What Is Plagiarism, How to Identify It, and How to Educate to Avoid It

Plagiarism is a continuing and growing concern in higher education and in academic publishing. Educating to avoid plagiarism requires ongoing efforts at all levels and clear policies that explain the several types of plagiarism and potential consequences when it is found. Identifying plagiarism requires complex judgments and is not a simple matter of using plagiarism detection software. Both social work programs and journals should establish clear and widely distributed policies regarding plagiarism. Ongoing education, care in course and assignment development, tracking incidents within each institution, and establishing clear policies may help reduce plagiarism and improve the quality of professional writing.