Abstract

This article provides an introduction to plagiarism and the numerous negative aspects associated with it. Some examples from history have also been provided along with their outcomes. There are different types of plagiarism with varying legal and social aspects. The taxonomy of plagiarism is built by classifying it, with respect to the method involved in plagiarism, the form in which it happens or the intention of the plagiarist. The strategies suggested in the literature to avoid plagiarism are organized into individual and organizational levels. Individuals can adopt strategies to build habits of avoiding plagiarism and focus on their original and innovative way of thinking. Similarly, institutions can make policies to cope with plagiarism and hence maintain their reputation. In this paper, the focus is not on mentioning the plagiarism detection methods; rather we believe that building awareness in the people about plagiarism outcomes is more important than teaching them about the different methodologies used for detection. Some students avoid plagiarism detection as if playing a game and it can be only avoided by educating them in ethics.