Chapter 22: Research and Ethos ENG 113: Composition I Chapter 22: Research and Ethos

Ethics Ethics = standards of behavior that are valued by society, moral principles that are shared Common ethical standard = don’t steal Principle of academic integrity = don’t steal other people’s ideas

Ethos Aristotle says ethos is the good character of someone who was engaged in presenting ideas honestly Ethos is: The author’s presentation of himself/herself as both knowledgeable and honest in an argument Authority = the process of transforming information into knowledge Character = academic integrity

Ethical Academic Writers Being an ethical academic writer means writing with authority and character Being careful and honest in using information from your sources is an important way of demonstrating your authority and character in your writing

Authoritative Source Use To present yourself as an authority on a topic, you must understand it Be open and honest about what you do or don’t understand If you don’t understand the topic, you must do the research to undersant it It’s your responsibility to become well informed about your subject before you write about it

Do Research! Understand the subject Build your own credibility Become more informed before presenting your own ideas or opinions

Failure of Authority: Being Under-Informed Use more than one secondary source in your research paper! One source = relying too heavily on the ideas of a single source can be too close to plagiarism because even if you cite all the material from the source, you can come too close to presenting that writer’s ideas as your own Note: this does not apply when analyzing a primary source

Avoid Patchwork Plagiarism Patchwork Plagiarism = the result of the writer stringing together words, ideas, and data from multiple sources without really bringing in his or her own thoughts and ideas

Simply typing up someone else’s ideas is not writing an essay It is plagiarism!

Integrity: Being Honest with Yourself Integrity means not cheating Integrity also means keeping an open mind Integrity also means avoiding unintentional plagiarism

Integrity: Staying Open-Minded Open minded = setting aside preconceived when researching a topic and give full consideration to what your sources are saying Avoid biased arguments = Going into research believing you already know the answer Going out of your way to find only sources that support your preconceived ideas

Integrity: Staying Open-Minded The Importance of Openness in Writing Knowing the thesis can and will change as you learn You are open to the assumptions of your reader Avoid communicating in logical fallacies Avoid committing fallacies of pathos

Integrity: Staying Open-Minded Writers of good character demonstrate openness to all possible sides of an argument Consider opposing viewpoints Take into account what others have to say Strengthens your own position Make your point of view more inclusive Provide you with an opportunity to explain your reasons for disagreeing

Integrity: Avoid Unintentional Plagiarism How Unintentional Plagiarism Happens Sloppy notes! Find a great idea that is not your own – use it anyway without citing it – because you don’t know where it came from = plagiarism Find a great phrase – use it – cite it – but don’t put it in quotation marks because you don’t realize that it is word for word from the source = plagiarism Copy and paste a whole paragraph into your notes to paraphrase later = forget and insert the whole paragraph without paraphrasing because you forgot that you had not reworded it = plagiarism

Whenever you present the words, ideas, or data of a source as if they were your own, you’re committing plagisrism – whether you mean to or not!

Character: Being Honest with Your Reader Fallacy of ethos: dishonest or misleading use of authority The writer misuses the expert opinion to support claims in an argument

Fallacy of Ethos Faulty Use of Authority Using a source as an authority that actually represents a “renegade” or generally unaccepted view Using a biased source Using a source who is respected in a subject but not in the subject you are writing about

Fallacy of Ethos Quoting Out of Context Using a quote in a way that misrepresents its original meaning Purposefully removing the content of the quote from its context Accidentally misunderstanding the larger context of the original quote

Fallacy of Ethos Card Stacking – a type of lying in which information is deliberately left out Unfairly presenting one side of an issue in order to manipulate an audience Cherry-picking evidence from sources – presenting only the pieces of evidence that supports the argument while leaving out evidence that does not

Fallacies of Authority (Ethos) Faulty Use of Authority Have you presented information from an unreliable source? Quoting Out of Context Have you misrepresented the meaning of a source? Card stacking/cherry picking Have you unfairly presented only one side of the argument by ignoring relevant evidence that hurts your position?

Intentional Plagiarism Intentional plagiarism comes from Procrastination Confusion Desperation Just don’t No really! Don’t Definitely, absolutely, positively, DON”T

Ethics and Source Use: Citeation Why cite sources? Reason 1: Avoids plagiarism Reason 2: Helps the reader Look up information from sources Reason 3: Shows proper respect for the author whose words, ideas, or data you are using

How to Cite Sources Components of Citation MLA Style The reference = the acknowledgement of a specific use of source material within the essay The bibliography = the list of complete information about each source at the end of the essay MLA Style Reference = in-text citation Bibliography = Works Cited

The Ethical College Research Paper Does the essay have a clear thesis, or main point, that is appropriate for the assignment? Is that thesis well supported with relevant, meaningful, factual evidence? Is the thesis developed through appeals to the reader’s needs and values? Does the essay make use of valid, authoritative sources to back its claims? Are source materials integrated fairly and understandably into the essay? Are all borrowings of words, ideas, or data from sources cited clearly within the text? Is the paper’s bibliography complete, accurate, and usefully presented according to format?

Ethos and Language Use Three components of Ethos Being well informed Open-mindedness Careful consideration of the reader Employ tone (mood or attitude) that is appropriate to the reade, the topic, the situation, and the argument itself Communicate as clearly and understandably as possible

Ethos and Language Use Writing Clearly The more work you do to write clearly, the less work your reader has to do to understand what you’ve written Tips Proofread! Use grammar effectively Choose the right words Fix sentence problems Use punctuation carefully