What is plagiarism at the workplace?

What is Plagiarism at the Workplace, and How to Prevent it

Plagiarism issues are often discussed in the context of the academic environment. Indeed, originality is crucial for the research works published by scientists and the papers submitted by students. It is also true that these are the students who often violate the ethics and institutions' rules and resort to copypaste or ghostwriting.

Plagiarism, however, does not exhaust itself in the educational domain. Intellectual theft is not an exceptional case at work and in business. Even more, while the originality-related questions are regulated in the academy, the issue boundaries tend to be vaguer in the professional world. What is the border between inspiration and plagiarism? Collaborative ideas exchange and intellectual theft? Let's dive deeper into the problem of plagiarism at work.

What is plagiarism: beyond the obvious

The classic definition of plagiarism is “taking someone else's work without attributing it and passing it as one's own.” Imagination may immediately bring to mind stealing someone's assignment text or article. However, these vivid examples of global plagiarism are not the only way one can violate the copyright policy. Here are some more intricate cases of copying, sometimes without the intention to plagiarise, which are still considered felonies.

1. Paraphrasing without bringing value. It is normal to rely on some sources – even more, it is needed to compose a trustworthy piece of work. However, it is not enough to replace the words with synonyms. A simple retelling of the text is plagiarism, even without copying it word for word. A new piece should bring new value to the readers - think of studying different sources, summarising, and adding a personal touch to the information you want to reference.
2. Inaccurate citing. Even when one is ready to acknowledge resources, it is crucial to make it right. Inaccurate citing may lead to plagiarism accusations, especially in the academic domain.
3. AI plagiarism. AI technologies have developed tremendously, and it is natural to implement them in the workplace. Yet, one should be aware that AI text generators do not compose original content, let alone the chance their usage at work and study may be unethical.
4. Self-plagiarism. Repeating already published material is often not allowed, even if you have created it. This rule may sound weird, but it makes sense if you give it a thought: who needs to publish something that already exists? What professor would appreciate submission of the essay written for another course? What value will the readers gain from this secondary text? One more note: if you refer to some facts or pieces of information published before, you should cite them properly, even if you are the source's author.
5. Accidental plagiarism. Sometimes, people repeat someone else's ideas accidentally. The bad news is that it is still judged as plagiarism with all the consequences it entails. The good news is that there are ways to avoid unintentional copying risks by following a few simple steps.

Plagiarism at work and in business

It seems clear that we must be cautious when using someone's work, always attribute the author, and never take content without permission. Why do we still talk about plagiarism in the workplace? Do all the people who commit it do it on purpose? Let's look at some examples of work-related plagiarism to understand this complex subject better.

1. Using pieces of content without attribution. It is more or less obvious that one can't just copy-paste part of the research paper. However, photos, graphic elements, concepts, and even pieces of news are also someone's work. Nevertheless, they are often taken without permission or mentioning the author, sometimes leading to critical consequences. Due to one person's negligence, the company can be sued for huge amounts of money and face reputational problems.
2. “Inheriting” from the previous workplace. It is natural that every job brings new experiences we take to our next project. It is unethical, however, to take anything else but your skills. While you may incorporate some visions and approaches, all the work one has done for the client belongs to the client. Remember the NDA agreement you may have signed when taking the job? Well, it's not just a formality, and it concerns not only top-secret missions. Every business has valuable acquisitions and experience they don't want to share with competitors.
3. Collaborative effort abuse. Plagiarism occurs not only in competing businesses but also within the company. Depending on the scale of the problem, the situation may be a minor misunderstanding or a reputational scandal. Regardless of the effect, it is never healthy for the team when one person takes credit for all the hard work or passes all the ideas emerging in collaboration for their individual inventions and achievements.
4. Resume appropriation. We all want to seem a bit better on Instagram and in our CV. However, adding misleading information, copying impressive pieces from someone's resume, and fabricating facts are definitely not the way to show one's best. AI help is also controversial in this context, as many recruiters prefer authentic applications to machine-generated cover letters.?

Ways to avoid plagiarism at the workplace

Often, plagiarism results from a lack of education on the subject rather than malice. Here are some ideas on raising awareness and preventing copyright-concerning problems at work.

1. Educate yourself and your colleagues. Some institutions introduce a whole course dedicated to writing ethics; maybe that's an idea worth implementing. Talk about the real consequences of plagiarism for your business: calculate the possible financial and reputational losses in case of copyright infringement, reflect on the importance of trust within the team, and the impact of creativity on the whole industry.
2. Always cite and attribute. No matter how small the element you've used - if you took it from someone, mention the author (and better check the license to ensure you have the right to borrow this piece of content or/and ask for permission.)
3. Acknowledge the influence. Don't worry: the fact you took inspiration from a book, advice from your colleague, or data from the source doesn't make your work less valuable! On the contrary, referencing makes your piece more credible – and honest.
4. Take time and think about the value. Often, plagiarising is reasoned not by the genuine intention to cheat but by the lack of time or motivation. When the deadlines are pressing, and the mind is exhausted, the temptation to copy becomes stronger. If possible, plan some time for preparation and reflection to study the materials, develop your point of view, and comprehend the benefit you want to bring to the world through your creation.
5. Use plagiarism and AI-detection tools if you work with texts. Add a quick similarity-scanning routine to your workflow to promote integrity and be on the safe side.

The list of tips and examples is not exhaustive. However, we hope to give you a glimpse of the complexity of the issue and the importance of addressing it. After all, there is no crime in mentioning someone's ideas. But it is the way we attribute it that makes this appropriation an offense or an example of an honest work.