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The Plagiarism Pitfall

Surprisingly, students who wouldn't consider borrowing a highlighter without permission might consider plagiarizing. A recent study1 by Rutgers and Duke University across 23 college campuses revealed that 38 to 40 percent of college students had plagiarized. And 44 percent of these students reported that plagiarism seemed trivial to them. Is plagiarism a minor transgression, like many students think? Consider some similar acts in the business world:

 

Would you . . .

  • Present a coworker's idea to your boss as your own?
  • Misrepresent the contents of a product you are selling?
  • Submit someone else's manuscript to a publishing company under your name?
  • Cheat on your tax returns in order to receive more credit than you're due? Portray your business as a solid investment when it is actually bankrupt?2

Each of these acts of fraud is comparable to the academic fraud that is plagiarism. The plagiarist misrepresents the content, sources or value of his work for personal gain--a grade, a scholarship, or a degree. And as with criminal fraud, plagiarism may have legal consequences.

Who Really Gets Hurt?

Despite the risks, students may be tempted to plagiarize believing that no one will find out and no one will get hurt. White-collar criminals often use the very same justification for crimes such as embezzlement and tax evasion.

Plagiarism is not a victimless crime, whether or not it is found out. When a student violates the implicit pledge of truth and integrity in academic pursuits, the effects are far-reaching.

The Victims

  • The originator of the stolen work--whose achievements are devalued
  • The plagiarizing student--whose learning and progression are aborted
  • Fellow students and peers--whose work and/or grades are diminished
  • The university and Christian community--whose integrity may be questioned
  • Society as a whole--whose values and standards are degraded

Old Habits Die Hard

Ann Lathrop and Kathleen Foss point out the ugly possibilities of plagiarism's societal impact in their book, Student Cheating and Plagiarism in the Internet Era: A Wake-Up Call3:

    "Many of today's young professionals cheated in high school and college. Will they transfer their successful cheating techniques into their new careers? How might this threaten society?"

  • The architect who designed your home cheated his way through the mathematics class that provided the basis for determining building tolerances. Is your home safe?
  • The medical researcher who just announced a new drug fabricated her test results in college and plagiarized her research reports. Did she perhaps "adjust" the data in the recent drug tests? Is the new drug safe?
  • Your lawyer paid for a copy of the bar exam to study. Will the contract she wrote for you stand up in court?
  • The accountant who does your taxes hired someone to write his term papers and paid a "stand-in" to take several major tests. Does he know enough to complete your tax forms correctly?

Students, faculty and administrators have a responsibility to guard against the eventuality of plagiarists turned professional but do not deserve their credentials.

Introduction
Prime Time Plagiarism

Next: What Is Plagiarism?

Resources

   1. New Study Confirms Internet Plagiarism Is Prevalent

   2. Harold Martin and Richard Ohmann. The Logic and Rhetoric of Exposition. New York:  Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963.

   3. Lathrop, Ann and Kathleen Foss. Student Cheating and Plagiarism in the Internet Era: A Wake-Up Call. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.

Last revised July 01, 2009 - 11:43 AM