Pla•gia•rism (noun) the practice of taking someone else’s work
or ideas and passing them off as one’s own. The Merriam-Webster
Online Dictionary (2010) states that to “plagiarize” means: - to
steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own
- to use (another’s production) without crediting the source -
to commit literary theft - to present as new and original an
idea or product derived from an existing source I think that the
best way to prevent plagiarism is to educate the students how
not to plagiarize, then check their work. Consider using the
first time that a student plagiarizes as a “teaching moment.;”
if there is a second time, then follow campus policies to have
the matter examined more closely. Why do students plagiarize?
(plagiarism dot ORG., 2010) - They may not know the proper forms
of citation - Inability to determine between paraphrasing and
plagiarism - They may mix up their ideas and notes with other
sources - They have deep fears about making the grade, which can
cloud their ju