Plagiarism is when you take someone else’s words, ideas, images, sounds, or any creative content and present it as your own — without giving credit. This is considered a serious academic offense because it violates the principles of honesty and integrity. It doesn’t matter if the act was intentional or accidental — if you use someone’s work without proper acknowledgment, it counts as plagiarism.

How Serious is the Problem?

Plagiarism is more common than most students think. A study done with over 4,500 students across 25 schools found that:

• 74% admitted to cheating on tests.

• 72% admitted to serious cheating on written assignments.

• Over 50% admitted to plagiarism on written work using the internet.

These numbers show how widespread the issue is, especially with easy access to online content.

Have You Plagiarized Without Knowing?

Sometimes, students plagiarize without realizing it. If you’ve ever:

• Used someone’s ideas or sentences without citing them.

• Got help from someone that you wouldn’t mention to your teacher.

Then it’s likely that you’ve unintentionally plagiarized. This is why understanding how to use and cite sources properly is so important.

Types of Plagiarism

There are two main types of plagiarism:

1. Intentional Plagiarism – This includes directly copying someone else’s work, buying or borrowing essays, copying and pasting text without citation, or using media content without permission.

2. Unintentional Plagiarism – This happens when students paraphrase poorly, forget to cite, overuse quotations, or fail to present ideas in their own voice.

Both types are treated seriously in academic settings.

Common Student Excuses for Plagiarism

Students often justify plagiarism with excuses like:

• “I didn’t have time to finish.”

• “This topic was boring.”

• “Everyone else is doing it.”

• “I need an A to please my parents.”

• “My teacher expects too much.”

• “I won’t get caught.”

These excuses may sound common, but none of them are valid reasons to plagiarize. The consequences far outweigh the short-term benefits.

Why Academic Integrity Matters

Plagiarism doesn’t just affect grades. It affects your learning, your credibility, and your future.

• When you copy, you cheat yourself. You don’t develop your own thinking.

• Giving credit to authors is a matter of respect and ethics.

• Citing sources adds strength to your arguments and helps others trace your research path.

• Education is not about competing; it’s about learning and growing.

• Once you lose academic trust, it’s very hard to earn it back.

Real-Life Consequences of Plagiarism

Plagiarism doesn’t only damage school records — it has ruined real careers:

• Historians Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin faced public backlash for plagiarism.

• Senator Joe Biden had to drop out of the 1987 presidential race because of past plagiarism.

• Journalist Mike Barnicle was forced to resign for copying content in his columns.

• A New Jersey valedictorian lost her seat at Harvard after being caught plagiarizing in a local newspaper.

• Reporter Jayson Blair from The New York Times resigned after 36 of his 73 articles were found to contain plagiarism or fabricated information.

These examples show that plagiarism can damage even well-established reputations permanently.

Academic Consequences in School

If caught plagiarizing in school, the consequences can include:

• Receiving a zero on the assignment.

• Parent or guardian notification.

• Referral to the administration.

• Suspension or exclusion from school activities.

• A permanent note on your academic record.

• Loss of trust within the school community.

Once again, it raises the question — is it worth the risk?

Why Is It Such a Big Deal?

Plagiarism doesn’t just break school rules; it can affect real-life outcomes. Think about this:

• Would you trust an architect who cheated through math class?

• Would you hire a lawyer who bought their way through exams?

• Would you feel safe with an accountant who had others do their academic work?

Plagiarism means someone might have a degree or title — without the actual knowledge. That’s dangerous.

When Do You NOT Have to Cite?

Not everything needs to be cited. You can skip citation when:

• The fact is common knowledge (e.g., “The sun rises in the east”).

• You’ve seen the same information in at least 3 different sources and know the audience likely knows it.

• You are using your own experiences or results from your own research.

Still, if you’re unsure — cite it just to be safe.

How to Use Others’ Work Without Plagiarizing

Using others’ work is allowed — if done correctly. There are three main ways to include sources ethically:

1. Quoting – Using the author’s exact words with quotation marks and a proper citation. Best for powerful or unique language.

2. Paraphrasing – Rewriting the author’s ideas in your own words and sentence structure. Even if you paraphrase, you must cite the source.

3. Summarizing – Giving a short overview of the main points. It’s much shorter than the original and still needs citation.

Tips While Taking Notes

While researching or reading sources, keep track of:

• Direct quotes: Mark them clearly and note the speaker or writer.

• Paraphrases: Mark with a “P” and include the original author’s name.

• Always include page numbers or URLs to easily find the source again.

In-Text (MLA) Documentation

MLA in-text citations help readers identify where your information comes from without breaking the flow of your writing. This is a core part of academic writing. Inaccurate or missing citations are taken just as seriously as not citing at all.

When to Use In-Text Citations

You must cite when:

• Using someone’s original idea.

• Quoting or paraphrasing from a source.

• Using facts that aren’t common knowledge.

• Mentioning dates or disputed facts.

How to Cite in MLA Style

In-text citations usually appear at the end of a sentence, before the period.

• Format: (Author’s Last Name Page Number) — for example: (Smith 203)

• If there’s no author, use a short version of the source title.

• If you’ve already mentioned the author in your sentence, only include the page number in parentheses.

For web sources with no page numbers, just use the author’s name or the article title:
(Valenza) or (“Plagiarism and the Web”)