Plagiarism (short)

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How would you feel if you knew that you were evaluating someone’s work based on plagiarized input? How would you feel if your thoughts and research results were referenced to another person? How would you feel if you found out that one of the icons of your society based his achievements and past on false foundations?

According to the Gallup Organization (October 6-9, 2000), the top two problems facing the country today are:1) Education and 2) Decline in Ethics (both were ranked over crime, poverty, drugs, taxes, guns, environment, and racism, to name a few). (Plagiarism.org 2007)
The fact that ethics declined dramatically during the past years is clearly visible in many aspects of our daily life, one of which is Plagiarism. Nowadays, we are encountering more and more cases related to this ethical scourge.

Two examples came with President Putin’s and Professor Robinson’s cases. (Tozer 2002; The St. Petersburg Times n.d.) Even though each comes from a different background and is involved in different aspects of society, however, they share a common trait being influential individuals in their communities. Loosing people’s trust and confidence for some is worth reconsidering actions, while for others seemed indifferent. Again referring to these two cases, one finds Mr. Robinson’s statement rather unconcerned:” I am obviously disappointed to be leaving Monash at such an exciting time in its development, however I have every confidence that the Deans will continue with the enormous progress we have already made together.”(Tozer 2002) He never admits his betrayal of human ethics but rather refers to the “enormous progress” he has helped accomplish with his fellow deans.
While in President Putin’s case plagiarism was part of his path to becoming a political leader. In this regard, one finds it rather common related to a field where ethics and humanity in general are long lost.

Let us all hope that whatever influence such people and there peers have had on us will only make us more attached to our ethics and helps us fight back plagiarism and promote the necessity of punishing such acts regardless of ones position.

References:

1. Gallup Organization (October 6-9 2000) Facts About Plagiarism
[Internet] www.Plagiarism.org. Available from: http://www.plagiarism.org/facts.html

2. Tozer, Kate (11 July, 2002) Vice-chancellor resigns over plagarism claims
[online] ABC Online. Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s604692.htm

3. The St. Petersburg Times (n.d.) Putin Faces Plagiarism Accusation[online] http://www.sptimes.ru/. Available from: http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=17128