If you’ve ever submitted a term paper or a research paper, you must have heard faculties mentioning the term plagiarism. It’s probably one of the worst things you can do to yourself. Plagiarism is often driven by a desperate desire to dash off on efforts in an academic setting or maybe due to simple laziness. Plagiarism inevitably results in the pruning of the talent pool with the corporates, who hire university grads who lack the intellectual integrity required to prosper in a highly competitive world.
What’s the craic? What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is derived from the Latin word “plagium”, which in English means kidnapping. Plagiarism is when you copy someone else’s intellectual output, idea, or creative work and present them as your own. It’s essentially stealing and is a punishable offense in some countries! If you got caught, not only will you lose respect, it would also be too complicated for you to gain trust from your peers or your instructors, and you will be perceived as a traitor.
And yes! Paraphrasing is considered a form of plagiarism if your work is too similar to the original text, but not when you have studied someone else’s work and written something based upon your understanding of the text in your own words with proper citations.
Is it worth it?
Plagiarism not only ruins the pupil’s credibility in an academic or professional setting but also harms their employability. Plagiarism might result in legal consequences depending on the severity of the infraction. You are allowed by law to seek information online, to educate yourself in your particular field of study. Sometimes, you can state someone else’s words/opinions, but only if you give the author credits. When you cut and paste someone else’s thoughts and make readers believe you penned them, you are pushing yourself into an unchancy territory. Copying is illegal that can result in serious repercussions.
Consider the implications of using someone else’s thoughts in your dissertation. If you got caught, are you committed to perpetually harm your credibility? Are you willing to compromise your ideals, your ethics? It’s for you to decide!
Should you copy assignments from your friends?
At Lovely Professional University, the student-to-teacher ratio is impressive. You end up having around 30-40 students per section. Thirty students submit thirty assignments which isn’t a lot of assignments & when you copy from your friends, the math isn’t on your side, and there’s a high probability of getting caught. Your pool is small, which means even a trace of intellectual inbreeding can be deadly! If you got caught, of course, your instructor will point you out in front of the whole class. Save yourself the embarrassment, and don’t copy!
How do I avoid plagiarism?
The simplest method to avoid plagiarism is just by being honest. Study the texts & materials you are referring to, and write based upon your level of understanding in your own words. Also, allow yourself plenty of time to avoid desperate measures.
Lastly, even if you are sure that your text is not plagiarized, do run a plagiarism check before submission!
