Facts about Plagiarism
A violation of the terms of Free Document License can be plagiarism when a proper historical trail of contributions is not present as a reference or a hyperlink in an article.
Similarly, a counter-industry has developed, with companies offering services for schools and instructors to compare a student's papers to a database of sources and search for plagiarism.
The Internet has provided increased opportunities for plagiarism, since people are now able to use search engines to find information, which can be easily copied and pasted into documents.
Some claim that the intent of a plagiarist is irrelevant: "The act of quoting material without including the indicia of a quotation should be sufficient to convict someone of plagiarism.
Self-plagiarism is the act of copying one's published or submitted writing without mentioning the previous publication.
Plagiarism by students can result in punishment ranging from a failing grade on the particular assignment or course, suspension, or expulsion.
Many teachers have turned to plagiarism prevention services that automate the search by comparing each paper against millions of online sources.
Another reason sometimes blamed for plagiarism is cryptomnesia, recalling of memories without realizing their source and thinking these memories are original creations.
Similarly, it is considered plagiarism to take someone's idea and then present it as one's own work.
Plagiarism is not necessarily the same as copyright infringement, which occurs when one violates copyright law by failing to get permission from the copyright holder.
Some universities will even revoke a degree if plagiarism is proved.
Plagiarism is so easy to do that many students may not even realize that they might be guilty of plagiarism.
Accidental plagiarism is usually the result of poor citation or referencing, poor preparation, or a misunderstanding of plagiarism.
More often charges of plagiarism are resolved through disciplinary proceedings.
Self-plagiarism is not usually considered an academic offense, but the deceit involved in submitting the same material for credit in different courses is considered unethical.
Deliberate plagiarism is an attempt to claim another person's work as one's own, usually by removing telltale evidence so the plagiarism is hard to spot.
Acts that constitute plagiarism may be treated as copyright infringement, unfair competition, or a violation of the doctrine of moral rights.
Plagiarism is taking the ideas of another and using them without giving proper credit.
According to some academic ethics codes, a complaint of plagiarism may be initiated or proven by any person.
Professional academics found guilty of plagiarism can ruin an academic career, result in revocation of one's degree or license, or the loss of one's job.
Of the forms of cheating (including plagiarism, inventing data and cheating during an exam), students admit to plagiarism more than any other.
The use of facts in non-academic settings, rather than works of creative expression, does not usually constitute plagiarism.
An unacknowledged use of words, ideas, information, research, or findings not one's own, taken from any source is plagiarism only if a person is claiming personal credit for originality.
Just as there can be plagiarism without lawbreaking, it is possible to violate copyright law without plagiarizing.
Intentional plagiarism where an entire essay or research paper is copied from another source is blamed on a combination of stress and laziness.
Unintentional plagiarism is blamed on a lack of knowledge about how to cite sources.