PLAGARISM

Plagiarism



Plagiarism

Introduction

Academic learning in today's changing world brings demands to future professionals. Whether in a traditional classroom, or through distance learning, one thing is similar and which cannot bring forth a successful educational future. One thing that can damage anyone's academic future is plagiarism. Whether being the future of a straight 'A' student or a student who is just getting by. The fact remains that anyone can fall victim to plagiarism. Plagiarism is the use of other writer's words without acknowledging the source and taking those words and passing them off as one's own ideas. Some people may think plagiarism is just copying someone else's work but in reality, plagiarism is much serious and hold very serious consequences. When plagiarism is caught, the outcome can be critical to a students' academic future (Afshani & Rosalyn, 2005).

'Academic honesty and its consequences have become increasingly complex. Highly accessible electronic media, profound consequences for misconduct and reporting and lack of standard practice intensifies the issues'. 'Some universities, and departments, have developed clear guidelines and consequences for plagiarizers'.

Discussion

Although some universities have enforced clear guidelines and consequences for plagiarism, inconsistencies remain with how students are to be punished. Depending on the instructor, student, and situation, many different actions may be taken. A student who admits to plagiarism when confronted could possibly receive a less harsh punishment than one who denies committing the plagiarism. In one case where two students had admitted to plagiarism, they received a failure in the course, had to enroll again in the program.

In the academic learning environment today, students are surrounded with ideas and thoughts of others. These works can be accessed through written material, electronically, heard in lectures and sermons, or even in class discussions. Without giving proper credit to the author of the original work plagiarism is the outcome (Bourne, 2008).

The Need to Plagiarize

The need and ideas that lead to plagiarize is learned in the early ages as the students are unable to depict their ideas clearly through their own words (Jensen, 2002). Students need to plagiarize in any of the condition; either they are unable to find the right words to express their knowledge or they are too lazy and running short on time to complete their given task in their own words. Plagiarism highly effects the presentation of your lack competency to write and makes it viable to be considered as an unethical approach of writing.

Students at times face the difficulty in citing references and sources from the internet and fall for plagiarism. Their incompetent searching skills and comprehension skills also play a part in the need to plagiarize. Many students at times get confused to understand the difference between plagiarizing and paraphrasing which leads to writing down a content that is counted under plagiarism.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

The Office of Research Integrity (1994) says about plagiarism that it is, '[both] the theft and misrepresentation of intellectual property and the substantial unattributed textual copying of another's ...