Intellectual Integrity: Know it, Love it, Respect it When Designing Your Courses
Apr 18, 2022
For those of us who create, and especially for those of us who create through writing, there is probably no word more frightening than the P-word. Plagiarism. No thank you.
As someone who helps curate courses for various small businesses, I have to be adaptable to all sorts of industries, some of which aren’t my area of expertise. While I’m never completing a course purely from scratch, I still have to build it with a working knowledge of the various topics. Enter, research, and the delicate dance of researching and citing all while upholding intellectual integrity.
But before we dive right in, welcome! You’ve now entered into The Dreamer’s Lounge! I’m Ariel Schiffer, and I have made it my mission to take out the digital trash one bad course at a time. I am the creator of The Course Alchemist, Industrial Organizational Psychologist, and Curriculum and course design expert.
This podcast is for entrepreneurs who are looking to elevate their digital product suite so their offers speak for themselves. Nothing is worse than being oversold into something that under-delivers just like an overpriced bottle of wine. So, if you’re ready to develop high-quality offers, bring in consistent revenue, and have a business with long-term results for you AND your clients, grab your drink and join us inside…
Cite Your Source
When you’re constructing your course it really can be as simple (and as tricky) as that. That’s why I’m ready with a few tips to help make sure you’re toeing the line and giving credit where it’s due:
1. Research
Don’t let the fear of plagiarism make you skip the necessary research; citing sources properly actually helps strengthen your content, validating and building trust between you and your clients. Science is particularly compelling when your course is more spiritual or conceptually based. It’s all about striking a balance between showing off your own natural knowledge, and curiosity, and filling in any gaps with well-sourced research. You can also look into any of your competitors, and see how they go about teaching various topics (this is NOT permission to steal from them).
2. Speaking of stealing- don’t steal intellectual property
Never forget that when people buy your course it’s because they’re looking for more. Especially these days, anyone can do a Google search; they purchased your course because they want guidance and perspective- yours. They want your help in putting the pieces together, and for you to help them along their way to transformation. This means you need to give them a course that actually contains your perspective and guidance, not Google’s.
3. How do you know…what you don’t know
So what do you do when it crosses the line from research to reinforce your point, and blatantly needing to teach or talk about something out of your wheelhouse? Well, this is a great time to chat with other content creators who could give advice or input. Inviting a guest on a podcast episode, or crediting them with writing a module in your course has the mutual benefit of filling in any gaps for you, and giving them exposure. Just make sure terms and conditions are discussed beforehand.
Remember, People are Paying for YOUR Help: The Bottomline
Frankly, if you don’t know more than you do when it comes to you creating content, should you even be crediting yourself as an expert? It’s important that you shine through in your course, and that your unique personality and experiences color the program. You’re less an author and more a guide and the journey you’re taking your clients on is the point more so than the destination. Don’t shy away from research but don’t overpower your own story either.
If you’d like to connect with other Dreamers in our community, join The Dreamer’s Society. And if you’re interested in learning more about working with the Dreampro team, check out our website!
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See you next week!
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