Plagiarism

Plagiarism

Plagiarism has been present in society for longer than one might like to think. But what is even more upsetting is the fact that it is a recurring problem in innumerable school systems across the country. By definition, plagiarism is the “unacknowledged and inappropriate use of ideas and wording of another writer” and can be considered “a grave violation of academic integrity” (http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/writing/tools/plagiarism.html). This may seem slightly harsh, but it is indeed true. However, to put in layman’s terms, an act of fraud or deception is committed when someone plagiarizes, either from a textbook or the internet. And, as with every mistake, consequences arise that affect the individual greatly.

The general public conveys plagiarism to be “the capital intellectual crime” and in addition, is most often used by students and professors whose “undetected plagiarisms disrupt the system of student and scholarly evaluation” (http://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/posner-r-plagiarism.html). Such actions can become the cause of expulsion of a student or the halt of a professor’s career. Because this is a major offense and requires immediate discipline, several American universities have established guides indicating the types of plagiarism that exist. One prime example is California State’s Eagle Guide. Within it, three categories of various plagiarisms are presented with the first titled Turning in Someone Else’s Paper, also known as Type I. Basically, the individual was either too lazy or lacked the confidence in himself to compose the paper. “This is the worst type of plagiarism because fraud is committed that undermines the entire educational system. The material was not learned, writing skills did not improve, and the grade is based on deception. All in all, the person’s education is a fraud.” (http://web.calstatela.edu/centers/write cn/plagiarism.htm). Furthermore, Type II is the Internet “Pastiche” which is a “literary work composed of various sources” (Macmillan Dictionary, 1984). In this instance, the paper is assembled by the “writer” out of other texts. Paragraphs are “grabbed” and are carefully placed to form a final draft. Lastly, Type III is improper paraphrasing. This transpires when an author’s idea(s) are rewritten into other’s words and original sentence structure is used. Type III is the least hostile because it can easily be corrected with few practices.