Reasons Why Plagiarism Is Bad
Plagiarism is the act of passing off someone else's work as one's own. It is viewed as a form of intellectual fraud and theft. The increased use of the Internet has allowed plagiarism to flourish, and some people may wonder what's so bad about it. Anyone who works in either the academic field or in the world of professional publishing can explain why plagiarism is a problem.
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Dishonesty
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On a basic moral level, plagiarism is simply dishonest. It appropriates the work someone else has done and deceitfully presents it as one's own.
Learning
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Academic assignments are designed to help students learn. Plagiarism sabotages that process, and prevents the plagiarist from learning the intended lessons.
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Reputation
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Plagiarism harms the reputation of the plagiarist, and also any publisher or academic institution that permits it. In such fields as journalism, book publishing, and scholarly publishing, plagiarism can be grounds for severe punishment, including being fired from one's job and being "cast out" of professions.
Legal Action
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Plagiarism often constitutes copyright infringement, which opens publishers and academic institutions to possible lawsuits.
Increased Use
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Those who get away with plagiarism in school may be more willing to engage in it once they graduate, which may have more serious repercussions.
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