Ways to Help Remedy the Plagiarism Problem

623 Words2 Pages

Plagiarism is a word that should be well known to anyone who has attended school. To plagiarize, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own; use (another's production) without crediting the source; to commit literary theft; present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.” While it would seem obvious that this would be a bad thing to do and, therefore, easy to avoid, many students and writers of all backgrounds find the subject confusing. Even famous persons, such as Martin Luther King and Helen Keller, have been accused of plagiarizism.

Many teachers have spent years agonizing over the subject of plagiarism. Some rely on their personal knowledge and experience to help identify it, then check suspected sources for confirmation. However, in this age of technology, it is far easier to search for source material using the web. Copying and pasting text into Google, for example, can quickly pull up listings containing the original material if a student quotes something directly. However, even a close match or similar wording can often bring up evidence of missing citations. Teachers often use specalized websites dedicated to identifying plagiarism to check students’ work. There are many software options available that compare submitted writing to text passages available on the web. This can save instructors a lot of time, allowing them to concentrate on grading papers instead of worrying over the source of students’ material.

There are many simple ways to avoid plagiarism. One of the most basic ways is to avoid situations that may make it a temptation. First of all, it is important to make sure to manage time effectively a...

... middle of paper ...

....jpg. Digital image. Mediabistro.com. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. .

6. Plagiarism6.jpg. Digital image. Valley of the Subconscious. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. .

7. "Plagiarize - Definition." Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 18 Jan. 2010.

.

8. "Preventing and Detecting Plagiarism." MU Personal Web Pages. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

9. "What is Plagiarism?" Plagiarism.org. Web. 14 Jan. 2010. .

10. "What is the price of plagiarism?" CSMonitor.com. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

Open Document