Do You Think It Is Ok to Plagiarize? Essay Example

The growth of the Internet over the past several decades has made it possible to access almost any information imaginable. In many ways this makes writing academic pares and other projects easier, because the writer is not limited to whatever source are available in a school or public library. At the same time, it can be difficult to choose what sources and information to use when writing a paper. It may also be easier to get away with using other people’s ideas without citing them as sources. Just because it is possible to do something, however, does not mean it is right to do it. Plagiarism is never right, but it is even more important in the Internet Age to properly cite all sources and make it perfectly clear where and how other people’s ideas and information were used.

By citing sources correctly and thoroughly, writers gain credibility with readers. Proper citations allow readers to see where information and sources were found, and to see for themselves whether or not these sources are credible and reliable. Avoiding plagiarism is not just the right thing to do from an ethical standpoint, it is also the best way to demonstrate to readers that they can trust the writer and the ideas and information he or she provides. Another thing writers must consider is that there are programs and other technology that make it possible to easily identify plagiarism. If a writer uses someone else’s ideas without citing them, these programs can tell where the original ideas came from. A writer who plagiarizes is at risk of losing credibility with readers, and even at risk of being expelled from school, fired from a job, or facing other consequences.  For all of these reasons, it is important for writers not to plagiarize other people’s work.