Human Nature | 1.0 Autonomy | 1.44 Avoid plagiarism

1.44 Avoid plagiarism

Plagiarism is theft of another's ideas or words. Theft undermines the relationships of trust and good will necessary for free flow of communication. We stand on many shoulders when we write. We must acknowledge those on whom we stand and give credit where credit is due or others will quickly lose their inclination to acknowledge us.

Furthermore, plagiarism--like altering and fabricating data--is a federal offense punishable by law. We must insure that we know how to identify clear cases of it for, as we shall now see, clear cases are surrounded by many gray areas requiring sensitive and nuanced judgment.

Author: Gary Comstock

Maintained By: Gary Comstock

Last Updated: 2007-08-09