Plagiarists Are The Serial Shoplifters of The Art Community

Introduction

I am always worried that I will be called out for plagiarism. Sometimes I borrow quotes that have been borrowed and borrowed and borrowed, but I always try to credit sources if it is possible. The irony of this is that every time Vocal have knocked me back for plagiarism it is where I have credited the source.

Why Plagiarise?

Well it’s quick and you are probably taking it from a well known source which has already proved it’s worth so if you lift it, change a few words, and have an audience then you will get the reads and often positive recognition from Vocal. Vocal wants to maximise interaction and so do creators and that is a creditable goal, but it should not use plagiarised content.

The other thinking is, and this is where the Serial Shoplifter analogy comes in, is that if you are not called out or disciplined for what you are doing, and you are benefitting from it , you are going to keep doing it.

If you walk into a shop, pick up a bar of chocolate or magazine and leave without paying and no one says anything then you will keep doing it, even though you know what you are doing is wrong. If you keep getting away with it eventually you won't even think that it is wrong or immoral, and maybe that is so with some plagiarists.

Who Is Responsible For Policing The Plagiarist?

While what the plagiarist is doing is morally reprehensible and in some cases criminal it is up to the person or organisation who facilitate the publication to at least check for plagiarism and take appropriate action.

These organisations also need to take notice of when articles are reported for plagiarism. I have reported several items and received no response, even from the people who were being plagiarised and therefore being stolen from. If someone steals your work and makes a penny out of it, that is a penny that should have been in your pocket not theirs.

There are lots of plagiarism checkers, many free, online so publishing organisations have tools to help defend themselves against possible plagiarism actions, but they really need to use them as the norm and not just on the odd story.

If creators know that their work will definitely be checked for plagiarism then they are much less likely to do it. It’s like speed cameras. If you know there are speed cameras on a road you will keep to the speed limit, if you know there are no speed cameras you may not bother with sticking to the speed limits.

Although this may seem like we are being watched and spied on, it is necessary to create a safe and trustworthy creative environment.

Conclusion: We All Need To Act Responsibly

We all have responsibilities in this area.

As creators we must not steal. Just because we can does not mean we should. If we use other people’s work we should credit them. There will be odd times where we can’t find the source but we can still make a visible note of this.

If you see instance of plagiarism report them to the publisher or a responsible person or group.

If we are publishers anything submitted to us for publication must be checked for plagiarism otherwise we may become liable for financial damages and even criminal charges. This situation should not be taken lightly.

Here is a piece I previously wrote on the subject.

Here are articles on Plagiarism on Vocal.