliable
sources of information.
The Necessity of Using Appropriate Resources in Academic and Professional Writing
Credible sources of information are essential in academic and professional writing to
support the material presented in writing. Scholarly materials, including peer-reviewed articles,
state-authored reports, and literary books, offer valid information and supported arguments as the
work of reference in research and evaluation. In academic writing, sourcing information from
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relevant sources gives a student or a scholar an informed view (Scholes et al., 2024). It enables
them to prepare material that would not provoke criticism from other academics. Further,
choosing suitable materials is critical in effectively eliminating misleading information,
especially in modern society with free access to vast information.
From a professional perspective, using reliable sources supports the work’s quality and
professionalism. For instance, in business reports or technical publications, the decision-making
process involves addressing particular outcomes, such as analysis of data provided by reliable
sources or dealing with clients. It also shows that the writers are selective with their sources and
are conscientious in their research, which are qualities that help gain the readers’ trust and write
at a high level of professionalism. Lastly, the specificity of the resources chosen determines the
quality and the ethical values in academic and professional writing.
Assessing AI Writing Style
When analyzing the writing style of an originally AI-written paper, one can identify
grammar, patterns, and phrasing peculiarities. One of the most vital characteristics of writing
produced with AI assistance is that its tone is balanced, its grammar is uniform, and the sentences
are written clearly. However, a recurring pattern is seen as repeating phrases and patterned
structures. For instance, AI may apply consistent sentence patterns in the content sections,
resulting in a somewhat ‘’monotonous’’ distribution of longer content. This can be opposed to
human writing, where such things as slight variations in writing structures and a more fluid
narrative flow, resulting from human writing style and mastery of the subject, are embraced.
Looking at the text sample written by an AI and the text I produced, I noticed first that
the concepts are presented differently. Although AI is brilliant at generating well-organized,
logical information, it often needs the richness of perspectives and individual tone of personal
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writing. While the body of a human-authored text may contain objective information, it may
contain Writers’ opinions, estimations, and intuitive choice of words, which make the
pedagogical text more appealing to the reader. However, AI can still produce perfect, factual
content for initial research and factual definitions. Nonetheless, live human writing is still more
adept at expressing subtle, subjective topics, thus providing a proper storyline flow.
Conclusion
In conclusion, being able to cite, synthesize, and use credible sources are the basics of
ethical writing relevant to academics and professionals. Because AI tools are becoming more
advanced in the future, it will always be essential to determine how such tools will be utilized so
as not to conflict with the principles of ethical writing and plagiarism checks.
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References
Huang, C. K., Neylon, C., Montgomery, L., Hosking, R., Diprose, J. P., Handcock, R. N., &
Wilson, K. (2024). Open-access research outputs receive more diverse
citations. Scientometrics, 129(2), 825-845.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-023-04894-0
Mulenga, R., & Shilongo, H. (2024). Academic integrity in higher education: Understanding and
addressing plagiarism. Acta Pedagogia Asiana, 3(1), 30-43.
https://tecnoscientifica.com/journal/apga/article/view/337
Scholes, L., McDonald, S., Stahl, G., & Comber, B. (2024). Many truths, many knowledges,
many forms of reason: Understanding middle‐school student approaches to sources of
information on the internet. British Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 53-72.
https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.3909