PLAGIARISM Are you familiar with the word plagiarism? Do you know what it means and its implications? A survey of many post and comments on facebook shows that act of plagiarism is rampant among many users of facebook. It is well noticed that many are involved out of ignorance of what plagiarism means and its implications. Plagiarism, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means the act of using another persons words or ideas without giving credit to that person: the act of plagiarizing something. As writer or one who posts comment, you have an obligation to acknowledge all writers you get information from. While writing, it is said that correctly and systematically documenting your sources indicates your intellectual honesty by acknowledging your debt to other writers. It also helps readers who want to find out more about your assertion or look at your sources.(Kennedy et all. p. A-26). Some somehow find it difficult, or carefree to attach the name of the writer they get information, but such habit is a serious offense in acedemic. If a writer fails to acknowledge all sources or uses another writers word without quotation marks, he or she has plagiarized, a very serious offense in academic and business communication. Such a writer is suspected of a THEFT when he or she may merely have failed to make a debt by citing and listing sources, as a good scholar should (ibid, p.579 emp. added). It is an act of dishonesty when you copy and paste comment on facebook or other social sites without proper acknowledgement of the writer. You are somehow claiming undue honor to yourselves, and deny the writer honor he deserves. In other way round, comment without proper documenting is prone to misuse and distortion. In the light of the foregoing, it is act of honest to always make proper acknowledgement when someones message is used. At least, make sure the writers name is attached to the message. It is an act of honesty in so doing. It gives worthy honor to whom it belongs. References Kennedy, X. J, et all. The Bedford Guide For College Writers. 6th Ed. 2002. Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Mobile Version). 2014.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:11:26 +0000
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