Occam's Razor ...

I have for some considerable time been a fan of Occam's Razor (Ockham's razor is a well known alternate spelling). The premise of which is:
Among competing hypotheses that predict equally well, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.
Or, better said in plainer terms:
The simplest answer is often the most likely.
Often in educational assessment, verification and academic quality control situations. I encounter 'experts' (note the quotes) who infer complex often machiavellian conspiracy into their academic observations.

While there is always the possibility that students (as well as academic centres) engage in nefarious shady acts to conceal their rouge intentions. Often the reality is that they are merely clumsy, made mistakes and could have approached the work in question more appropriately (and under less time or personal pressure).

So, PLEASE!!!, when marking, verifying and engaging in the act of looking at the academic work of others. DO!!! apply Occam's Razor. It may save considerable grief and produce considerably more reasonable results.


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