A quick definition would be that plagiarism is the act of pretending an intellectual or artistic work by someone else is our own. However, we can also consider plagiarism to be not mentioning the sources consulted in the completion of a work, copying entire extracts or paraphrasing texts, among other unethical practices.
In the first instance, plagiarism harms the creator of the original work, whose author’s rights are violated.
In an academic setting, teachers are also affected, as their role of instructing students and providing knowledge is altered. The person who has committed plagiarism is also harmed. Being able to analyse, summarize and assess sources of information are basic skills for the personal and academic development of all students, to be acquired during their university education. By plagiarizing, students miss out on the opportunity to acquire them.
Apart from the most obvious forms, such as handing in someone else’s work as if it were our own, there are other ways of plagiarizing:
By following some good practices in academic writing, such as:
There are several software tools capable of automatically detecting evidence of plagiarism in written work. One such software tool is URKUND, used by universities and academic institutions all over the world, which the University of Barcelona has integrated into its Virtual Campus.
Absolutely. In addition to the harm it can cause, as described above, plagiarizing can have serious academic consequences and, in the most extreme cases, legal repercussions.
CRAI UB offers a wealth of information about plagiarism and academic writing in general:
For more information, consult the FAQs or contact us via User Support Service (S@U).
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