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Understand Why Writers Plagiarize

Although most plagiarism is unintentional, some students do plagiarize deliberately. The causes of intentional plagiarism range from running out of time to seeing little value in a course. The most common reasons offered to explain intentional plagiarism — and the steps you can take to avoid falling victim to the temptation to engage in it — are listed below.

“It’s easier to plagiarize.” Some people believe that it takes less work to cheat than to create an original document. That’s probably true — but only in the short term. If you are pursuing a college degree, you will probably work in a profession that requires writing ability and an understanding of how to work with information. When you’re assigned to write a report or a proposal down the road, you might regret not taking the time to hone your writing and research skills.
“I ran out of time.” Most writers occasionally find themselves wondering where all the time has gone and how they can possibly complete an assignment on schedule. If you find yourself in this situation, contact your instructor about a revised deadline. You might face a penalty for turning in work late, but it will almost certainly be less severe than the penalty for intentional plagiarism.
“I couldn’t care less about this assignment.” It’s not unusual to put off assignments that don’t interest you. Rather than avoiding the work, try to approach the assignment in a way that interests you (see Chapter 2). If that fails, ask your instructor if you can customize the assignment so that it better aligns with your interests.
“I’m no good at writing.” A lot of people have doubts about their ability to earn a good grade in a writing course. Occasionally, however, some students convince themselves that plagiarizing is a reasonable alternative to writing their own document. If you lack confidence, seek assistance from your instructor, a campus writing center, a tutoring center, one of the many writing centers on the Web (such as the Writing@CSU Web site at writing.colostate.edu), or a friend or family member. Even with only modest support, you’ll probably do much better than you think you can.
“I didn’t think I’d get caught.” Some students believe — and might even have experiences to support their belief — that they won’t get caught plagiarizing. Most writing instructors, however, become familiar with their students’ writing styles. If they notice a sudden change in style, or encounter varying styles in the same document, they might become suspicious. The availability of plagiarism detection software also increases the likelihood that plagiarism will be detected.
“Everybody cheats.” Some students plagiarize because they believe that many of their classmates are doing so. They fear that if they don’t plagiarize, they’ll be at a competitive disadvantage. In fact, however, the number of students who plagiarize is quite low. Don’t be persuaded by dramatic statistics showing that cheating is the norm. The reality is that few students plagiarize intentionally, and those who do still tend to earn lower grades than their peers.
“This course is a waste of my time.” If you view a course as little more than a box that needs to be checked, you might be tempted to put in as little effort as possible. However, turning in work that isn’t your own can backfire. If you are caught plagiarizing, you’ll probably receive a reduced — or failing — grade for the assignment or the course. Instead of plagiarizing, talk with your instructor or an academic adviser about your lack of interest. You might find that the course actually has some relevance to your interests and career plans.