3 ms·

Is it cheating to use spell check?

2 points by edent 4y ago

eesmith 4y ago
To the extent that AI replaces copy-editing, it is neither copyright infringement nor plagiarism, nor does it (likely) result in the inability to say that one's dissertation is all one's own work. Using examples found from a DDG search, https://uwc.utexas.edu/services/resources/hire-an-editor/ https://uwc.utexas.edu/services/resources/hire-an-editor/ says: > If you’re a student, ask your professor or faculty supervisors for their permission to hire a copy-editor. UT has no official policies against hiring editors, but individual faculty members may object to this practice. Sec. 11-402. Academic Dishonesty of UT’s Institutional Rules does not mention copy-editing as a prohibited conduct. However, if your supervisor tells you not to use an editor and you hire one anyway, then this would be a violation of “failing to comply with instructions” (11-402(c)(2)). So, the best practice is to make sure your supervisor is OK with you hiring a copy-editor. (This also addresses the case where a supervisor hates grammar check, says it's not permitted, but the student uses it anyway.) Or from https://www.fox.temple.edu/faculty-research/research-fox/services https://www.fox.temple.edu/faculty-research/research-fox/ser... : > The Fox School of Business offers the services of an in-house editor to provide Fox and STHM doctoral students and faculty with proofreading, line editing and feedback for their academic and research writing, such as scholarly articles, dissertations, conference papers and other peer reviewed written materials. Copy editing may be especially recommended for someone writing a thesis in a language which is not their native language, and may even be encouraged. The question of "Where's the line?" is little different from the line where a copyeditor becomes an un-credited co-author. It's certainly fuzzy, but I don't think using a machine makes a fundamental difference to the fuzziness. The author asks: "If I need a paragraph summarising the history of mayonnaise, do I need to waste my time writing that - or can I outsource it to an AI?" If it is not allowed to use an un-credited co-author to write the same text then it would also not be allowed to use an un-credited AI. If the assignment is to multiply "1234" by "5678" by hand then using a calculator would be cheating. On the other hand, if using a ghostwriter is acceptable/ethical, then certainly using AI would be the same.

2 points by edent 4y ago

To the extent that AI replaces copy-editing, it is neither copyright infringement nor plagiarism, nor does it (likely) result in the inability to say that one's dissertation is all one's own work. Using examples found from a DDG search, https://uwc.utexas.edu/services/resources/hire-an-editor/ https://uwc.utexas.edu/services/resources/hire-an-editor/ says: > If you’re a student, ask your professor or faculty supervisors for their permission to hire a copy-editor. UT has no official policies against hiring editors, but individual faculty members may object to this practice. Sec. 11-402. Academic Dishonesty of UT’s Institutional Rules does not mention copy-editing as a prohibited conduct. However, if your supervisor tells you not to use an editor and you hire one anyway, then this would be a violation of “failing to comply with instructions” (11-402(c)(2)). So, the best practice is to make sure your supervisor is OK with you hiring a copy-editor. (This also addresses the case where a supervisor hates grammar check, says it's not permitted, but the student uses it anyway.) Or from https://www.fox.temple.edu/faculty-research/research-fox/services https://www.fox.temple.edu/faculty-research/research-fox/ser... : > The Fox School of Business offers the services of an in-house editor to provide Fox and STHM doctoral students and faculty with proofreading, line editing and feedback for their academic and research writing, such as scholarly articles, dissertations, conference papers and other peer reviewed written materials. Copy editing may be especially recommended for someone writing a thesis in a language which is not their native language, and may even be encouraged. The question of "Where's the line?" is little different from the line where a copyeditor becomes an un-credited co-author. It's certainly fuzzy, but I don't think using a machine makes a fundamental difference to the fuzziness. The author asks: "If I need a paragraph summarising the history of mayonnaise, do I need to waste my time writing that - or can I outsource it to an AI?" If it is not allowed to use an un-credited co-author to write the same text then it would also not be allowed to use an un-credited AI. If the assignment is to multiply "1234" by "5678" by hand then using a calculator would be cheating. On the other hand, if using a ghostwriter is acceptable/ethical, then certainly using AI would be the same.