A recent survey shows that plagiarism has become one of the most serious problems in academic circles, especially among college students. Several reasons are accountable for this phenomenon: one is the ignorance of academic regulations and intellectual property rights, and another is the convenient access to academic resources on the Internet.
Academic plagiarism is harmful by any means. First, it is a violation of intellectual property rights, which discourages and hampers innovation and improvement in academic studies. Second, academic plagiarism is a threat to independent thinking and research. College students who plagiarize tend to sacrifice their ability of independent thinking for the easiness and convenience of plagiarism. Third, academic plagiarism devalues the original work of others. If you submit as your own a professional writer’s work, you have an unfair advantage over others.
Bearing in mind ignorance is not always bliss, and even unintentional plagiarism is a violation , let alone the intentional plagiarism simply by citing our sources within the text or at the end of our report. All in all, an independent study and research is the only way to improve academic abilities.