Plagiarism is not a new concept.

The term was first used by the ancient Roman Poet Martial who railed against another Poet who had been passing off Martial's work as his own. According to Professor Richard Terry, up until that point the term plagiarism referred specifically to the stealing of another's slaves or even possibly children, and to Martial, having someone benefit from his work without giving him credit or sharing the profits (his primary concern) should be viewed as an equally egregious offense.^[1]

Modern definitions of plagiarism have not changed much in comparison to the original term that Martial coined. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the act of plagiarism as "to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source; to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source."^[2] However, while the definition has not changed, the invention and expansion of the internet has propagated the scourge of plagiarism such that it is more prevalent within our society than ever.

As with most things internet related, many of the "information superhighway's" strengths are also be its' weaknesses. Users are able to access and share an immense number of ideas and media that relate to literally any topic with minimal effort. Unfortunately, a very valid concern is that ideas of intellectual ownership and integrity have not kept pace with the explosion in accessibility. Students steal ideas, purchase papers, and at times simply copy and paste entire sections of text before passing them off as their own. Pictures, movies, songs, indeed all forms of media are ripped from sites worldwide on a minute by minute basis before being reused or even republished with little if any credit being given to their creator.

All is not lost however. Just as how the internet revolutionized people's abilities to plagiarize, it also greatly expanded the tools used to detect plagiarism and the availability of information that can lead to its' prevention all together. It was to that end that this wiki was created, as a place where students and teachers, intellectual owners and borrowers alike, can come to be informed of the tools available for plagiarism detection and prevention.

The site has been divided into the following sections and was designed such that users can edit the pages and add additional resources:

Detectors: A list of various databases and sites where a paper can be uploaded and cross referenced to ensure it has not been plagiarized.

Alarm Bells: A quick list of things to look for when reading a student's work that could denote whether it has been plagiarized.

Plagiarism Movie Clips:This page includes various movie clips that both define plagiarism and describe how it can be avoided. Many of the clips have strong educational value and are classroom appropriate.

Citation Aids: In order for someone to avoid plagiarism one must know how to properly cite the original work. This page includes links that will show how to cite any form of media properly.

Survey: Desire to add a sub-section that is currently not listed or provide feedback on the wiki layout or content? Help improve this site by taking the survey!

Newsletter: Want to stay up to date on the latest in plagiarism busting? Sign up for the newsletter today!

Refrences: A Compelte list of all sites and media employed in this wiki listed in the APA format.

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