Wordnapping

If you're interested in plagiarism, or hoping to avoid stealing another writer's words, check out a new resource, plagiary.org. It's a peer-reviewed academic journal that promises "Cross-Disciplinary Studies in Plagiarism, Fabrication and Falsification."

Clearly designed for scholars and teachers, it's too early to tell how useful it will be to writers, but a New York Times article about the project suggests it may help us understand explain why so many writers in recent years have paid the ultimate penalty -- losing their job -- because they lifted someone else's work or, or in James Frey's infamous case, simply made up things. In it, Sara Ivry quotes the journal's founder, John P. Lesko, a professor of applied linguistics at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan:

"Mr. Lesko has spent the last decade examining how and why students appropriate other people's work. "There's the old formula for crime — a combination of motivation and opportunity," he said, citing the ease of pointing and clicking on Web sites. "We've put youngsters into such a rip and burn frenzy, downloading music, it's as if everything is free."

But plagiarism isn't just for kids who cut and paste term papers who blame deadline pressure; those mea culpas echo in newsrooms, too. An expert on academic integrity, Duke University's Timothy Dodd, told the Times:

"We are creating this kind of winning culture that is causing a lot of people to take shortcuts, to overinvest in the chase for stardom," Mr. Dodd said. "It's a corruption of the kind of marketing culture of 'if I can get it to sell, then I have done well.' And, if you have to sell something that is a bit fraudulent, that is deceptive, that's still in service to the greater good, which is 'I've marketed something.' "

Plagiarism is so easy to commit and the penalty so dire. There's pathology at work, to be sure.

But much of it happens, I'm convinced, because not enough is done in the classroom, newsroom or writing class to help writers avoid the crime of wordnapping. I'm heartened that plagiary.org wants to devote its scholarship not only to out plagiarists and make-up artists. "Plagiarism/fraud detection and prevention" is on its list of subjects the journal seeks to explore in research articles and reports.

Topics I'm also eager to see addressed are effective ways to teach the art of paraphrasing and plagiarism detection software that aids literary crime fighters, but also furnishes easy-to-use tools that writers can use, like spell check, to help them identify perilous passages that could cost them their jobs and their reputation.

Plagiarism, fabrication and falsification are a blight on journalistic, literary and academic landscapes. Let's hope plagiary.org can help writers clean up their act.

Comments

[replica chanel watches]

I think you write good, that picture is also very cool, I like your article, see you next time a new article!

[MBT Anti Shoe]

Your composition is very good, hope to have the opportunity to read more of your article.

[coach outlet online]

Everything looks so much nicer now! Thanks again