Plagiarism: Media

According to the U.S. News & World Report, 75% of students admitted to cheating—and 85% believe it is necessary to get ahead. We hear two sides of the anti-plagiarism software debate.

The program explains what can go wrong when writing an essay.

For a generation raised on the ideology of “open source” and the ability to quickly cut and paste, the concept of plagiarism may seem foreign or passé. And that, of course, can lead to trouble. This video examines the behaviors that constitute plagiarism, their consequences, and the best ways to avoid them. Showing how accidental copying as well as willful plagiarism can occur, the program lays out the dangers of cheating, then illustrates the pitfalls of nonattribution and patch writing while showing how to properly attribute and paraphrase a lengthy quotation. Copyright, trademark, and intellectual property concepts are clearly discussed, in addition to potential sources of noncopyrighted material. Common citation formats (APA, MLA, Bluebook, etc.) are listed along with the suggestion that the student confer with his or her instructor about them. Part of the series Internet Research and Information Literacy: Effective Strategies and Cautionary Tales. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production.

Why do students fall into the plagiarism trap? How does it hold a young person back on the journey toward self-reliance? Is it possible to “steal” material without knowing it? This program addresses the widespread ethical and legal problem of plagiarism, examining reasons used to justify content theft and the wide variety of forms it can take. Students and teachers talk frankly on-screen about their experiences with the problem and what leads some people to copy text or images from books, articles, Internet sites, and other students’ papers and projects. The program introduces writing and research skills that will enable viewers to steer clear of plagiarism, both intentional and unintentional. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online.