What is Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as stealing or passing off ideas or words without crediting the source (Merriam-Webster, Inc, n.d.). Plagiarism comes in many forms, the most obvious being not citing sources. A less obvious form of plagiarism occurs when sources are cited but plagiarism still exists. Understanding when citing references is not required is also an important skill. This article focuses on written words, but as the Clinton-Obama plagiarism charges (Cox, 2008, February 18) show, it also occurs in speech.

Copying someone else's work without giving any citation is possibly the worst and most obvious form of plagiarism. This seems to happen more frequently in the Internet era. The Internet makes it very easy for someone to find what they consider is an obscure article, copy it and call it their own. Many tools exist which can find this form of plagiarism easily. Many articles have been found on article websites without the courtesy of attributing the author. This is an egregious form of plagiarism.

Another common plagiarism technique occurs when an author takes a large amount of text and pastes it into their article. Proper paraphrasing takes an idea and restates it another way. This means using an existing idea or ideas in an original format. Paraphrasing does not contain any original thoughts or ideas. Northwestern University (2007) points out that even a properly paraphrased idea has to be attributed. Without this attribution paraphrasing is still plagiarism.

Many times an author will simply use fragments of different articles slightly changing the sentences. Again, this is plagiarism. The key point here is that the formatting and phrasing of the article is basically the same as the originals. A Similar form of plagiarism occurs when an author changes some key words to make the paper appear to be original.

A less obvious form of plagiarism occurs when an author paraphrases large portions of the paper. Paraphrases still need to be cited and correctly attributed. Depending on the project type, an author who uses his or her own work when the project requires original thought is also plagiarizing. Technically an author cannot plagiarize themselves so this is more a violation of a contract or classroom expectation.

Several ways to plagiarize exist even though the sources have been properly cited. Sometimes this form of plagiarism is an oversight which should have been caught in the editing process, and other times this is a deliberate act to deceive the audience.

Forgetting a footnote or citation is a common source of unintentional plagiarism. Proper editing and proofreading should prevent this type of plagiarism from occurring. Using many of the computerized citation generation programs will all but eliminate forgotten citations.

An article which is close to 100% paraphrase or cited, can also be plagiarism. This is also an ethical problem since putting a byline on an article with absolutely no original content is deceiving the audience.

Attributing some ideas but not others is another form of deceit. Here the author is attributing certain parts of an article but not attributing other parts. This is almost never accidental since the author knows to attribute some parts and is purposely not citing others.

Attribution is not necessary when writing about personal experience, observation, or insight. Personal thought and conclusions are also exempt. If an experiment is involved, the results do not need citations. Personal work of art, including photos, recordings, and diagrams do not need credits (Purdue, n.d.).

Common knowledge and generally accepted facts usually do not need citations. Facts like "global warming is ruining the environment," even though controversial are still considered common knowledge. Historical documents and other public domain articles, while free to use and copy, still need to be cited.

Authors plagiarize for many reasons. The most common reason may be laziness. Not having to cite sources is much easier than having to go through the motions of citing and attributing someone else's work. Ignorance, while not an excuse, can also be blamed. Some cultures do not consider plagiarism and copying works from experts is a form of respect. As mentioned above, not proofreading and leaving out vital information is another reason. Waiting to last possible minute to finish the assignment can also lead to voluntary or involuntary plagiarism.

Probably, the most important way to prevent plagiarism is through education. Educators need to make sure students understand what plagiarism is and how to cite references properly. Try to break assignments into smaller pieces this will allow the student adequate feedback before the final grade is submitted. Another tactic having a student turn in the research and an outline first. This forces a student to gather research and citations before they began writing. Other useful techniques have included peer critique, personalizing assignments, having a workshop on taking effective notes, and pointing students to various online tools.

Writers can educate themselves. Many websites exist which have examples and tests an author can take which explain plagiarism in more detail. Online research tools and community and university library staff, most of whom understand plagiarism and citations extremely well are great secondary resources.

Editors and proofreaders should not only understand the definition of plagiarism, but also how to reduce or prevent it. Have a sample sheet with specific examples and advertise the consequences of not properly attributing work. Set the tone at the start, plagiarism will not be acceptable under any circumstance. Refer new authors to case studies or possibly a workshop so that they understand what plagiarism is as well.

Plagiarism can be prevented simply by understanding the rules. Notwithstanding cultural differences, following the mantra of "when in doubt, cite it" goes a long way towards prevention of plagiarism. Educators can modify lesson plans and emphasize student awareness of plagiarism through exercises and examples. Many online resources are available for authors, and publishers can invest in commercial services to help detect plagiarism and educate authors.

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Cox, A. M. (2008, February 18). Barack obama's "plagiarism" - swampland - time. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/02/barack_obamas_plagiarism.html.

Merriam-Webster, Inc. Plagiarized - definition from the merriam-webster online dictionary. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarized.

Northwestern University. Avoiding plagiarism. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.writing.northwestern.edu/avoiding_plagiarism.html.

Purdue University. Avoiding plagiarism: is it plagiarism yet? - the owl at purdue. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/.