When I talk to students about plagiarism, I make it a point to discuss how the US thinks of plagiarism differently than other cultures. A great article about this was published in Slate, The Copycat Syndrome: Why we care about Plagiarism? by Meghan O’Rourke.

I feel it is also important to discuss what some may mistakenly think is plagiarism. I discuss terms such as ghostwriting and boilerplating so students understand when and why these things are acceptable and aren’t really plagiarism. [NOTE: I also make it clear that boilerplating and ghostwriting are NOT acceptable in academic contexts.] One article that talks a bit about a form of boilerplating is Cut and Paste is a Skill Too, which appeared in The Washington Post.

And this article talks about the complexities of plagiarism and the internet in forms other than writing.

I make it clear citation is NOT done to prevent being charged with plagiarism. Instead, I explain other reasons for citation including explaining what research you used when conducting your own research, establishing credibility and allowing others to understand what may have influenced your thinking.

One of my favorite discussions is asking students when and how different genres require citation. I include fiction in this discussion, and I like to ask how citation might happen in a work of fiction. I provide examples where it is done well (Jodi Picoult), and I provide examples where it was done so badly, it became national news and even led to awareness about an endangered species.

I learned about the Meerkats and Cassie Edwards, a romance novelist accused of plagiarism the same way I learned of the following YouTube video: SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com.

And to see the video, which is hilarious and educational, use the closed caption option:

Other great YouTube videos include:

Plagiarism: Don’t Do It!

And a related one, Before he Cheats, a teacher parody.