Plagiarism

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Plagiarism
“If you steal from one author, it’s plagiarism. If you steal from many, it’s research.” – William Mizner

To plagiarize means to pass off someone else’s idea as your own o use without crediting the source; to commit literary theft, or to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source (Webster’s Dictionary). Plagiarism is not a new problem. This literary problem has existed as long as writing it’s self. The classic writers were found to have “borrowed” ideas from one another. Now, in today’s times, technology has blurred the plagiarism line (Eckstein). The question is why do people plagiarize? Is it out of ignorance or pressure to succeed? Is it due to the lack of education on the matter? Plagiarism is an act of fraud. It is illegal, so why do students still do it?
The largest factor behind student plagiarizing is the pressure. Students are under a constant pressure. It is the pressure to succeed. Students are pressured to be the best, the smartest, the fastest. The emphasis on standardized testing is outrageous and because of that, we rate students based on a score. Students become a number. Most students want to succeed, parents want students to succeed, and teachers need students to succeed. This leads to pressure placed on students to be successful. With these mounting pressures, it is no wonder students plagiarize.
According to Eckstein, the most common form of plagiarism comes from lack of knowledge. Students are not taught the correct method of source citation and therefore plagiarize. Another example of the lack of knowledge plaguing students with plagiarism comes from students not properly paraphrasing research. Students either copy and paste research, or only change a...

... middle of paper ...

...er, no matter the pressure placed upon students. Yes, society should lessen the pressure placed upon students and yes; society should stop praising athletes who cheat. However, ultimately it is up to the student to have the intrinsic motivation to do the right thing, no matter the consequence or pressure.

Works Cited

Callahan, D. (n.d.). Cheating Culture. University of Michigsn. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx?c=plag;idno=5240451.0001.004
Evering, L. C., & Moorman, G. (2012). Rethinking Plagiarism in the Digital Age. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 1(56), 35-44. plagiarize. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize plagiarize. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize

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