Why Plagiarism Is Bad

How would you feel if your work was stolen? Plagiarism is a huge problem with many people today. Not knowing how to cite sources, what is considered plagiarism, and the consequences of plagiarising is a common cause of plagiarism. In order to prevent plagiarism from happening, it is important to inform what plagiarism is, know why documentation is necessary, and how to use different citation styles.
For most, plagiarism means to steal someone's work without credibility. Many sources are used to reference an idea, but not all sources are credited. For plagiarism.com plagiarism means “plagiarism is an act of fraud.” By plagiarizing you are not only using someone else’s idea, but you are claiming it as your own. Plagiarism is a serious issue. Based off of plagiarism.com, “the expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions.” A simple act of copying work is actually considered breaking the law.

Documentation simply means to indicate the use of someone else’s source. By documenting information, you are holding yourself credible to your audience. Being ethical is a great way to incorporate ethos into a discussion. It is important to prove to your audience that you are being honest. The audience is able to get more information by having your documentation. This allows a great way to get the audience more involved in your ideas. One of the main ideas from “plagiarism, as Common as It Is These Days, Remains Reprehensible” by Kim Carnett, is plagiarism happens more than we know, so it is important that our sources are getting credit. We can’t completely stop plagiarism, but showing ways to prevent it is one step