Plagiarism is not a word that we normally use in our day-to-day vocabulary. Since it is a focus in recent national news, I thought it might be valuable to speak about this issue with proper definition. I always keep a dictionary handy for moments like this. Webster’s defines plagiarism as, “to steal and pass off as your own the ideas or words of another.” The term originates from the Latin language, so it has been around for several millennia. It is very important in the world of academia.
It has been decades since I was in an academic environment. The three instances I can recall from many years ago (1966-1984) were as a student in undergraduate studies, graduate school and at a staff college. I recall that very early, we were briefed and instructed about the issue of plagiarism and how important it was to attribute the origin of your work. There is nothing wrong with using someone else’s work or words, provided that you clearly demark and give credit to where and who originated the idea.