Using the work of another person, while claiming that it is your own, is illegal. This is particularly true of the writing profession and, as plagiarism is a crime, all writers should be ever vigilant to avoid being guilty of this. Plagiarism applies equally to students as it does to professionals. As in the case with professionals, plagiarism will seriously jeopardise a student's reputation and grades. Students who rely on plagiarism are failing to build self-confidence in writing and may tarnish their reputation beyond the class room. A student who is found guilty of plagiarism will place their teacher and school in a negative light. It is unfortunate then that, according to a survey by the "Psychological Record", 36 percent of undergraduates have admitted to plagiarizing written material.
Serious research and good writing involve many skills, including the sourcing and evaluation of references, taking notes, selecting apt quotations, paraphrasing and acknowledging those whose ideas were used. Students who plagiarize are not allowing themselves an opportunity to develop these skills, but are also affecting others negatively. Submitting a plagiarized work is not fair to students who are reliant on their own efforts. Plagiarized work also jeopardizes the integrity of the academic grading system. Plagiarism makes a mockery of the concept that students are developing new skills and are engaging with teachers to develop academically.
Sir Isaac Newton spoke of using previous knowledge to develop new insights. All new knowledge is born out of existing knowledge and it is crucial that we acknowledge the people whose thoughts and ideas we have used to develop new notions. Not to do so, is to undermine academic integrity.
Although many universities take plagiarism seriously enough to suspend students or revoke their diplomas after graduating, plagiarism beyond collage can be even more damaging. Plagiarism in academic and scientific communities will typically cause the guilty party to be suspended or to loose their position. Plagiarists immediately loose creditability in the academic community. A person whose work is plagiarized may also sue the Plagiarist for copyright infringement.