Lesson 1 discusses some of the differences between high school. College Level Research & Academic Integrity

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1 1 College Level Research & Academic Integrity WSU Bell Tower Photo by Britta Stumpp Lesson 1 discusses some of the differences between high school and college level research and the various types of information resources used in academic research. Lesson 2 provides a brief primer on academic libraries. Lesson 3 examines a number of concepts related to academic integrity. Lesson 4 discusses plagiarism in detail and describes techniques to avoid it in your writing. 7

2 Lesson 1: Moving from High School to College Level Research High School vs. College The papers and other research assignments you complete in college will probably be very different from the ones you completed in high school. For example, in high school, encyclopedias, books, and websites were probably acceptable sources to support your research. For a college level paper, you will need to use a greater number and wider variety of sources. Sometimes you will be required to use specific types of sources, such as scholarly journals, and not be allowed to use others, such as websites. The tools you use will also be different; you will not be able to rely on Google exclusively. College level papers will require you to use a variety of databases to locate books, articles, reports, and other documentation to support your research. Another difference in high school and college level papers is the level of synthesis and critical thinking involved in the research process. Critical thinking involves evaluating a variety of possible viewpoints or perspectives and remaining open to alternative interpretations. When we talk about critical thinking in the research process, we are also talking about the process of evaluating the quality of the information sources we use in our research. This is covered in more detail beginning in module 2. Academic integrity is crucial to your success as a student and is taken very seriously in college. This module will provide an overview of a number of issues that you need to be aware of when conducting academic research. A WSU Faculty Perspective I am Dr. Susan Matt, and I m a professor in the history department at Weber State University. As a Weber State student, to get good grades on class assignments and projects, you need to learn some new research skills and search techniques. The research assignments you will be given often require different types of resources than you have used in the past. These include journal articles written by scholars and experts who are reporting on the results of their research. Here s an example of something that I might assign in one of my classes. Notice that in this assignment the bibliography will need to include at least six sources, and at least two of these sources must be scholarly journal articles: Final Research Paper (10-12 pages) This is an opportunity for you to make an argument about a topic of your choice, based on and informed by scholarly articles and/or books that relate to this topic. In your paper, you will be trying to convince your reader of some main point or argument (the thesis). You will be using your paper to demonstrate to readers that if they were as smart as you and had done the research that you have done, they would agree with your thesis statement- the position you are defending in this paper. Your bibliography should cite at least six sources. At least one of these must be a book, and at least two must be scholarly journal articles. Only one may be a scholarly website. 8 1st draft due: April 10 2nd draft due: April 25

3 I am Dr. Mohammad Sondossi, and I am a professor in the microbiology department at WSU. Many of my students make the mistake of relying solely on Google and the free Web to find sources for their assignments, but most professors, including myself, will be expecting you to use library search tools such as library catalogs and article databases in addition to Google. A single Google search can link you to millions of websites, but only a portion of the world s knowledge is available on the internet, and only a portion of what is freely available is appropriate for college level research. As you know, many websites can be misleading due to bias, self-publication, or because they re trying to sell you something or persuade you to think a certain way. Also, the free Web offers less access to articles from expensive scholarly journals. Because of copyright, many of these articles simply aren t available in Google. One of the challenges you will face in your academic work is going beyond what you read in your textbooks and what you hear in your course lectures: to be able to evaluate, rethink, and synthesize what you read to create new information. Your original work is also the basis of your professors evaluation of your performance in their courses. In order to do college level research you need to: know why, when, and how to use different types of information go beyond Google think critically about the quality and source of the information provided A single Google search can link you to millions of websites, but only a portion of the world s knowledge is available on the internet, and only a portion of what is freely available is appropriate for college level research. In module 2, you will learn more about the different types of information available to you along with detailed information on how to evaluate the quality of the information you find. Lesson 2: Academic Libraries There are different types of libraries that serve various purposes. You are probably most familiar with public libraries and academic libraries. Public libraries are supported by taxpayer money, provide services to the general public in their surrounding communities, and make materials available for borrowing so that readers may use them at home. These libraries provide free services and events to the public, such as reading groups and toddler story time, and they typically have more popular materials of general interest, such as fiction (e.g., novels) and self-help books. In a public library, the Dewey Decimal System is used to organize non-fiction (factual) books. Fiction books are usually housed in a different area and are shelved by the author s last name and then in order by title. Academic libraries are located on college and university campuses to serve the students, staff, and faculty of those institutions. Their collections are selected to meet the various research needs of the campus community. Some, but not all, are accessible to the general public. Materials in an academic library are generally more scholarly. They include books, articles, historical information, music, maps, videos, and full text online resources. You will learn how books are arranged in academic libraries in module 3. 9

4 Note: Your student fees pay for a number of services to help you succeed. For a list of these services and information on how to access them, consult the Supplementary Materials portion of the text. Having access to an assortment of scholarly resources is why an academic library is the best place to start your research. In addition to library materials, the Stewart Library at Weber State University also offers an array of services that can assist you with your studies. Some of these services include: online research guides for specific topics, courses, or assignments group study areas and rooms wireless access for laptops and tablets color and black and white printing with Wildcat card some copies of textbooks in the library s reserve bookroom access to course readings via the library s e-reserve system online library book renewal online payment system for overdue fines Interlibrary loan for ordering books, articles, and other materials from different libraries During the course of your studies here, you will have plenty of questions. Fortunately, there are many ways to get help from library staff. You can speak to a librarian one-onone at the Stewart Library reference desk (middle level). You can also (refdesk@ weber.edu), telephone ( or toll free ), or chat with a librarian in real time via the Ask-a-Librarian link on the library s website. Librarians first priority is helping students. They can help you: refine your research topic find the right books and articles for your classwork cite your sources avoid plagiarism determine if your sources are scholarly, popular, or trade publications Lesson 3: Information Ethics & Academic Integrity Intellectual honesty is the foundation of an academic community. A number of concepts related to academic integrity will be examined in this module, including: cheating, plagiarism, ethical group work, falsification/misrepresentation, intellectual property rights (copyright infringement and piracy), public domain, and fair use. As a student at Weber State University, you are responsible for using the materials you collect and incorporate in your assignments and papers in an ethical manner. This means that you must: respect the rights of authors by crediting original sources for all information you use think critically about quality do your own research and writing Incorporating the work of others is perfectly acceptable in academic writing, but you have a responsibility to let your audience know when you are using someone else s ideas and where you found that information. Following are several ethical issues you may encounter. Cheating Cheating is unethical. There are many types of cheating, the penalties for which range from failing a test or assignment, to receiving an E for the class, to expulsion from the 10

5 Students Studying in Reference Area Photo by Chris Hauser university. So, how do you avoid cheating? The simple answer is just don t do it. The more complex answer is to try to avoid situations that make cheating seem like a good idea. Take care of yourself and don t overcommit. Good people who cheat do so because they are tired, overworked, and stressed out. If you need help, ask for it before you get to the point where cheating seems like a good idea. Plagiarism Plagiarism is using someone else s material without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism will be discussed in more detail in lesson 4. Ethical Group Work In many courses, you may work with others on a group project. For these types of assignments, part of your grade may be based on joint efforts, and part may be based on your own work. To avoid confusion and possible violations of academic integrity, you must clearly understand what work must be done independently and what work may be done collaboratively. The standards for collaboration vary from course to course. Some professors permit students to work on case studies or turn in assignments together, while others allow students to discuss the cases but require them to write up their own answers. Some prohibit any collaboration at all on assignments. In a computer science course, students may be encouraged to think through various programming strategies together but are prohibited from sharing the actual code with each other. In an ideal situation, your professor will make explicit his or her expectations for your academic work in the syllabus or in the assignment directions. If the expectations and rules are unstated or unclear to you, ask your professor. Falsification/Misrepresentation Falsification/misrepresentation is giving information that is false in some way. Incorrect citing of research sources is a common example of accidental falsification. Usually it happens by mistake or because someone s in a hurry. Either way, it s still considered academic dishonesty. Here s an example: Your paper is due tomorrow. You want to use a quote, but can t find the source. You decide to attribute a source you think might be the right one. You re 11

6 wrong; the instructor charges you with improper citing, and you fail the assignment. Here s another example: You need at least one book and one article for your paper. You can t find a book that looks good, so you make up a title and cite it in your reference list. Your instructor verifies your citations and fails you for the assignment. Intellectual Property Rights Intellectual property rights are the rights of a creator to control the works he or she has created. This includes, but is not limited to, books, articles, music, software, paintings, games, plays, photographs, and movies. According to U.S. law, once a work is created, it is copyrighted. The creator of the work has the right to determine how his/her work may be used, with one exception; this exception is known as fair use. Fair Use Fair use is a limitation on the copyright holder s rights. It is the fair use doctrine that allows you to quote information, use pictures, etc. in research papers and presentations. So what s okay under fair use? Usually, you may do the following for research papers, class presentations, and art projects: Quote brief passages from a book, article or website if you give proper credit Copy a map or chart into a research paper if you give proper credit Use a small snip of music if you give proper credit Use an image if you give proper credit Use downloads and software that are explicitly labeled by the creator as free to use. Make copies for your own use (e.g., ripping music from legally purchased CDs or music downloads to another format such as MP3s, burning a mix CD from music that you legally own, or printing/downloading/photocopying a journal article for your own use.) And what s NOT okay under fair use? Sharing files (unless you have explicit permission, preferably written and signed, from the owner of the material) Posting copyrighted material on a website without permission (there s a reason things keep disappearing from YouTube) Selling (most commercial uses of copyrighted material require special licenses from the copyright owner) Music piracy or other copyright infringement is illegal. In an academic setting, it s also considered unethical. If you choose to engage in this activity, be prepared to deal with any consequences. While most lawsuits involve major players like published authors or radio stations, the Recording Industry Association of America and other groups have been pursuing lawsuits against private individuals, especially college students. For example: A Boston University student was ordered to pay $675,000 for illegally downloading and sharing 30 songs (from Information Week: internet/policy/showarticle.jhtml?articleid= ). A Minnesota woman was fined $1.9 million for illegally downloading 24 songs (from CNN: index.html). In general, the more contained the use of the information (e.g., for one class) and the more educational the purpose, the more likely something is to be allowed under fair use. Use for commercial or strictly entertainment purposes is rarely allowable under the fair use doctrine. 12

7 Public Domain Public domain means the work is no longer protected by copyright, but you must give credit for public domain works or you are guilty of plagiarism. Examples of materials in the public domain include: Most federal publications (e.g., Congressional reports, Supreme Court decisions). Works where the copyright has expired. This one is tricky because the law keeps changing and it s different in the U.S. from other countries. In the U.S., this includes all works published or recorded before January 1, 1923 and some works published between While a work like Tom Sawyer may be in the public domain, a specific version of the work may still be copyrighted or the introduction and the notes may be copyrighted. Things NOT protected under copyright. This includes short phrases (e.g., Make my day from the movie Dirty Harry) and facts, theories and ideas (someone s interpretation or writings about facts, theories and ideas IS copyrighted). Works where the author has explicitly declared that the work is in the public domain (e.g., some free music downloads, free software). Lesson 4: Plagiarism Plagiarism is using someone else s work without giving credit. It can happen either on purpose or accidentally. Either way, it s considered academic dishonesty. Examples of plagiarism include using others ideas, thoughts, or conversation in your own paper without citing them; paraphrasing or summarizing other people s work without citing it; copying images or text from the Web without proper acknowledgement; or borrowing facts or statistics that are not common knowledge without proper acknowledgement. If you get caught plagiarizing at a university, the penalties range from losing points on a question to expulsion. In most instances, a student gets a failing grade on the plagiarized assignment. However, an instructor can legitimately fail a student for the entire course for one instance of plagiarism. You might be wondering, do I have to cite everything I write? The answer is no. Sometimes, you ll use information from other sources to support your argument, and you need to cite those sources. But, as a general rule, if a fact or piece of information is generally known and accepted (for example, that Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah, or that Ronald Reagan was an actor before he became president of the United States) you do not need to cite the source. This is called common knowledge. Deciding which facts or pieces of information require citation and which do not is not always easy. The concept of common knowledge can never be assumed; what is commonly known will vary widely for different audiences. Keep in mind that your professor is the primary audience for your work. If you are uncertain about whether to cite, ASK. If you do not have that opportunity, use the general rule of when in doubt, cite. Types of Plagiarism There are several different types of plagiarism. The most obvious form is direct plagiarism, or copying something word for word without using quotation marks or citing the author. This is considered the most serious type. Sometimes, students plagiarize without realizing it; this is generally known as accidental or unintentional plagiarism. This is the most common kind of plagiarism and happens when students don t intend to plagiarize, but fail to cite sources correctly or 13

8 copy too much of the source s original wording while trying to paraphrase or summarize the passage. Even when you put something in your own words, you must still cite the original source! Here s the ORIGINAL text from page 927 of an article called Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading that was published in volume 54 of Computers & Education: Students often multitask with electronic media while doing schoolwork. We examined the effects of one form of media often used in such multitasking, instant messaging (IM). We predicted that students who engaged in IMing while reading a typical academic psychology passage online would take longer to read the passage and would perform more poorly on a test of comprehension of the passage. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (IM before reading, IM during reading, or no IM). We found that students took significantly longer to read the passage when they IMed during reading (not including time taken to IM) than in other conditions. However, test performance did not differ by condition. Students who are managing busy lives may think they are accomplishing more by multitasking, but our findings suggest they will actually need more time to achieve the same level of performance on an academic task. Here is an example of an unacceptable paraphrase that is so close to the original source it could be considered direct plagiarism. In this case, the student has only changed around a few words and failed to cite the original source: College students will sometimes multitask with electronic media while doing schoolwork. Effects of one form of media often used in such multitasking, instant messaging (IM), were examined. It was predicted that students who IMed while reading a typical academic passage would take longer to read it and would perform more poorly on a test of the passage. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: IM before reading, IM during reading, or no IM. Students took much longer to read the passage when they IMed during reading than in the other groups. Students think they can do more by multitasking, but they will need more time to achieve the same level of performance on an academic task. The paragraph above is also problematic because some of the words the student did change do not convey the specific meaning of the original. For example, the original text did not specify college students and was also focused on a specific type of passage ( a typical academic psychology passage online ). The author of the paragraph described the passage as a typical academic passage, which could refer to a print source. Here s another unacceptable example. Once again, the student writing this passage uses too much of the original wording. In addition, he did not cite the original study. Students will sometimes IM while doing schoolwork, and will take longer to read a typical academic passage and perform more poorly on tests on that passage. Students who are managing busy lives may think they are accomplishing more by multitasking, they will actually need more time to achieve the same level of performance on an academic task than they would without IMing. You are guilty of self-plagiarism if you reuse your own paper or modify a paper you have already written. Using the entire paper is cheating. Even if you just use portions of the paper, you must give credit to yourself. Submitting identical or similar work in more than one course is subject to the same 14

9 penalties as plagiarism. You must get permission from each instructor to use previous work, and once you obtain permission, you must cite your own previous paper to avoid plagiarism. Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism is a very serious offense. However, there are several techniques you can use to avoid plagiarism in your writing. These include quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. To quote a source correctly, copy the passage word for word, place those words in quotation marks, and cite the source in which you found the quote: Breivik (1991) states that knowing how to locate and select the information they need is a means of personal empowerment for students (p. 87). Breivik states that knowing how to locate and select the information they need is a means of personal empowerment for students (87). If you are quoting lengthy passages, such as whole paragraphs, use block indentation and a citation: According to one researcher: Knowing how to locate and select the information they need is a means of personal empowerment for students. It allows them to verify or refute expert opinion and to become independent seekers of truth. By letting students experience the excitement of their own quests for knowledge, this kind of literacy creates the motivation for pursuing learning throughout their lives. In our efforts to combat illiteracy, information literacy- not just teaching people how to read- should be our goal (Breivik, 1991, pp. 87-8) According to Brevik: Knowing how to locate and select the information they need is a means of personal empowerment for students. It allows them to verify or refute expert opinion and to become independent seekers of truth. By letting students experience the excitement of their own quests for knowledge, this kind of literacy creates the motivation for pursuing learning throughout their lives. In our efforts to combat illiteracy, information literacy- not just teaching people how to read- should be our goal. (87-8) The second approach to avoiding plagiarism is to paraphrase the passage. To paraphrase, you simply restate the information from a source using your own words. A paraphrased passage will be about the same length as the original passage and does not need quotes. However, you MUST cite the source. One way to paraphrase a passage is to use an attributive tag, such as According to Brown,... or Brown believed that This example follows APA style formatting for quotations. The author s name, date, and page number are given. This example follows MLA style formatting for quotations. The author s name is given, and the page number follows at the end of the quotation. For lengthy quotations (more than 40 words), APA style uses block indentation along with the author s last name, date, and page numbers. MLA style sets long quotations off from the text; quotation marks are omitted. The page number is given in parentheses after the final period. Here s an example: 15

10 Breivik (1991) believed that the skills involved in being information literate, such as the ability to locate and choose relevant information, as well as the ability to synthesize that information, will allow students to make their own decisions about the validity of that information, as well as become independent life-long learners. Breivik (87) believed that the skills involved in being information literate, such as the ability to locate and choose relevant information, as well as the ability to synthesize that information, will allow students to make their own decisions about the validity of that information, as well as become independent life-long learners. The third approach is to summarize a passage. A summarized passage includes only the main ideas of a source in your own words, leaving out specific details. Summaries are shorter than paraphrased passages. They are simply a brief distillation of the writer s ideas. You do NOT need to use quotes, but the summarized passage must still be cited. You cite summarized passages just like you cite paraphrased passages, as in these examples: According to Breivik (1991), becoming information literate empowers students to become more independent, and fosters life-long learning tendencies. Becoming information literate empowers students to become more independent, and fosters life-long learning tendencies (Breivik, 1991). According to Breivik (87), becoming information literate empowers students to become more independent, and fosters life-long learning tendencies. Becoming information literate empowers students to become more independent, and fosters life-long learning tendencies (Breivik, 87). The Importance of Citing Sources Why is it so important to cite your sources? Citing your sources provides readers with information about where you found your sources, enabling them to locate and read these sources and pursue your topic further. It also places your work within the larger framework of study on your topic and adds credibility and authority to your own writing. Citing sources gathered during your research helps you build your argument. Documenting your sources will enable you to avoid plagiarism. This example follows APA style formatting for paraphrased passages. The author s last name and date are provided. This example follows MLA style formatting for paraphrased passages. The author s last name and page number are provided. These examples follow APA style formatting for summaries. The author s last name and date are provided. These examples follow MLA style formatting for summaries. The author s last name and page number are provided. Avoiding academic dishonesty is crucial to your success and your future. Refer to the Supplementary Materials section of the course for a list of good habits to follow that will help you avoid mistakes. Conclusion As you have seen so far, college level research is more in-depth than high school research. You will be expected to use a broader range of information, and much of that will be scholarly in nature. In addition, intellectual honesty is the foundation of all academic 16

11 communities, including ours at Weber State. It is important to do your own research and writing, give credit to the original authors, and respect the creative work of others. The student code covers all the rights and responsibilities of Weber State students; you should have received a copy of this when you started at WSU. This document deals with academic honesty and dishonesty and the penalties for the latter. The full text can be found at documents.weber.edu/ppm/6-22.htm. Section IV, Part D, focuses on issues of academic integrity. Other sections cover what to do if you have problems with a professor or another student. All sections outline the procedures in each case. Academic libraries are the best place to conduct academic research, as they have a variety of resources and services to help students become more proficient researchers. Librarians can help students refine research topics, find the right books and articles for assignments, determine whether sources are appropriate for the assignment, and assist in citing these sources. See also the following Supplementary Materials: Good Habits for Avoiding Academic Dishonesty Services for Students 17

12 Review Questions 1. Which of the following statements is FALSE about searching the Web with a single search engine such as Google? The Web offers free access to all the scholarly journals Only a portion of the world s knowledge is available on the internet Websites are not screened to reduce or eliminate bias, personal opinion, or misleading information One cannot rely solely on the Web to find information for their college assignments 2. What does the phrase thinking critically about the quality and source of information mean? 3. TRUE / FALSE Academic libraries are the best place to start college level research because they have more popular materials of general interest. 4. TRUE / FALSE You may use the work of another in a research paper so long as the source of the borrowed work is noted. 5. Which one of the following statements concerning intellectual property rights is FALSE? All types of printed or graphic works are included. A work is copyrighted as soon as it is created. Fair use has nothing to do with intellectual property. There are cases where some materials are no longer protected by copyright 6. TRUE / FALSE You must cite the source of everything you write that is not your own. 7. Which of the following are methods to help you avoid plagiarism? (check all that apply) Place exact wording of the borrowed idea in quotes Take thorough and accurate notes on the sources of your information Paraphrase borrowed material and cite the source Summarize borrowed material and cite the source 8. TRUE / FALSE You do not have to cite the original source if you are paraphrasing or summarizing in your own words. 9. TRUE / FALSE Fair use allows you to use materials for entertainment or commercial purposes ONLY. 10. It is that allows you to quote information or use pictures in your class presentations. public domain fair use copyright intellectual property 18

13 Review Questions 11. If you are assigned to do a research paper on a topic you researched last semester, it is ok to (choose one): change the information on the cover page and turn in the same paper modify and update the paper significantly and submit it turn in the same paper as long as at LEAST every third word has been changed modify and update the paper significantly and cite your previous work with approval of the professor 12. Which of the following is NOT an important reason to correctly cite your sources? To show that the source is copyrighted So that others can locate any of the sources Adds credibility to your work Helps you avoid academic dishonesty 13. Is this plagiarism? Why or why not? Taken from: Beck, R. (2009). The Effect of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Well-Controlled Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 32(8), search.ebscohost.com, doi: /dc Original Passage: Over the past 15 years, the use of rapid and long-acting insulin analogs, improvements in insulin pumps, and more frequent home blood glucose monitoring have had a positive impact on the ability to achieve target A1C levels in type 1 diabetes. However, the rates of severe hypoglycemia remain too high and the occurrence of such events is often followed by a decline in glycemic control due to fears of further hypoglycemic episodes. Rewritten Passage: For some time now, incorporating rapid and long-acting insulin analogs, improved insulin pump devices, and monitoring blood glucose levels more frequently at home have positively impacted people s ability to achieve target A1C levels in type 1 diabetes. However, the severe hypoglycemia rates are still too high and are frequently followed by decreased glycemic control because of fears of future hypoglycemic episodes. 14. What principles of information literacy did you find in module 1, and how could you apply these principles to your academic work? How could you apply these principles to your lifelong learning beyond college? 15. Which one of the following statements about the super abundance of information is FALSE? All information should be evaluated An internet search engine is the only resource one needs to find information Special skills are required to sift out the desired results The sheer volume of information makes the use of it more complex 19

14 Review Questions 16. Which of the following are reasons why the skills and knowledge of information literacy are important? (check all that apply). Rapid technological change Complexity of society Abundance of information Job security 17. List TWO reasons why you should cite your sources. 18. When is it ethical to use the ideas of another person in a research paper? (Choose any that are true.) It is never ethical to use someone else s ideas Only if you do not use their exact words Only when you give them credit Only when you receive their permission 19. You found articles presenting different views on a current issue. You want to use this information to write your paper. In which case(s) do you need to include a reference to the source of information? (Check all that apply.) When I copy word for word a paragraph from the articles When I write in my own words what is being said in the articles When I paraphrase the articles In none of the above cases 20. Mark ALL passages below which appropriately cite this passage from Dr. Martin Luther King s Letter from the Birmingham Jail : You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative. In Letter from the Birmingham Jail, King writes to fellow clergy saying that although they deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham, your statement fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations.. Martin Luther King was certain that nobody would want to be contented with a surfacy type of social analysis that concerns itself only with effects and doesn t deal with root causes.. Martin Luther King wrote that the city of Birmingham s white power structure left African-Americans there no alternative but to demonstrate ( Letter from the Birmingham Jail para. 5). 21. Which one of the following needs to be cited in your bibliography or list of references? Information found on the web Common knowledge Your personal opinion You must cite everything in an academic research paper 20