Plagiarism, Computers, and the Internet

Computers and the internet have had a major impact on plagiarism.

Copy and Paste

The ability to copy and paste text easily has made intentional plagiarism easier - cheaters can now just cut and paste a patchwork paper from multiple sources. It has also made unintentional plagiarism much easier. If you copy text into your notes or paper you may forget to come back and paraphrase or quote it properly.

Internet paper and essay sites

The internet has also made it possible to share and download essays or papers online and turn them in as your own. Doing so is definitely plagiarism.

Plagiarism detection

Finally, computers have also led to the introduction of tools that help instructors detect and track down plagiarized work. As a result, students who submit plagiarized work are also more likely to get caught than in the past.