Tiferes Citation and Plagiarism Guide  

What are the consequences?

Well, for minor slips like forgetting to put quotation marks but still providing a citation, you could lose marks. For deliberately copying and pasting from the internet, you could get 0 for the assignment, or worse. . You could even be suspended from school! [1] 

Universities and colleges may kick you out entirely while those in the workforce have lost jobs for plagiarizing. Some famous musicians have been fined tens of thousands of dollars for using the work of others.  So it is a good idea to get in the habit of crediting your sources right now.

You are also not being respectful to yourself, either. Taking the time to read, evaluate and use the work of others to support your own ideas helps you learn and grow. Copying from the work of others is just cheating yourself of a valuable learning experience.

You also showing respect by acknowledging the work of others. The Maharal of Prague explains that:

 “There is a redemptive quality to the one who gives proper attribution when he quotes people. For what is that person doing? He actually does an act of redemption. For he returns the words to their rightful owner, and he takes that person’s words which are now in his control and he returns them to his rightful owner by granting appropriate attribution.”  (Weinstein)

[1] IMAGE: Bedrosian, Wesley. Cartoon. Beat the Cheat: Teaching Students (and Parents) It's Not OK to Copy. Edutopia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://www.edutopia.org/images/graphics/plagiarism.jpg>.

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