Response to Plagiarism: Levi Thurman

There are many reasons to avoid plagiarism. The first reason to avoid plagiarism is because it is unethical. When a writer uses someone else's words, information, or ideas and doesn't give them credit by citing their sources it is considered stealing. Another reason one should avoid plagiarism is because every time someone plagiarizes they are losing a learning opportunity. Research projects are assigned to teach students how to research. If students plagiarize then they are not learning how to cite their sources, which is a vital part of doing research. The third reason to avoid plagiarism is because it diminishes one's credibility. Although, it is necessary to use the opinions of experts in research papers, writers need to let readers know where they found their information. A writer loses credibility because plagiarism is basically a form of lying and once someone is caught lying they are not usually trusted very much. The fourth reason one should avoid plagiarism is because it sometimes results in serious penalties. Plagiarism is considered to be academically dishonest at colleges and universities. The punishment for plagiarism can include a variety of penalties, even expulsion. In the workforce, plagiarism can affect your career and your reputation. It can even have legal consequences if the writer of the work that was plagiarized has the work copyrighted. The writer of the work can sue for violation of the copyright or of the misuse of intellectual property.