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III. Plagiarism
To borrow words or ideas from others without proper acknowledgement
is called plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs anytime
you pretend that someone else’s words or ideas are your own.
The following are all examples of plagiarism:
- Copying text word for word without using quotation marks and
citing the source.
- Paraphrasing or summarizing information without citing the source.
- Paraphrasing that merely rearranges the author’s words
or sentence structure is plagiarism, even if you’ve cited
the source.
- Copying and pasting a sentence or paragraph from a Website (or
article from a database) into your research paper, without citing
the source.
- Buying a paper online, or from a fellow student, and pretending
it is your work.
The consequences of being found guilty of plagiarism are usually
severe, ranging from failing the course to expulsion from school.
Many students, however, plagiarize simply because they do not understand
what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. Often they lack confidence
in their own research and writing skills. But the worst reason many
students have for allowing themselves to plagiarize is the belief
that that everyone does it.
So it is worth asking: why is plagiarism considered such a crime?
- It shows complete disrespect for a major standard of conduct
in the academic and professional world.
- Stated bluntly, plagiarism is stealing and lying. A person who
plagiarizes shows himself/herself to be a person who lacks integrity
– i.e. a person who cannot be trusted to tell the truth.
- Plagiarism robs you of the opportunity to develop your own research,
writing, and thinking skills. Such skills are highly valued in
all professions and occupations.
- Education is an opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge.
Plagiarism casts doubt on your willingness and ability to learn
and master information on your own. Think of it this way: would
you want to be operated on by a surgeon who cheated his way thorough
medical school?
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to simply remember to cite
the source of every idea or piece of information that is not your
own. Every time you quote, paraphrase, or summarize someone else’s
words or ideas, give them credit. The only exception to this rule
is when you are using information thought to be common knowledge,
i.e. information most educated people already know, or information
widely available in reference sources. For example, you would not
cite your source for the dates of the American Civil War or the
names of the first men on the moon.
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