Plagiarism

With the latest technology developments, it's no wonder that the rates of plagiarism have increased big-time. Nearly all teachers classify it as bad or terrible. However, I'm here to tell you that plagiarism should be allowed.

Growing up all my life, I was constantly frowned upon when forgetting to cite my sources. No plagiarism! No copying! No cheating! It's really tiresome... It only motivates students to rebel and go against what their teachers are constantly bothering them with ethics. Speaking of ethics, plagiarism is one of the worst things a writer can do nowadays: "There are few intellectual offenses more serious than plagiarism in academic and professional contexts." Of course, students already know what is wrong and right, and teachers should back off a little.

Before you go all berserk on me, of course, it shouldn't be allowed. But, schools or universities should 'chill' out on the rules because kids do make mistakes sometimes by forgetting to cite their sources. Sometimes, students need to learn how to walk through between the lines of plagiarism and converting sources into their own paper: "I just believe that my students need to learn about the line between dishonesty and creative adaptation before they cross it."

Not to mention, some confusing websites really doesn't help students out on trying to cope the idea of avoiding plagiarism. Naming a few, Northwestern University's website... improper examples are offered with paraphrases of cliff notes. Cliff notes should never be used or paraphrased for that matter. Also, some other materials suggests reading a source then closing the book (situational) and then writing down what you remember. That's not acceptable either according to the rules of plagiarism.

BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT NOT CITING YOUR SOURCES ...

Penalties -- The usual punishments of a university

Reprimand:
Warning from the college or university that a repeated action will result in a more serious penalty.

Loss of Privilege:
Losing the privilege to use some college facilities.

Probation:
Get a written warning that his/her conduct is in violation of college policies and the student's position is in jeopardy.

Suspension:
Excused for the rest of the semester due to actions.

Dismissal:
Officially expelled for an indefinite period of time.

Basically, plagiarism is illegal in our society and the penalties is really swift and harsh. Why plagirize when you have a mind of yours to use? Don't be lazy and type up some brilliant papers of your own.

Quick stats -
-66% of 16,000 students from 31 prestigious U.S. universities have cheated at least once (1991 study by Rutgers University)
-36% of undergraduates have admitted to plagiarizing written material (1997)
-Cheating on campus increased an estimated 744% from 1993 to 1997

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rhart/courses/materials/plagiarism/