[Teaching_Composition] What drafts can tell us about infromation literacy

[jane fife]

Russ's paper (Four Reasons to Be Happy about Internet Plagiarism) is 
great! We've discussed it in my comp classes for the past couple years, 
and it really helps students see the reasons for citing sources in terms 
of building your credibility instead of covering your butt.  Once they 
get that distinction, they can conceptualize research writing in a 
completely different way--one that's much more interesting and more 
productive.

Jane Fife
Western Kentucky University

Russ Hunt wrote:

>I have way too much to say on this and no time to say it, but I 
>really want to offer an "amen" to Rolf's reference to "the 
>*positive* uses of citation." The hysteria over plagiarism being 
>whipped up by turnitin.com and a compliant media -- and the 
>virtually unanimous tone of universities' "statements" on 
>"academic integrity" -- make it pretty much impossible for a 
>student to think of quoting or citing as anything other than a 
>frantic defense against being accused of theft. This is 
>absolutely right:
>
>  
>
>>Far from merely being a device to cover one's behind or
>>forestall questions of plagiarism, citation can frame
>>questions, establish currency and credibility, advertise
>>allegiances, and explore disagreements and open questions. 
>>    
>>
>
>And this is even better:
>
>  
>
>>What are you seeing in those drafts that speak to the need to
>>rethink our treatment of information literacy and of digital
>>technologies?  (I for one am very interested in rhetoricizing
>>our approach-that is, linking information literacy more
>>closely to rhetorical issues and writing processes.) 
>>    
>>
>
>I need to take time to reread the previous postings here; this 
>is a subject I feel pretty passionately about. A few years ago I 
>wrote a paper and gave a couple of conference keynotes outlining 
>some reasons we should welcome the ease with which technology 
>affords plagiarism, because it challenges the conventional 
>practices of writing instruction at their base.
>
>If you're interested, you can read the reasonably short version, 
>"Four Reasons to be Happy about Internet Plagiarism," here:
>
>http://www.stu.ca/~hunt/4reasons.htm
>
>-- Russ
>
>St. Thomas University
>http://www.stu.ca/~hunt/
>
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