(for an overview, see: the decoy)
One of the most versatile and elastic tools in the plagiarist's arsenal: the blank footnote, the lone number, the joker. Much like a being dealt a wild card in a game of crazy academia, the blank footnote allows you to turn any situation to your immediate advantage.
How?
By relying on your teacher's good will and laziness. Faced with an ambiguous situation ("Oh, dearie, what does this blank footnote mean?"), he or she will usually give you the benefit of the doubt. And benefits of the doubt are ripe for exploitation.
Use of the blank footnote is, however, limited to once (maybe twice) per teacher. Anything more, and your game gets obvious.
But, since you can use it once, let's take a look at what it can do:
1. A blank footnote can be a type of mis-attribution. Have a lot of words that aren't backed up by anything and need them supported? Stick a blank footnote near the end! A little number does wonders for making your scholarship suddenly look more solid. After all, you obviously meant to fill it in and simply forgot, right?
2. You can also use a blank footnote to hide plagiarism. Although it may seem illogical to draw attention to plagiarism by intentionally footnoting it incorrectly—your teacher will undoubtedly notice—that's the point: he or she will usually let it slide ("Oh, dearie, I'm sure Johnny meant to write the correct footnote in and he just forgot"). Yes, you may get docked a few marks for improper notation, but the plagiarism will stand. Plus, if on the rare chance you get called out for plagiarism and called in to talk to the teacher, you'll have an easy defense.
3. The blank footnote can also be used to break up sections of your essay that draw too heavily one source—an easy-to-spot flaw and one your teacher will most definitely dock you for. So disguise it. Break up large chunks of repeated notes by inserting a blank one. Visuals are important.
4. Finally, the blank footnote can be a type of decoy. Use it as a one-off to draw attention away from something else. Since it's easy to see and easy to comment ("Oh, dearie, Johnny, remember to proofread your footnotes before you hand in your essay"), teachers will love to pounce on it. And once a paper has enough comments and marks taken off to justify moving on to grading the next paper, your teacher will.
One of the most versatile and elastic tools in the plagiarist's arsenal: the blank footnote, the lone number, the joker. Much like a being dealt a wild card in a game of crazy academia, the blank footnote allows you to turn any situation to your immediate advantage.
How?
By relying on your teacher's good will and laziness. Faced with an ambiguous situation ("Oh, dearie, what does this blank footnote mean?"), he or she will usually give you the benefit of the doubt. And benefits of the doubt are ripe for exploitation.
Use of the blank footnote is, however, limited to once (maybe twice) per teacher. Anything more, and your game gets obvious.
But, since you can use it once, let's take a look at what it can do:
1. A blank footnote can be a type of mis-attribution. Have a lot of words that aren't backed up by anything and need them supported? Stick a blank footnote near the end! A little number does wonders for making your scholarship suddenly look more solid. After all, you obviously meant to fill it in and simply forgot, right?
2. You can also use a blank footnote to hide plagiarism. Although it may seem illogical to draw attention to plagiarism by intentionally footnoting it incorrectly—your teacher will undoubtedly notice—that's the point: he or she will usually let it slide ("Oh, dearie, I'm sure Johnny meant to write the correct footnote in and he just forgot"). Yes, you may get docked a few marks for improper notation, but the plagiarism will stand. Plus, if on the rare chance you get called out for plagiarism and called in to talk to the teacher, you'll have an easy defense.
3. The blank footnote can also be used to break up sections of your essay that draw too heavily one source—an easy-to-spot flaw and one your teacher will most definitely dock you for. So disguise it. Break up large chunks of repeated notes by inserting a blank one. Visuals are important.
4. Finally, the blank footnote can be a type of decoy. Use it as a one-off to draw attention away from something else. Since it's easy to see and easy to comment ("Oh, dearie, Johnny, remember to proofread your footnotes before you hand in your essay"), teachers will love to pounce on it. And once a paper has enough comments and marks taken off to justify moving on to grading the next paper, your teacher will.
The blank footnote is plagiarism's utility player. Used properly, it can be a game-breaker.