What Is Originality?
Educators like to promote original thought and creative expression, but what exactly is originality? If you go to the plagiarism detection web site, Turnitin, you will see one meaning of an “originality report”: the percentage of matching text. It is easy to infer that the lower the percentage of matching text, the greater the originality of ideas. Stolen ideas that are paraphrased are not easily detectable by such systems. In theory, students can recycle entire “research” papers and submit them to such services, and they can get away with it. Those who are too lazy to paraphrase their stolen ideas are caught more easily!
Few are those who are truly original since writers build on others’ ideas, as do innovators in various fields – scientists and engineers, fashion designers, chefs, etc. On her web site Brainpickings Maria Popova has posted thoughts from Henry Miller that are worth sharing:
And your way, is it really your way?
[…]
What, moreover, can you call your own? The house you live in, the food you swallow, the clothes you wear — you neither built the house nor raised the food nor made the clothes.
[…]
The same goes for your ideas. You moved into them ready-made.
Originality, it seems, is not a matter of black and white. There are different degrees and types of originality. If students are encouraged to take fresh angles on their topics, synthesize ideas in new ways, and express themselves in a creative manner, the chances of their producing “original”writing are raised – all the while of course remembering the need to acknowledge any sources.
Posted by May Mikati on 27 May 2012, 8:19 PM
Educators like to promote original thought and creative expression, but what exactly is originality? If you go to the plagiarism detection web site, Turnitin, you will see one meaning of an “originality report”: the percentage of matching text. It is easy to infer that the lower the percentage of matching text, the greater the originality of ideas. Stolen ideas that are paraphrased are not easily detectable by such systems. In theory, students can recycle entire “research” papers and submit them to such services, and they can get away with it. Those who are too lazy to paraphrase their stolen ideas are caught more easily!
Few are those who are truly original since writers build on others’ ideas, as do innovators in various fields – scientists and engineers, fashion designers, chefs, etc. On her web site Brainpickings Maria Popova has posted thoughts from Henry Miller that are worth sharing:
And your way, is it really your way?
[…]
What, moreover, can you call your own? The house you live in, the food you swallow, the clothes you wear — you neither built the house nor raised the food nor made the clothes.
[…]
The same goes for your ideas. You moved into them ready-made.
Originality, it seems, is not a matter of black and white. There are different degrees and types of originality. If students are encouraged to take fresh angles on their topics, synthesize ideas in new ways, and express themselves in a creative manner, the chances of their producing “original”writing are raised – all the while of course remembering the need to acknowledge any sources.
Posted by May Mikati on 27 May 2012, 8:19 PM
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