This blog is written as part of a task assigned by Prakruti ma'am, Department of English (MKBU). In this blog, I have written the answer of the question asked in the task. 

Explain the term Plagiarism and discuss its forms.

The word plagiarism is derived from plagiatius which means "kidnapper". Plagiarism means using someone else’s idea and claiming that it’s your own. It is a kind of literary theft. Plagiarism is related to the more ethical concerns rather than legal disputes. Because as a researcher it is our responsibility to give acknowledgement to the writer of the text. It can be done two ways. Firstly using someone else’s idea without giving acknowledgement and secondly to gain the credit or grade while representing someone else’s idea as our own. 

Forms of Plagiarism:

Repeating or Paraphrasing Wording:

While doing the research, one writes the same thing again and again but or paraphrases the thing and writes it differently and not giving acknowledgement that is this kind of plagiarism.

For example this is the definition of plagiarism according to Cambridge dictionary:

“the process or practice of using another person's ideas or work and pretending that it is your own”

But when one writes that 

“using someone else’s idea and claiming that it’s your own.”

Taking a Particularly Apt Phrase

While using the word or concept given by others and writing it without acknowledgement. For example when one uses the term “Hybridity” in literary context and you don’t mention the name of Homi.K.Bhabha it is a type of plagiarism.

Paraphrasing an Argument or Presenting a Line of Thinking

When one reads any argument given in another article or book and the same argument is presented in your work that means that you have given that argument so you are plagiarizing. When any argument is given one must cite that source and mention the name from which article, journal or book the argument has taken from and the name of the author. 

In your opinion, why is Academic Integrity necessary?

Academic integrity is extremely necessary in academic writing. First of all it is important to give credit to those who have coined the word, idea, concept or argument. A person might have read a variety of things and get to that idea and come out as something new, and when it is taken by someone else without any acknowledgement, it is indeed injustice to the person. 

When person takes out someone’s work and claim that it is of their own it is kind of a bypass to work or to do the research in deeper way that will prevent the skill of critical thinking and a work that person has to go through to reach to that conclusion and it is for the development of a person only that does not happen eventually.

It is essential when a person undertakes a certain task to do the research or it was assigned by the teachers ,the work itself is to foster the learning of the student. When at that level students are involved in certain work, there are higher chances that students might cultivate this habit and do the same further also. It is also a duty of a person that when one takes something from somewhere one has to acknowledge them. 

Words: 516

References:

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Modern Language Association of America, 2009.