“Did I really say that?” Quoting, Misquoting, and Misinterpretation: Academic Integrity in Writing for Publication
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: debate, and disseminate research findings in a timely way.In many academic workplace settings, the "publish or perish" ethos rules, such that there are expectations or set requirements for staff on the minimum number of papers to be published each year.This may lead to significant pressure on academic staff to meet their teaching and research obligations.A byproduct of this pressure may be "corner cutting" as staff strive to meet performance criteria.With such pressures, and with the rapid spread of information, publishing transgressions can take unanticipated and novel forms (Löfström, 2011) and may constitute unprofessional and unethical behaviour.It is becoming more common to hear colleagues claim that they have been misquoted or misrepresented, or that their work has been reported out of context in publications.A focus on publication quantity may lead some authors to "save time" by quickly cutting and pasting supporting references or quotes without ever reading the original source.The ready availability of information and databases such as Google Scholar via the internet (Ballantine & McCourt Larres, 2012) can make it very simple to find a reference and write a paper without ever actually reading the original material.Many problems can ensue from using secondary sources without reading the primary paper or book.For example, mistakes may be copied and references used may not be accurate.Reasons for such errors can include confusion around copyright dates and a book having multiple editions (Stark, 2012).Wherever possible, writers should reference and use the original source (Masters, 2005).There are reported instances where secondary texts have been used with such a vague resemblance to the primary text that the original author cannot even recognise their own work (Masters, 2005).
Source: Nurse author & editor
Language: English
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2340626565