What are the consequences of plagiarism in education?

None can deny the fact that plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty. If students and researchers plagiarize, it can ruin their careers forever. It can have serious consequences both in the academic career or prospects. The results can range from rejecting a research paper to even taking legal actions against the person concerned. 

The type and severity of steps taken against plagiarism mainly depend on the individual performing it. If students are presenting any projects or assignments, they can lose marks or get removed from the project. But plagiarism in research papers has grave consequences. 

Research papers primarily include publishing original work. It should be factual and written by the authors actively involved in the studies. Hence novelty in the paper is a must. When other researchers read these articles or use the paper as a basis for their research, they know that they can count on the authenticity of the research paper. 

Hence the value any research paper attaches to original work is immense. Plagiarism in education here has severe consequences, not only for the people plagiarising but also for the future of research. If any previous work is alluded to, which often is, then citation is a must. 

Before looking at the consequences of plagiarism, people should know about types of plagiarism in education. It can help them understands what counts as plagiarism and varied types of plagiarism and takes active steps to avoid the same. 

Plagiarism Common in Academia 

Out of plagiarism of all types, mosaic plagiarism and paraphrasing are the most common forms in academia. 

Mosaic plagiarism is challenging enough to detect. Here the writer copies from varied sources and used quotation marks and proper in-text citations or Bibliography. However, sophisticated plagiarism detection tools such as Copyleaks can smoothly detect it. Thus, resulting in severe consequences for students, which can ruin their career very adversely. 

Next, common plagiarism type students adopt includes paraphrasing. Now, most people are aware of the fact that paraphrasing is rephrasing a particular paragraph or sentence. However, if rephrased without in-text citation, it may turn out to be a plagiarized passage, which is subject to severe consequences that students will not want to face at any cost. 

Hence, it is always essential to provide proper citations to whatever material one uses as a reference to avoid it. Otherwise, the paper will be treated as plagiarised. 

Consequences of Plagiarism in Academia

People should know about the severe consequences when plagiarism takes place in academia. So here they are for them: 

• Plagiarism affects the original authors and research: One should understand that plagiarism affects the original text and its creators. It undermines their hard work and affects their career. When the credit of their work goes to other people, it demotivates other researchers and creates a sloppy research environment.
• Plagiarism affects students: Students primarily plagiarize in colleges or universities when they write projects or assignments. The tendency to procrastinate and not have enough time to complete their work forces them to pass on someone else's work as their own or copy from the internet. It not only results in academic consequences but fails to teach them subject-specific lessons. Thus, resulting in demotivated students who create a similar environment for others. It can have a high impact on their careers.
• Receive Low Grades for Accidental plagiarism: If someone has unintentionally plagiarized and has no previous infractions, they can receive a low grade. They can even receive a failing grade for the course. However, they will never charge with any serious, legal disciplinary action. On several occasions, they might also be required to attend a workshop on plagiarism and how to prevent it.
• Failing Grade for Intentional Plagiarism: Deliberate acts of plagiarism can have grave and far-reaching consequences. If found that intentional plagiarism has taken place, the student will probably fail the assignment or the course, be subject to disciplinary action and suspended potentially.

One can potentially be expelled from the program and/or university. Plagiarism of this type is likely to appear on one's permanent record and have far-reaching consequences for one’s career. Some universities will even revoke a degree long after graduation, discovering plagiarized thesis or dissertation.

• Sometimes plagiarism can have legal consequences: If a paper is plagiarised and submitted in a reputed journal or institution, legal action can be taken against the authors. Not only will one's academic reputation be tarnished, but it will give rise to legal issues that have career-ending repercussions.

Hence it is always better to proceed with caution and use plagiarism checkers while writing and also properly cite necessary reference materials. Always try to avoid plagiarism in any work for a better quality of work and a clean reputation. Otherwise, the plagiarism accusation can ruin the life and the career of the student.