Plagiarism

According to Meriam Webster dictionary, plagiarism is an act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person. It comes from a Latin word “plagiare”, which means to steal. This includes copying word for word, portions of it or paraphrasing some of the passages or information. All published or unpublished works are included in this. This is a serious offense that brought the attentions of the Dean and the President. If you are found guilty of plagiarism, you might lose credit for that assignment, be given a zero in the course or face a suspension from the university.

We should acknowledge the ideas, works, and data from others because passing someone’s work as your own is unethical. It also means that you didn’t acquire more knowledge while you are studying. That is why we need to avoid plagiarism. We go to school to learn to understand and share what is in our mind and not to copy ideas from others. Maybe it is difficult to create your own ideas so you will see yourself getting ideas from other writings as you try to understand and analyze what they are saying. However, it is necessary that you create your own voice. You are not expected to be an original thinker but to be an independent one by analyzing other’s work and giving your own conclusions.

            The best way to avoid plagiarism is to learn and apply all your skills to make your work good. Quote and cite your sources. Make sure to double check it for thoroughness. It is important for us to appreciate the abilities and skills we have acquired. We should avoid plagiarism because we aim to produce work with high quality. Avoiding plagiarism is not just making sure your references are correct, or changing an adequate amount of words so it won’t be notice because it entails credibility and authority to our work and shows our commitment to intellectual honesty.