A study done by Rutgers University revealed that 58% of 24,000 students from 70 different high schools admitted to plagiarizing their work. Plagiarism is when a person copies someone else’s exact words or ideas, and it can sometimes have serious consequences. Plagiarizing isn’t technically a criminal offense but it definitely is a moral and ethical offense. Plagiarizing can lead to the end of one’s career or the loss of trust between the writer and the public/the publisher. In a school setting it can absolutely impact your marks and grades. Often when a student is guilty of plagiarizing, they will automatically get a zero for their assignment mark or may even get kicked from the class. Taking credit for other people’s work, ideas or research is considered plagiarizing, but there are ways you can avoid it.
Firstly, you should make sure that the material you are reading is understandable and that you are absorbing the information. If you don’t understand what you are reading it can be hard to write it in your own words. Keeping note of the books and websites you use while you research can be very helpful when writing a bibliography or while citing your sources. Separating your notes into two groups (your own, and not your own) can also help with accidental plagiarism. If you do end up using copied material, you should include quotes as well as credit to the source.
Illustration: istock.com/dane_mark
skylarevansphotography.photo.blog 