Digital ethics and plagiarism
Digital ethics and plagiarism are increasingly relevant topics in the context of the internet's pervasive role in daily life. Digital ethics involves the moral principles guiding the use of technology and online content, while plagiarism refers to the unethical act of presenting someone else's work or ideas as one’s own. The rise of digital media has blurred the lines of ethical behavior, particularly among students who may lack awareness of the consequences of plagiarism. This can include actions such as copying text verbatim, failing to cite sources, or using someone else’s ideas without proper attribution.
Copyright laws exist to protect intellectual property, which encompasses creative works like written texts, music, and art. Violating these laws—such as sharing copyrighted material without permission—can result in legal repercussions, while plagiarism, although not illegal, undermines personal integrity and can lead to serious academic consequences. With the emergence of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, new debates have arisen regarding the definition of plagiarism, as educators grapple with whether using AI-generated content constitutes an ethical violation. Understanding these principles is essential for navigating the digital landscape responsibly and maintaining ethical standards in both personal and academic contexts.
Subject Terms
Digital ethics and plagiarism
Since the 1990s, internet usage has grown exponentially, becoming a constant, everyday activity. In the so-called digital age, people use the internet for everything from entertainment to school, work, shopping, communication, and research. This ubiquity and increased accessibility, due in part to the introduction of wireless technology (Wi-Fi) and devices such as smartphones and tablets that can connect to the internet easily from almost anywhere in the world, has led to numerous problems regarding digital ethics and plagiarism. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with what is morally right or wrong. Plagiarism is the act of passing off somebody else's work as one's own. As digital media has blurred the line between what is morally right and wrong when it comes to content from the internet, this has led to increased acts of plagiarism, especially among students who do not understand—or care about—the consequences of stealing someone else's work.
Copyright vs. Plagiarism
The term "intellectual property" refers to an individual's own ideas, inventions, or processes. Written works, songs, plays, and artwork are considered examples of intellectual property. In the United States, intellectual property is protected by federal laws, including copyright laws, which grant the owner rights over his or her work. A person who is not the owner of a copyrighted work cannot reproduce, distribute, perform, or display that work for his or her own use without permission. Uploading music files online and sharing them with others without permission from the owner is an example of copyright infringement.
In the United States, copyright laws allow for some exemptions when using part of a copyrighted work. These exemptions are known as "fair use," and whether or not fair use applies in a given case depends on several factors, including the purpose of the use, the nature of the work, the portion of the work used, and how the use could affect the work's value. Owners of copyrighted music sometimes protect their work with a Creative Commons license, which allows others to use their music under certain terms. Those who violate copyright laws are subject to lawsuits, fines, and even jail time in the most extreme cases.
Plagiarism is a type of intellectual fraud. It is distinct from copyright infringement in that it is a moral, rather than legal, offense; it is not ethical, or morally right, for a person to pass off someone else's work as his or her own. The two categories often overlap, but one can commit plagiarism without infringing copyright, and one can infringe copyright without committing plagiarism. To avoid committing plagiarism, people who use other authors' ideas or work should give credit by citing those authors as sources in their own work. They also should refrain from copying others' ideas word for word, and instead use them to form their own ideas. Copying and pasting information word for word from a website is an example of plagiarism. Using another's ideas and failing to cite the source of those ideas is another example of plagiarism.
Committing plagiarism does not break the law, but it violates a code of ethics and puts the plagiarizer's integrity in question. In an academic setting, it can lead to failing grades, being expelled from an institution, and even personal or professional embarrassment.
Examples of Digital Plagiarism
Sometimes people do not realize they are committing plagiarism, especially in the easily assessable digital age. Copying something word for word or failing to cite sources are only two examples of plagiarism. Other examples include using false sources, failing to identify quotations using quotation marks, using portions of a text without changing the structure and only changing words throughout, and using too many similar or exact words and phrases from a source.
To avoid plagiarism, people should always rewrite information in their own words and give credit to the original author. Many tools exist for teachers and professors to determine if students have turned in plagiarized work as their own. They can use online plagiarism checkers or search online for certain words and phrases from the work.
Text is not the only work that can be plagiarized. In the digital age, many files such as music, images, and videos are downloaded, uploaded, and shared online. These, too, must be credited to the owner if they are copied, shared, or otherwise used. Some examples of this type of usage include copying images and logos from a website; making videos that include parts of another person's video footage or music; borrowing large portions of music to create another piece of music; copying someone else's work, such as a photograph, piece of art, or logo; and performing someone else's music. Without proper attribution, presenting this material as part of one's own work implies that one is taking credit for their creation. In addition, these materials also qualify as intellectual property, so permission must be obtained from the owner for such usage.
While it may be difficult to prove copyright laws have been violated in some of these examples, people should think twice about using something that does not belong to them. To avoid plagiarizing someone's work or to avoid a copyright lawsuit or fine, people should not use others' work. If they do, they should cite the work accordingly. Just because something is on the internet does not make it free to use by anyone.
Additional questions about digital plagiarism arose in the 2020s with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. As students increasingly used ChatGPT to complete assignments, educators struggled to discern whether such work should be considered plagiarism. Some experts argued that the definition of plagiarism implies stealing work from a person and not a chatbot, which is a thing. Others contended that using ChatGPT constituted plagiarism, and many school districts and higher education institutions banned its use over such ethical concerns.
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