7 Reasons People Plagiarize
Although everybody knows that plagiarizing is an unjust and disgraceful thing to do, still we cannot resist the temptation to steal some words from somebody even if we know the meaning of the word “plagiarism.” The news of plagiarizing songs, texts, scripts, etc. increasingly hits the headlines and we cannot deny it. So why do people resort to plagiarizing? Is it laziness that prevents them from thinking up their own ideas or something else? That’s why it’s essential to present 7 reasons why people plagiarize.
They are bone idles
Writing an ingenious literary work requires working long hours. Therefore, having run out of ideas, many people prefer stealing some thoughts from other prominent works to racking their own brains. Still, those who plagiarize do not deny the fact that the thing that pushes them to this action is laziness.
They want to attain fame
People are desirous of fame and glory that may come when you write brilliantly. However, writing top-notch literary works is not a piece of cake. Sometimes even making an attempt to compose a gripping prose may cause difficulties for students. Thus, on the way of scoring some points and getting a good reputation, the only feigned way out is to plagiarize.
Success scares them off
Strange as it may seem, some people are fearful of success. Moreover, they do not want their works to be assessed as it is quite scary and awkward.
That is why, to keep their works out of the spotlight, they often resort to plagiarism.
They are snowed under
This concerns people who procrastinate till the last minute. Students, who have a party animal lifestyle, pull an all-nighter the whole weekend and then suddenly find out that the deadline is tomorrow. This is not a phenomenon for poorly organized and happy-go-lucky students who are not used to performing such painstaking assignments. As a result, they are forced to plagiarize in order not to undermine their reputation.
They get panic stricken
One of the reasons why people plagiarize is that they cannot put up with tough situations and will intentionally commit plagiarism when there is a low chance of being caught. Traditionally, these people lack management skills and self-discipline. Besides, they are not acclimatized to this type of work and have unrealistic expectations about their abilities.
Unfortunately, this is typical not only of incoming students but also of people who are assigned to perform an extended research project for the first time. Eventually, being unable to accomplish this task, plagiarizing is the only solution that they can think up.
They believe that their task lies in copying what has been said before
Many students deceptively think that scholarly publications are reliable sources of information they can consult the same way as dictionaries to check the definitions and spelling of words. Accordingly, they believe it is not obligatory to cite authors when borrowing their ideas and arguments, as well as we do not cite dictionaries when we look up the words.
Also, they tend to believe that writing a research paper involves gathering ideas, quotes, and proof from experts. Afterwards, to display their acquired knowledge, they will reproduce it by means of quotations, summaries, and paraphrases, perhaps combining those pieces with some short transitions. That is no wonder that after explaining to them the plagiarism policy, they are astonished that every borrowed idea or thought must be cited.
They have no idea why people make such a fuss about sources
Some people are confident in their experience to back up their statements. Others think that gathering sources is additional work. These people always wonder “If the expert is on the same page as I am on the subject, do I have to cite him/her?” For these students, there is no close-knit scholarly community that puts heads together and builds knowledge. Indeed, they consider themselves know-it-alls and citing sources for them is something too fussy and additional to the process of learning.
Most importantly: Do not resort to it!
Certainly, you heard this phrase a million of times. Still, do not plagiarize! Definitely, it may seem to you that this is a solution to all the problems and an opportunity to showcase your knowledge. However, plagiarism is an impediment to your academic career. Additionally, it can cost you a degree. That is why honesty is the best policy you should stick to when writing all sorts of works.
Things you can do to prevent plagiarism:
- Talk about gray area cases with students.
- Clarify and make sure that students understand the importance of citing sources.
- Discuss with students the context-specific nature of what is or is not regarded as plagiarism.
