Argumentative writing

Writing to prove your own thesis, to account for your own project, to provide the needed information to take a decision requires expressing clearly, justifying by proving every claim about the world conditions or others’ ideas and developing coherent logical-deductive reasoning.

There are two types of proves: direct and documentary. Direct proves require experiments, inquires, field research etc. Documentary proves on the one hand are primary documents, or rather, sources that directly provide information on which our reasoning will be based – such as a balance sheet that we use to prove hypothesis about the consequences of management choices. On the other hand, most of the time they are secondary documents in which an author, in turn referring to direct and documentary proves, gives us ideas and information about a specific topic.

Collecting direct and indirect proves and quoting them correctly and continuously is the essential premise to write any type of text, aiming at declaring your own hypothesis about any topic.

Plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism is easy. You only have not to copy.

Using many sources allows you to acquire ideas, understand them and then, write those you need to support your own reasoning.

Having clear in mind the question your work wants to answer is crucial.

Plagiarism cases

  • Handing over others’ work as if it were yours.
  • Handing over a text or any other commissioned document, for a fee or for free, to another person or organization as if it were yours.
  • Copying a text written by others without giving a proper and right reference.
  • Paraphrasing a test written by others changing just a few words (with or without a proper and right reference).
  • Using others’ ideas or topics without a proper and right reference.
  • Using images, data, charts, illustrations, and graphs without a proper and right reference.
  • Handing over your own text as authentic, in whole or in part, equivalent with previously used works to pass exams or tests in either your University or somewhere else.
  • Handing over a previously published work as authentic

Anti-plagiarism software (for students)

Anti-plagiarism check is done on all final papers and dissertations by using a specific software.

Every instructor can employ the anti-plagiarism software to verify the proper use of documentary sources in every written document submitted by students.

Students can ask for the prior check of their own work for the final paper or dissertation by requesting the instructions for each graduation sessions of the following trimester to the Rostoni Library.

Turnitin usage (for instructors)

Every instructor can ask for a username and a password to use Turnitin anti-plagiarism software. All instructors can benefit from some software presentations by asking them to “Supporting authenticity and proper research” service of the Library, consulenza@liuc.it