Blog 2: The Dangers of Plagiarism

Blog 2:

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a highly offensive act and is punished criminally in some cases. Plagiarism is the act of appropriating another person’s work without crediting that person. Plagiarism can come in many forms but no matter the shape, it is always a horrible act.

The most important concept to understand when it comes to using outside information is paraphrasing. If one gains information from an outside source, it is best to paraphrase the information in new words rather than directly copying. Even if a source citation is provided, words copied directly can still be considered plagiarism. The DePauw University Writing Center touches on examples of plagiarism in its article titled: Avoiding Plagiarism. The article emphasizes the importance of summarizing outside ideas as well as citing sources so as to be completely free of plagiarism accusations (Avoiding Plagiarism, DePauw University, 2). The article also mentions that there is no excuse for plagiarism, even in a digital age where vast information can be found online (DePauw, 2).

An article titled “Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It” points out the importance of ensuring that any information obtained elsewhere is conveyed properly as well as cited.  The article notes the importance of always using quotation marks: “Put in quotations for everything that comes directly from the text - especially when taking notes” (Plagiarism, 1). Plagiarism is a deadly sin, and could potentially ruin any reputation. For example: Fareed Zakaria was a journalist who was reportedly known for: “claiming authorship of other writer's words” (Janae Green, Cases of Plagiarism, 1). In an Article titled “17 High Profile Cases of Plagiarism” by Janae Green, it is also noted that Zakaria was known to have falsified information about Israel on multiple occasions. As a result, Zakaria’s now former publisher has marked all of his archived articles with a warning that states: "[lack] of proper attribution" (Green, 1). Along with the obvious embarrassment of being called out for stealing the ideas of someone else, plagiarizers such as Zakaria are often fired from the reporting business.

Ultimately, Plagiarism is an issue that must be met with vigilance and deserves much attention.