The dangers of plagiarism to the integrity of academic works was on Tuesday, 21st April, 2015, highlighted by the Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, in a lecture delivered to students at the NICO Training School at the Institute’s Complex, National Theatre Annex, Lagos.
Speaking to students under the lecture topic, Advanced Research Methods, the NICO Boss stressed that plagiarism, which is, “the lifting of a person’s idea or work and presenting it as your original idea,” was a highly detestable academic offence that compares to a terrorist act; and that it could be best described as, an act of intellectual terrorism.
To Ayakoroma, a writer should always quote his source for every idea used in a research work in order to avoid a false assumption of authorship, and therefore advised students to shun any form of plagiarism as it could lead to failure, repeat of course(s), or expulsion for students, and disgrace or even loss of job for workers.
According to him, in order to avoid plagiarism, a researcher needs to list the writers and their viewpoints, double-check the work materials and 
distinguish between his own ideas and the ideas, quotations and summaries of materials obtained from various sources; and that the research student should identify his sources and alsoconsult the project supervisor when in doubt.
Other issues in research documentation which the lecturer also delved extensively into include, research problems for beginners, choice of research topic, steps in research writing, copyright, piracy, paragraphing, MLA and APA Style Sheets, and layout of an ideal project work.
The Advanced Research Methods is one of the courses offered under the Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Administration (PGDCA) programme of NICO Training School in Lagos and Abuja in order to familiarise students with current trends in research documentation.
Due to the importance of this course to innovative learning in the culture sector, NICO’s Executive Secretary/Visiting Associate Professor to Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, erudite scholar and author of many publications, has, for three academic sessions, volunteered to lecture this course in pursuit of academic excellence for students of the Institute.
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