From Inspiration to Plagiarism – On the Symptoms and Problems of the Copycat Approach. Reflections of the Jury of a Student Competition

Abstract

With 15 years of experience, the jurors of a Polish student competition entitled Footpaths of Physics present their views on the copycat approach manifested by the contestants. The cases discussed are analysed in order to discover the reasons and results of such an attitude – connected to the competition itself, as well as to more general psychological and societal phenomena. The paper may be treated as a set of clues for people engaged in judging the work of students – such as teachers – but also for anyone working with exceptionally gifted or ambitious students.