Plagiarism committed out of ignorance, forgetfulness or laziness, is treated the same way as plagiarism that is committed intentionally. An act of accidental plagiarism is more likely to result in a failed assignment or class, though some schools have zero-tolerance policies, and plagiarism of any kind can result in expulsion. Different schools have different policies about plagiarism, take the time to learn about your school's plagiarism policies. Students are expected to know how to avoid plagiarism before attending a college or university.
Plagiarism in school can have long-term consequences, whether committed intentionally or not. It can make it difficult or impossible to get into another school, as well as make it difficult to get recommendations from professors -- recommendations that are very important to continuing education or getting jobs or internships. Being accused of plagiarism can also make it difficult to get many types of jobs, as an employer might worry about a plagiarist stealing company information or taking information from other companies and presenting it as their own. A plagiarist may also be seen as being lazy, which is a very undesirable trait in an employee. Accidental plagiarism can be an indication of laziness to an employer.
Although plagiarism is a problem commonly associated with students, plagiarism can be committed in many situations and have different consequences. In science and academia, plagiarism can result in a lost job, or worse, a lost reputation, which means that it is nearly impossible to find a similar job or have your work taken seriously ever again. Plagiarism can also have legal consequences if money or a job is involved. Fines for plagiarism in these instances can range from as little as $100 to as much as $50,000 and jail time, depending upon the situation. If a plagiarist makes enough money from copyright infringement, the fines can go up to $250,000 and up to 10 years of jail time. Ignorance of the law is not considered an excuse.
Be aware of all of the different forms of plagiarism and avoid them. When reviewing information from a source, be sure that you are using the information -- not the words -- and write so that you use the information to establish your own idea. It is important to cite every source you use -- it is better to have too many references than to be accused of plagiarism. If you are doubtful whether or not you need a citation, cite just to be safe. Creating citations is very time-consuming, but there are options in word programs as well as online citation generators that can make the work much easier and help you to avoid plagiarism.