Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3 - FAQ - Plagiarism
3 - FAQ - Plagiarism
3 - FAQ - Plagiarism
— Plagiarism.org Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written Work
PLAGIARIM
ROURC
FAQ
FATURD
Plagiarism in the information age is not alwas a cut and dr issue. Read on to find answers f
QUTION
asked questions aout plagiarism and its consequences.
WHAT I PLAGIARIM?
impl put, plagiarism is the use of another's original words or ideas as though the were o
ou orrow from an original source and do not give proper credit, ou have committed plagi
PAT
U.. copright laws. (ee our What is Plagiarism? page for more detailed information on plag
QUTION
WHAT AR COPYRIGHT LAW?
Copright laws exist to protect our intellectual propert. The make it illegal to reproduce so
expression of ideas or information without permission. This can include music, images, writte
FAQ and a variet of other media.
At one time, a work was onl protected copright if it included a copright trademark (the
According to laws estalished in 1989, however, works are now copright protected with or w
inclusion of this smol.
AK A Anone who reproduces coprighted material improperl can e prosecuted in a court of law
matter if the form or content of the original has een altered -- as long as an material can e
QUTION
sustantiall similar to the original, it ma e considered a violation of the Copright Act.
For information on how long a copright lasts, see the section elow on the pulic domain.
AR ALL PULIHD WORK COPYRIGHTD?
CHCK
Actuall, no. The Copright Act onl protects works that express original ideas or information
FOR
could orrow lierall from the following without fear of plagiarism:
PLAGIARIM
Compilations of readil availale information, such as the phone ook
# Works pulished the U.. government
http://www.plagiarism.org/asktheexperts/faq/ 1/5
8/26/2016 FAQ — Plagiarism.org Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written Work
Facts that are not the result of original research (such as the fact that there are fift U.
PLAGIARIM 101 CITING OURC AK TH XPRT CHCK FOR
carrots contain Vitamin A)
Works in the pulic domain (provided ou cite properl) PLAGIARIM
ROURC
CAN FACT COPYRIGHTD?
Yes, in some situations. An "facts" that have een pulished as the result of individual resea
considered the intellectual propert of the author.
DO I HAV TO CIT OURC FOR VRY FACT I U?
No. You do not have to cite sources for facts that are not the result of unique individual resea
readil availale from numerous sources and generall known to the pulic are considered "
knowledge," and are not protected copright laws. You can use these facts lierall in ou
citing authors. If ou are unsure whether or not a fact is common knowledge, ou should pro
source just to e safe. Please visit Purdue's guide, "Deciding if omething is Common Knowl
DO IT MATTR HOW MUCH WA COPID?
Not in determining whether or not plagiarism is a crime. If even a small part of a work is foun
plagiarized, it is still considered a copright violation. However, the amount that was copied p
a earing on the severit of the punishment. A work that is almost entirel plagiarized will alm
incur greater penalties than a work that onl includes a small amount of plagiarized material.
IF I CHANG TH WORD, DO I TILL HAV TO CIT TH OUR
Changing onl the words of an original source is NOT sufficient to prevent plagiarism. You m
whenever ou orrow ideas as well as words.
IF I CIT TH OURC, CAN I TILL ACCUD OF PLAGIARI
You are allowed to orrow ideas or phrases from other sources provided ou cite them prop
usage is consistent with the guidelines set fair use laws. As a rule, however, ou should
orrowing too lierall -- if the case can e made that our work consists predominantl of s
words or ideas, ou ma still e susceptile to charges of plagiarism. Also, if ou follow the w
too closel, and do not use quotation marks, it can e considered plagiarism even if ou cite
IF I WRIT OMTHING OMODY L ALRADY WROT, U
KNOW THY WROT IT, I THAT TILL PLAGIARIM?
While it is possile that ou might write on the same topic as someone else, odds are that o
exactl the same ideas or express them in exactl the same wa. It is highl unlikel that ou
of plagiarizing a source ou have never read. e careful, however, of "accidentall" plagiarizi
http://www.plagiarism.org/asktheexperts/faq/ 2/5
8/26/2016 FAQ — Plagiarism.org Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written Work
ou have read and forgotten -- if our ideas turn out to have een influenced a source tha
PLAGIARIM 101 CITING OURC AK TH XPRT CHCK FOR
failed to cite for an reason, ou could e guilt of plagiarism.
PLAGIARIM
ROURC
WHAT AR TH PUNIHMNT FOR PLAGIARIM?
As with an wrongdoing, the degree of intent (see elow) and the nature of the offense dete
When plagiarism takes place in an academic setting, it is most often handled the individua
the academic institution involved. If, however, the plagiarism involves mone, prizes, or jo p
constitutes a crime punishale in court.
ACADMIC PUNIHMNT
Most colleges and universities have zero tolerance for plagiarists. In fact, academic standard
honest are often more demanding than governmental copright laws. If ou have plagiarize
copright has run out, for example, ou are no less likel to e disciplined than if ou had pla
coprighted material.
A plagiarized paper almost alwas results in failure for the assignment, frequentl in failure fo
sometimes in expulsion.
LGAL PUNIHMNT
Most cases of plagiarism are considered misdemeanors, punishale fines of anwhere e
$50,000 -- and up to one ear in jail.
Plagiarism can also e considered a felon under certain state and federal laws. For example
copies and earns more than $2,500 from coprighted material, he or she ma face up to $25
and up to ten ears in jail.
INTITUTIONAL PUNIHMNT
Most corporations and institutions will not tolerate an form of plagiarism. There have een a
numer of cases around the world where people have lost their jos or een denied position
plagiarism.
DO INTNTION MATTR?
Ignorance of the law is never an excuse. o even if ou did not realize ou were plagiarizing
found guilt. However, there are different punishments for willful infringement, or delierate p
innocent infringement, or accidental plagiarism. To distinguish etween these, courts recogn
the good faith defense. If ou can demonstrate, ased on the amount ou orrowed and the
incorporated it in our own work, that reasonal elieved what ou did was fair use, chance
sentence will e lessened sustantiall.
http://www.plagiarism.org/asktheexperts/faq/ 3/5
8/26/2016 FAQ — Plagiarism.org Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written Work
PLAGIARIM 101 WHAT I "FAIR U," ANYWAY?
CITING OURC AK TH XPRT CHCK FOR
The United tates government has estalished rough guidelines for determining the nature
PLAGIARIM
ROURC
work that ma e "orrowed" without explicit written consent. These are called "fair use" law
tr to estalish whether certain uses of original material are reasonale. The laws themselve
complicated. elow we have condensed them into some rurics ou can appl to help deter
of an given usage.
TH NATUR OF YOUR U.
If ou have merel copied something, it is unlikel to e considered fair use. ut if the materi
transformed in an original wa through interpretation, analsis, etc., it is more likel to e con
TH AMOUNT YOU'V UD.
The more ou've "orrowed," the less likel it is to e considered fair use. What percentage o
"orrowed" material? What percentage of the original did ou use? The lower the etter.
TH FFCT OF YOUR U ON TH ORIGINAL
If ou are creating a work that competes with the original in its own market, and ma do the
economic harm, an sustantial orrowing is unlikel to e considered fair use. The more the
work or its target audience differs from that of the original, the etter.
We recommend the following site for more information on "fair use" and Copright laws:
Universit of Marland - Copright Laws
WHAT I TH "PULIC DOMAIN?"
Works that are no longer protected copright, or never have een, are considered "pulic
means that ou ma freel orrow material from these works without fear of plagiarism, prov
proper attriutions.
HOW DO I KNOW IF OMTHING I PULIC DOMAIN OR NOT?
The terms and conditions under which works enter the pulic domain are a it complicated.
anthing pulished more than 75 ears ago is now in the pulic domain. Works pulished aft
protected for the lifetime of the author plus 70 ears. The laws governing works pulished fe
ago ut efore 1978 are more complicated, although generall copright protection extende
pulication plus 47 more ears if the copright was renewed, totaling 75 ears from the pul
are uncertain aout whether or not a work is in the pulic domain, it is proal est to cont
under the assumption that it is still protected copright laws.
http://www.plagiarism.org/asktheexperts/faq/ 4/5
8/26/2016 FAQ — Plagiarism.org Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written Work
PLAGIARIM 101
PONORD Y: CITING OURC AK TH XPRT
RPRINT & UAG RIGHT: CHCK FOR
In the interest of disseminating this information as widel as possile, plagiarism.org
PLAGIARIM
ROURC
grants all reprint and usage requests without the need to otain an further
permission as long as the URL of the original article/information is cited.
Learn how to cite Plagiarism.org oserving APA and MLA standard.
© 2014 iParadigms, LLC. All
rights reserved.
http://www.plagiarism.org/asktheexperts/faq/ 5/5