What is Plagiarism? A guide for politicians and their spouses

Posted by Mike Sweet on 7/19/16 1:19 PM

Current Events, Information Literacy, Uncategorized

Melania_Trump_2016During the first night of the Republican National Convention, prospective First Lady Melania Trump gave a speech, parts of which sounded very similar to a speech given by Michelle Obama in 2008. But was it plagiarism? Watch the video below and judge for yourself.

Plagiarism is a tricky subject whether you’re writing a paper in English Comp or running for president. In our 2014 survey of college students the fear of accidental plagiarism and not knowing how to properly cite resources were two of the most common responses to the question, “What intimidates you most about research assignments?”

In this video we examine the different types of plagiarism and strategies for how to avoid them.

The best way to avoid the perils of plagiarism is to cultivate a solid understanding of information literacy and critical thinking skills. The stakes are high in college, but they only increase when graduates enter the workforce where plagiarism—intentional or otherwise—can lead to copyright infringement lawsuits, job termination, and more. This is why our mission is to prepare students for life in the knowledge economy, and building a strong foundation of these skills is integral to academic, professional, and personal success.

As Melania Trump’s speechwriting team learned last night, the consequences of plagiarism still apply to people after graduation.

Image credit: By Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA (20160208-DSC08088) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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