WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

In instructional settings, plagiarism is a multifaceted and ethically complex problem. However, if any definition of plagiarism is to be helpful to administers, faculty and students, it needs to be a simple and direct as possible within the context for which it is intended.

Definition: In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledge its source.

This definition applies to texts published in print or on-line to manuscripts and to the work of other student writers. Most current discussions of plagiarism fail to distinguish between:

ü  Submitting someone else’s text as one’s own or attempting to blur the line between one’s own ideas or words and those borrowed from another source, and

ü  Carelessly or inadequately citing ideas and words borrowed from another sources.

Such discussions conflate plagiarism with misuse of sources.

Writers make every effort to acknowledge sources fully and appropriately in according with the contexts and genres of their writing. A student who attempt (even if clumsily) to identify and credit his or her source, but who misuses a specific citation format or incorrectly uses quotation marks or other forms of identifying material taken from other sources has not plagiarized. Instead, such a student should be considered to have failed to cite and document sources appropriately.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE?

To inexperienced writers, citing and documenting sources may seem like busywork. Yet, when you cite your external sources in the text of your paper and when you document them at the end of your pieces in a list of works cited or a bibliography, you are performing  a rhetorical act. Complete and accurate citing and documenting of all external sources help writers archive three very important goals:

ü  It enhances your credibility as a writer. By carefully and accurately citing your external sources in the text and by documenting them at the end of your paper you show your readers that you are serious about your subject, your research and the argument which you are making in your paper you demonstrate that you have studied your subject in sufficient depth and by reading and authoritative sources.

ü  It helps you to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is trying to pass someone else’s ideas or writing as your own. It is a serious offense that can damage the reputation of a writer forever and lean to very serious consequences if committed in an academic or professional setting.

ü  The presence of complete citations of sources in your paper will help you demonstrates to your readers that you are an active participant in the community of readers, writers, researches and learners. It shows that you are aware of the conversations by researching and writing about the subjects that interested. By providing enough information about the sources which you used in your own research and writing, you give other interested readers the opportunity to find out more about your subject and thus to enter in a conversation with you.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLAGIARISM; TEXT, PICTURE AND VIDEO AND ETC.

Full Plagiarism:

This is also known as 'complete plagiarism'. Whenever a writer copies the content from another source as it is, it is called full plagiarism. In such a kind of plagiarism, the writer changes nothing from the original source, and there is an absolute lack of original research. The language, the flow, and even the punctuation are copied to such an extent, that one cannot cite even a minor difference in the two contents. Full plagiarism, then refers to copying somebody else's original content, word by word, and presenting it as one's own. Many academicians believe that it is generally the work of people who are incompetent in the particular subject, or are just plain lazy to make an effort. This kind of plagiarism may lead to serious consequences, ranging from suspension to termination.

Partial Plagiarism:

When a person combines data from two or three different sources in his work, it amounts to partial plagiarism. This kind of plagiarism pertains to copying someone else's work, not fully, but partly. A person plagiarizing content in this way makes rampant use of paraphrasing, which means that he presents the same idea in a different form, by manipulating the language of the original content, but the flow remains the same. This, he does in most cases by making use of synonymous vocabulary or changing sentences from active to passive voice and vice versa. In this way, the author does try to be original, but again the work does not contain any first-hand research. Inadequacy of knowledge on the particular subject is a common reason for the occurrences of partial plagiarism.

Minimalistic Plagiarism:

 Minimalistic plagiarism is done when a person paraphrases the same content but in a different flow. In this kind, the plagiarist attempts to copy ideas, opinions, thoughts and concepts of another author, in such a way that his work does not seem like it has been plagiarized. What he does is that he not only changes the sentence construction and makes use of synonymous vocabulary, but he also changes the order in which the thoughts have been presented in the original work. It is this change in the flow that makes the work seem original, though it is not. This kind of plagiarism again lacks first-hand research, though such write-ups almost seem to be original. Many people do not consider this as plagiarism, probably because such an instance is very difficult to spot, and there are very sparse chances of getting caught.

Mosaic Plagiarism:

This kind is most common among students. Instances of mosaic plagiarism occur mostly due to lack of knowledge or ignorance about plagiarism, and the ways to avoid it. When a person changes the construction of the sentence but does not bother to change the original wording, it amounts to mosaic plagiarism. The result then, is that the sentences change, the flow changes, but the words remain the same. This act amounts to plagiarism, because no due credit is given to the author of the original work, which becomes absolutely necessary in such cases.

Detailed knowledge of referencing and citations is very important in order to avoid this kind of plagiarism.

Source Plagiarism:

 Sometimes, the author one is referring to may have quoted some other author in his work. Plagiarism in such cases, takes place when due credit is not given to the author one is gathering matter from. Citing primary reference is very important in such a case. For a person, the author he is referring to is a primary source, and not the author who was referred to by the author who is being referred. This has to be kept in mind and accordingly worked upon.

Source Citation:

 When the complete source information with quotes is provided, it does not amount to plagiarism. However, the definition of a complete source citation varies in various contexts. Some writers quote the name of the source, but provide no other accessible information. while some others very conveniently provide false references. Some just merge their information with the original piece of writing. Instances of plagiarism take place not only when the sources are not cited at all, but also when the sources are improperly cited. Instances when the sources are not cited occur in following cases:

ü  Ghost Writer, where a person feels free to copy other person's work, word by word, and to reproduce it as his own.

ü  Poor Disguise, where the essence of the original work remains the same, but only the keywords are changed.

ü  Photocopy, where large parts of the content are copied from a given text, without making any changes.

ü  Potluck Paper, wherein the writer attempts to hide his act of plagiarism by skillfully combining contents from different resources, and putting them together in a way that they seem to be original.

Instances of improper citation amounting to plagiarism include: Source Misinformation, where a person either gives a wrong source, or does not provide adequate information about the same, thus making it difficult/impossible to trace.

ü  Neglected Footnote, wherein the source author is cited but the location of the source is not provided, which again makes cross-referencing difficult.

ü  Full-proof Plagiarist, is the one who perfectly cites all the sources in his/her work, but the entire text is the paraphrased version of the original. This is very difficult to spot, and it seems very much like an original piece of work.

Proper citation is thus a requirement, which includes not only the name of the original author, but also the location of the source.

Self-plagiarism:

This type is perhaps the most contested one, as there is a mixed opinion about this being a form of plagiarism. Using one's own work, fully or partially, or even the same thoughts and reproducing it in some form or the other, has been termed as self-plagiarism by many. Publishing the same material through different media without referencing it correctly is a very common habit among numerous writers. The contents on many websites are perfect examples of this. According to Professor Paul Brian's opinion posted on the Internet Humanist Forum, "Self-plagiarism, or the recycling of an old work in a new guise is also a theft, since the author leads the book-buyer to think that there is a new book of his in the market. The author is misleading his/her readers. Self-plagiarism is fraud, if not outright theft."

Examples:

ü  Text – Copy and paste quotations instead of having the retype them into your paper. Even before you begin drafting a paper, copying and pasting sections from your sources seems an easy way to take notes, so that you can look the material over later without surfing back to the website. This very convenience, however, also leads writers into danger. In the midst of researching and taking notes, it’s just too easy to paste quotations into your file with the intention to go back later and note down the source. When you return to your draft, it can be hard to distinguish your own writing from the passages you’ve copied.

ü  Picture – Web and graphic designers often use images to enhance the aesthetics of marketing collateral and branding tools, such as website, brochures, and logos. If a designer uses graphics created by another designer or pictures taken by a photographer without permission, it is plagiarism

HOW IT CAN AFFECT US?

ü  Respect for Others

o   Plagiarizing shows a lack of respect toward the instructor and the work of the individual whose work is being plagiarized. Not caring about the integrity of other people's work may carry over to not caring about other things that belong to people as well.

ü  Respect for Self

o   A student who has copied the work of another person is not showing respect for his own creative and intellectual potential. It also shows that he does not care about maintaining personal integrity.

ü  Motivation

o   Engaging in plagiarism can destroy a student's motivation to do his own work. Plagiarism is easy to do in many school settings, and can be self-reinforcing.

 

 

ü  Learning

o   When a student plagiarizes his work, the student has denied himself the opportunity to learn about the content being studied, as well as missing out on the opportunity to sharpen his research and writing skills. Plagiarized work means that no significant learning has been accomplished.

ü  Prevention

o   To prevent plagiarism, instructors must diligently check student work. Knowing student capabilities helps instructors identify when a paper may be plagiarized. Instructors should also run suspect parts of papers through a search engine to see if the material has been plagiarized from an online source. All instructors should have a plagiarism policy.

 

 

 

ü  Academic Discipline

o   Educational institutions, especially colleges and universities, regard plagiarism as a serious breach of academic honesty and integrity. They warn their students of serious consequences for plagiarizing the work of others. Students who are guilty of plagiarism face at the least a failing grade in the course for which they committed the offense. Other possible consequences include suspension or even expulsion from the school they attend.

ü  Loss of Degree or Job

o   College students who commit plagiarism face the loss of their degrees upon discovery of the offense. College faculty members who plagiarize the work of other scholars face serious consequences as well.

o   Professors who commit plagiarism may lose tenure and face the loss of their jobs and reputations. An academic found guilty of plagiarism faces the permanent loss of her credibility as a scholar. Plagiarism also may damage the reputation of schools as places of learning and intellectual inquiry.

 

ü  Damaged Relationships

o   Plagiarism poisons the relationship between students and teachers by undermining the mutual trust that is an important element of the learning process. Widespread incidents of plagiarism, such as students taking work from the Internet and presenting it as their own, force teachers to act as police investigators, constantly searching for wrongdoing. All students become suspect in such an environment, and learning becomes impossible. Suspicion and mistrust replace intellectual curiosity and trust. Plagiarism also damages relationships between students who plagiarize and those who earn their grades honestly.

ü  Lack of Critical Thinking

o   When students or instructors present others' work as their own, they fail to develop and use critical thinking skills, which are necessary for learning and success in life.

THE ADVANTAGES PLAGIARISM

Energy savings - ‘copy and paste’ uses far fewer resources than does thinking your own way around any subject. Any fool can see that.

Time savings – quite obviously, time not spent doing your own research and your own thinking, can be spent in other, more worthwhile pursuits. Finding other people to steal from for instance.

Esteem of colleagues – what writer could help but admire a person who can meet the assignment deadlines with efficiency and dispatch while being abreast with the latest Page 3 doings. What could be hipper?

Professional friends – the long-term plagiarist is guaranteed, (thanks to Cityscape), to make close acquaintanceship with any number of lawyers and other such bottom feeders. Perhaps even get to hang out with them at their clubs and stuff.

Evolution – the plagiarist will, after all, be teaching his/her children that it is perfectly acceptable to misuse the property of another, especially if you can do it without having to go through pesky details such as permission. Surely the advantages to the body politic of that child’s adulthood, is self-evident.

DISADVANTAGES OF PLAGIARISM

In an academic setting, the risk of getting caught is on the rise as teachers are learning to access the same resources as unscrupulous students. If the plagiarism is discovered, the penalties range from academic probation to complete expulsion with the incident marked on one's permanent record.

Plagiarism in the professional world is sometimes harder to detect, but the consequences are more serious in nature; the higher standard for behavior among working adults (compared to students) condemns the professional plagiarist to public or field-specific discredit and subsequent blacklisting. Even if the plagiarism never becomes widely recognized, the act itself goes against professional courtesy and respect for colleagues, etc.

The least obvious disadvantage of plagiarizing is that it stifles any creative effort on the part of the plagiarist. Without the conception and realization of new thought, progress, both of the individual and of the affected society, grinds to a halt. Rethinking old knowledge and articulating it in an original way encourages further originality, refreshes the subject, and fosters respect for the legal and/or intellectual property of others.

CONCLUSION

Avoiding plagiarism and acknowledge your external sources completely and accurately are vital parts of the writing process. Your creditability as writer and the reception that your work will receives may depend on how well your sources. By following the guidelines presented in this chapter and by seeking out more knowledge about the rules of citing documenting from the publications listed in this chapter, you will become a more competent, more professional and more creditable writer.

REFERENCES

·         http://wpacouncil.org/node/9

·         http://methodsofdiscovery.net/?q=node/24

·         http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/copying-text

·          http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-plagiarism.html

·         http://dorightmarketing.com/the-advantages-of-plagiarism/

·         http://wiki.answers.com/Q/The_disadvantages_of_plagiarizing