Originating from the Latin word plagiarius (kidnapper), plagiarism refers to using the work of others and presenting it as one’s own, i.e. without acknowledging the real author. It is a grievous offence and academic institutions, all over the world, seriously punish such academic dishonesty. Although mostly plagiarism is intentional, it is possible to plagiarize accidentally as well. Forgetting to put quotation marks or giving proper citation, due to carelessness or inattention, is an example of unintentional plagiarism. However, in both cases, plagiarism represents an intellectual theft and thus, it is punishable. Plagiarism undermines one’s credibility and reputation, not only in higher education, but also in professional careers. Therefore, teachers should place strong emphasis on preventing plagiarism in order to prepare students for honest, professional careers.
It is possible to prevent plagiarism by following a few simple tips. Firstly, if one uses the exact words of a specific source, enclose it in quotation marks and cite it at the end of the quotation. Secondly, even if one does not use the exact language of the source, all borrowed ideas and thoughts, that are not common knowledge, must be referenced. Thirdly, students can paraphrase other people’s work, while giving credit to the original authors. Paraphrasing refers to the practice of using one’s own words to express the work and ideas of others. The concept of paraphrasing revolves around capturing the essence of someone’s work in one’s unique communication style. However, it is still important to provide the original reference of the work; otherwise, it will be considered plagiarism.
Most academic institutions use special plagiarism-detecting software e.g. Turnitin, in order to identify academic dishonesty among students. Other techniques include entering a phrase or sentence in Google or any other search engine, to see if a match is available. Moreover, teachers can arrange a meeting with the student and discuss his/her work to judge how familiar he/she is with his/her own work.
References
Martin, B. (1994). Plagiarism- A Misplaced Emphasis. Journal of Information Ethics, 3(2), 36-47.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2016). Avoiding Plagiarism. Retrieved from Comparative Media Studies| Writing: http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/avoiding-plagiarism
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2016). Detecting Plagiarism. Retrieved from Comparative Media Studies| Writing: http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/resources/teachers/detect-plagiarism
Oxford Dictionaries. (2016). Plagiarism. Retrieved from Oxford Dictionaries: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/plagiarism
