Plagiarism is a big topic in today’s higher-level education system, with the rules being set very clearly but it is still occurring at the collegiate level. According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to plagiarize means “stealing someone’s work and not give credit to the original author, or to present an existing product as a new and original product.” Another source, Plagiarism.org says plagiarism has to involve lying about the plagiarism in question. Most people would disagree with that statement as it is considered plagiarism regardless of if you had plagiarized purposely or by accident. If that were not the case, it would be very difficult to prove plagiarism because you would have to prove that the accused is lying about it instead of a presumed guilt. It is important to note that plagiarism does not just occur in papers, as it can also occur in visual presentations and speeches. It can be as simple as having a final slide or screen showing the sources you used, while pointing out where you got the object during the presentation, or verbally saying “According to…” during your speech. On the other hand, plagiarism is very easy to commit.
