Term Paper Season: Plagiarism

In the midst of term paper season, one of the important issues to contemplate is plagiarism. According to Miriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, plagiarism is "the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person." At this point in my academic career, I do not conduct much of my own independent research on topics. For example, I do not solely examine historical documents and draw conclusions. Instead, I read both primary sources and many secondary sources-- writings of other historians. Most historians do this, and there is no shame in it.

Avoiding plagiarism is quite simple..........just cite the source you use. Citing someone else's work pays off in multiple ways. First, it is just nice to give someone credit for their work. After all, they probably put in a lot time and effort in their work; citing is a respectful way to acknowledge their hard work and dedication. Second, citing many sources and many perspectives indicates that you have contemplated the richness of your topic. If you have no citations or hardly any, it is easy to perceive your paper as one-sided. In a sense, it is oftentimes better to have cited many different writers and sources. Finally, citing is the right thing to do. To pass someone else's work off as your own is intellectual theft, and I personally believe that generally speaking, theft is wrong.

It may be tedious, but it is ultimately rewarding.

Plagiarism may be alluring to many, but in the end, you are just limiting your own intellectual development if you participate in plagiarism. Just cite your sources folks.