Plagiarism & Consequences

Plagiarism & Consequences

Plagiarism and Consequences
November 23, 2008

“Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own. “ (Badke, 2007) In reality it can be termed as fraud, because it is the same as stealing another person’s work and claiming it to be his own work. This type of action is unethical, dishonest and violates the trust among classmates and higher level officials. There are many long-term consequences and even legal cases attributed to plagiarism. However, it can be prevented with the proper tools, knowledge and research. The best defense to plagiarism is awareness. When we know the consequences for our actions of plagiarism then change is inevitable. “A 2005 study from The Center showed that 40 percent of the 50,000 Undergraduates interviewed admitted to having plagiarized from the Internet, compared to 10 percent in 1999” (Badke, 2007).
Why Plagiarism is wrong?
Choosing to plagiarize is wrong and it not only hurts the student by a failing grade or possible dismissal from school, it also brings harm to the teacher and fellow classmates. Students work hard for the grades they receive and the praise they get for doing a good job. Finding a job in the American economy today is already tough enough, but when having to compete with someone who may have cheated his way to the top, to get employment is even more frustrating.
What’s the harm?
Teachers and instructors may dispute that some plagiarism is harmless and students agree plagiarism used in limited amounts does not hurt anyone. According to Elliott, “The victims of plagiarism include fellow students and employers who accept the student’s grades as an accurate indication of their ability” (Elliott, 2007). According to Handa, plagiarism is a “serious violation of collegial trust” and “deception and the theft of intellectual property.” And “It harms the unattributed author’s interest” (Handa, 2008).
Ethically
“Ethics education expert Thomas...

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