5 Things Students Might Not Know About Plagiarism

As a student, what comes to your mind when you hear of the word “plagiarism”? And why is plagiarism important? Of course, most scholars think that it is only about copying and that it is vital to jot down original content. But is this everything you need to know about the infamous academic crime? Well, some of the other information available about plagiarism might come as a shocker to you.

It is imperative always to write your assignments originally. But the challenge is that you might not know how to do this correctly. Luckily, you can use a online plagiarism checker to verify your piece. Submitting copied work can ruin your academic career, as it is a severe offense. Make sure you check for plagiarism every time you are through jotting down your article. Whether it is an essay or a dissertation, it needs to be original. Aside from using an online plagiarism checker, here are five things that you probably didn’t know about this academic vice:

Ø It isn’t just about the text

Quoting someone else's work or paraphrasing is the norm with plagiarism understanding. But the reality on the ground is that it goes beyond this. Plagiarism isn't limited to words alone, but also ideas, thoughts, and information. Using another person's views and opinions is equivalent to directly lifting content from an article.

The trick is to determine what idea needs to be cited and which one doesn't. The underlying reasoning is that common knowledge doesn't need to be commended. If you are not sure of what needs to be cited or not, consider sharing with your tutor or instructor. He or she may help you learn how to detect plagiarism.

Ø It is extensive

As much as this unethical act is common in the academic field, it can also affect other sectors. A plagiarism example out of academia is photography. Stealing ideas from someone's images amounts to plagiarism, yes. And there have been several cases of this vice reported in this field and several others. Therefore, it is not limited to one area, but rather to all sectors where creativity is essential.

Ø Old cases are slowly being unearthed

If you think that plagiarism is a new act, then you need to have your facts updated. It is an archaic vice that started as soon as creativity came into the picture. The only difference between then and now is that we have modern software that helps in detection. And this is used to search for any cases of plagiarism that occurred in the past. Gradually, several examples are being discovered, and the culprits brought down to book.

So, if you think that you got away with this unethical act in the past, be ready for a battle soon, thanks to technology.

Ø It causes political turmoil

Several governments have crumbled due to a plagiarism paper. Take the example of Romania and Germany – these were directly affected. Romania had two of its prime ministers forced out of office due to plagiarism allegations. Germany, on the other hand, has faced this problem more directly. It had a potent wave of plagiarism beginning in 2012, which caused the resignation of several top government officials, including ministers. As you can see, plagiarism is not something simple, since it can cause an end in someone’s career.

Ø The detection of plagiarism is slowly evolving

So, how do professors check for plagiarism today? Do you think that the same way they did it years back is the same way they do it now? The fundamental point here is that the evolution of technology has made checking for this act much easier now than back then. One good example of this tool, that helps professors check the validity of a student's piece is through matching. Turnitin recently announced its inception of a free online program that acts as a checker for author consistency. This software tries to confirm whether or not a student has written a piece by themselves.

While the issue of plagiarism is still eliciting mixed reactions, pundits in that sector argue that the best way to avoid it is through the use of a certified checker. Make sure that you confirm the validity and originality of your essay or any other creative piece, before submission. Sometimes you may include plagiarism in your work through negligence or by accident. Whichever the case, you can make things right and stay away from this unethical act of creativity theft.