My Friend The Plagiarist?
A guide to recognizing plagiarism.

An Introduction to Piracy:

Plagiarism is the willful and deliberate theft of the written word. Any dictionary in existence equals this act with that of stealing something of monetary value. It is theft in every sense of the word, the illegal usage of intellectual property. It is the act of using another’s written material and claiming or publishing it as your own.

Often, this is thought to be a crime mainly affecting students faced with deadlines, however it can affect anyone. While there are two kinds of plagiarism, there is often no gray area when it comes to consequences.

Intentional Plagiarism:

In modern technology plagiarism is easier than ever. This fact is compounded with the "cut-and-paste" option available on home PCs.

However it is a Federal crime.

There is your article, featured as a "favorite" of the readers, somehow no one notices. The article is the same as your own, only you aren't the praised for it. Someone else has gathered a crowd of hundreds of fans, someone else is admired for your work. To add to the insult, it is the exact same site you are published on.

This horrible scenario is every writer's greatest fear when placing material on the Internet. This same problem has been in existence for centuries. We tend to forget it is as easy to "copy-and-paste," from web sites, as it is to copy from a book.

One writer discovered a plagiarist and initially regretted alerting others. There is some history behind this case, the plagiarist posted tens of articles and short stories at a popular on-line writing community which has since ceased operation. As with many online writing sites, there were several cases of plagiarism that went "unnoticed" by the administration.

For one account from a writer who actually caught a rampant plagiarist, read the interview, To Catch a Thief. The facts are surprising and the outcome is unexpected.

What is plagiarism in ordinary example?

Not all plagiarists are seedy characters who thrive on dubious "creation." Some writers are lazy and others are genuinely unknowledgeable of what constitutes as plagiarism.

Figure 1:

(original)

The migration patters of various species still take scientists by surprise. These birds, although discovered over fifty years ago, are still virtually unheard of. We hope to clear the haze of myth and legend, and bring the truth to the world.

Figure 2:

(plagiarized)

Migration habits of these different birds are still surprising to science. Discovered over fifty years ago, these birds are still unheard of. I hope to clear the questions around the bird and bring the facts to attention.

Figure 3:

(permissible/ non-plagiarized)

For over fifty years, these birds have been documented by science and recently there is hope that the myths surrounding them will be discarded. Scientists are still amazed by such activities as migration patterns, feeding habits, and mating rituals. The bird remains an enigma today, but will be a well-known species tomorrow.

Given this brief example, you can see how plagiarism is easily done. Even by changing the words, it is not original. The structure is similar and the thought pattern is the same. They convey the exact same facts, in the same order.

Unintentional Plagiarism:

Plagiarism can be easily done without premeditation or intention. Another example for this formula is the "student load." Deadlines, term papers, essays, it is tempting to just use someone else’s work and forgo the research and preparation. However when these students are discovered, the punishment will be much worse than the night or two it takes to write a paper.

When you change the words, you may make the item, "feel" original, but it is not your work. You can’t claim it as your own. You must seek out your own voice and style to grow as a writer. While imitation is often done by new writers, it should be cast aside when the needed confidence is gained.

Plagiarism doesn’t have to be a danger, it can be solved and discouraged if writers ban together. Assist those who don’t know and reveal the ones who do.

www.Plagiarism.org

What It Is and How To Avoid It:

Citing Sources:

This is the largest and most tedious part of non-fiction writing. Bibliographies, references, citations can cause headaches in the most ambitious of writers. However, if you use any research of other people in the work’s creation, you have to give sources. You could be committing plagiarism if you don’t. Since there are so many instructional sites on-line for assisting the writer use citations and bibliographies, this is becoming an easier task

Hamilton College:

Purdue University

©2003, Laura Wright. All excerpts used with full permission. No part of this article may be used, copied, transmitted, or duplicated in any way without the explicit written permission from Laurawrites.net.