Plagiarism: A Common Crime

Are you an idea thief?
An important assignment is returned face-down on your desk, and you turn it over to see a big, red 0 on it! You did so much research and spent so many nights burning the midnight oil on this paper - how could this happen?

You plagiarized - that's what happened. Plagiarism is presenting another source's material as your own, which students often do, though it's considered to be both theft and fraud.

Obviously if you simply take an online article and call it your own, you are an unrepentant plagiarist. But you will be given the same label if you use just one quotation or concept from another's work without giving credit to the original author. People across the world have had degrees and positions revoked for such actions.

However, you can avoid all of these consequences by citing your sources in the correct format and by confirming you did your work through an online plagiarism checking service. For example, PlagTracker allows you to upload a document and receive a free plagiarism report based on material on all web pages and in its extensive database. PlagTracker is a foolproof way to make sure your writing is appropriately documented and to ensure that you won't be accused of plagiarism.

Info Cloud
plagiarism n.抄襲、剽竊
/ˈpleɪʤəˌrɪzəm/
musical plagiarism音樂抄襲
sampling n.採取樣品、試驗樣品
music sampling音樂取樣
是製作唱片時錄音者所利用之一種步驟：將某一段聲音從其原本之脈絡抽取出，然後用於新的脈絡之下。在美國sampling已經侵害著作權，構成偷竊行為。

Grammar Gym
to give credit: to acknowledge that somebody is responsible for something
- If you use just one quotation or concept from another's work without giving credit to the original author.
- Although the talented musician has won many awards, he always gives credit to his teacher.
- Nobody likes to be on Harrison's team because he never gives credit to any of his teammates.

Language Lab
plagiarism n.
/ˈpleɪʤəˌrɪzəm/
[uncountable] when someone uses another person's words, ideas, or work and pretends they are their own
 [countable] an idea, phrase, or story that has been copied from another person's work, without stating where it came from

burn the midnight oil
to work very late into the night

fraud n.
/ˈfrɑ:d/
欺騙、詐欺；
the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person 
- He was sentenced for tax fraud.
他因為稅詐欺而被判刑
- She was charged with credit card fraud.
她因為信用卡詐欺而被控告
a person who pretends to be what he or she is not in order to trick people 騙子
a copy of something that is meant to look like the real thing in order to trick people 假貨
- All the paintings they sold are frauds.
他們所賣的畫全部都是贗品

unrepentant adj.不知悔改的、毫無悔意的
un 否定
repentant 後悔的
not ashamed of your behaviour or beliefs, even though other people disapprove
- Eric is still unrepentant about his rude behavior toward boss.
Eric到現在對自己對老闆施暴的行為仍然毫無悔意
- These unrepentant teenagers stole from their classmates and teachers again and again.
這些不知悔改的青少年一次又一次的偷同學和老師的東西

cite v.引用、引證 citation n.引用、引證
- He cited several renowned writers in his article.
他在文章中引述了好幾位知名的作家
- All citations were listed at the end the thesis.
所有的引述都列在論文的最後

foolproof adj.笨人也能懂(會用)的、極簡單的、萬無一失的
- Rita developed a foolproof weight loss program.
Rita開發一套簡單易做的減重計畫
- The security system is pretty well foolproof.
這套保全系統相當容易操作

mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130323_30b7f.wmv