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Should there be a line drawn of what is acceptable and what it not when it comes to
plagiarism and self-plagiarism?
In today’s society plagiarism plays a very important role. Most people can define
plagiarism as using someone else’s ideas in one’s own work. There are many definitions on the
matter of plagiarism, but most of them have similar meaning. Self-plagiarism, however, is hard
to define because of its different types. Many people struggle with the understanding why self-
plagiarism is wrong, how exactly to define it, and what is acceptable when it comes to it. Policies
for plagiarism and self-plagiarism differ in almost every college. Because of that student struggle
to define the meaning of plagiarism, and know what consequences can lead to it. Every student
has been introduced to a definition of plagiarism and self-plagiarism, but many students do not
see the importance of it, the difference in those terms, and the rules that follow under those
criteria. Many students struggle of what is acceptable in plagiarism. They believe that
paraphrasing something becomes their own work. By paraphrasing something and not citing the
source they get in trouble not even realizing why. United States is a very diverse county, and
many students from different countries do not understand of the consequences of plagiarism.
Many developing countries do not even have a turn for plagiarism. I am speaking from my own
experience. Growing up in a different county I never knew what plagiarism actually is. When I
had to write a paper, I just copied something from the internet and got an A every single time.
Going to school in the United States taught me to use my own brain and helped me realize that I
can acctially write my own paper without plagiarizing someone else’s thoughts and ideas.
Students need to be educated about plagiarism, and know the difference between many types of
self-plagiarism in order to achieve their educational goals and become more successful in their
writing.
