The complex, lively process of research is enriched by the exchange of ideas. However, discussions of research ethics sometimes reduce that topic to one issue: plagiarism. Plagiarists present someone else’s work as their own—whether they dishonestly submit as their own a paper purchased from the Web, pretend that passages copied from an article are their own writing, present the ideas of others without identifying sources, or use someone else’s graphics without acknowledgment or permission. Plagiarism is viewed especially seriously in college because it shows a deep disrespect on the part of the offender for the work of the academic world—investigating, evaluating, analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing ideas. And it may have serious consequences—a failing grade on a paper, a failing grade for a course, or dismissal from the institution.

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Although individuals often plagiarize on purpose, it’s possible to unintentionally plagiarize others’ work, too. Most campus policies penalize both intentional and unintentional plagiarism. Working carefully with sources and treating ideas and expressions of others respectfully can build the skills necessary to avoid attribution mistakes. Educating yourself about the standards of your campus, instructor, and profession also can protect you from ethical errors with heavy consequences. See the chart Take Action: Avoiding Plagiarism for a guide to avoiding and remedying common situations that generate attribution problems.