Why is plagiarism such a big deal?
You are attending college in order to learn a field of study and become a professional. Professionals do their own work – they could be fired if they “borrowed” work from others. Plagiarism is the lazy way to produce work; you are using someone else’s ideas instead of your own. But the whole reason you came to Clemson is to learn, and we measure that learning by having you write – in your own words – what you understand. I always paraphrased in my high school papers. Isn’t that good enough? No, because what most students mean by “paraphrasing” is taking actual writing of others and rearranging words. Your instructors expect you to read, learn and assimilate ideas. Then, when you write you are using your own voice, choosing your own words and putting down what you understand. You don’t do that with “paraphrasing.” Okay, I need some examples so that I understand what you mean! Go to these Web sites, which have good examples for you to follow: Do’s and Don’ts (University of California, Da
