How to Explain Plagiarism
One of the most confusing topics students will have to comprehend from a young age well into their college years is the concept of plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when a person uses the words, ideas or thoughts of another without first obtaining permission or authorization from the original source of that information. The mystifying question then is how a student can write on a subject about which he is not yet educated. To inform yourself naturally means to occupy the thoughts of another. Teachers having a difficult time conveying the concept of plagiarism to their students can look to a few rules of thumb to facilitate the explanation.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Refrain from writing ideas or coined phrases unique to a specific writer without first obtaining permission from the original source or citing the author to his credit. Writing a fact or idea considered to be within the general knowledge of the population does not require a citation. For example, writing that "strawberries are delicious" is not plagiarism even though someone might have previously said or written that because such a statement is considered within the scope of general knowledge.
-
2
Cite to the author when using direct quotes and paraphrased work. Making alterations to a word here or there from a written work will not escape the offense of plagiarism. If the essence of the idea remains, it must be attributed.
-
-
3
Cite to an author when in doubt of committing plagiarism. Not being able to find the source of your plagiarized work is not an excuse for failing to cite to the original author. Some mention must be made that you have obtained the idea from an external source.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit incorporations articles image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com
