Plagiarism is the concept of using the results of someone else’s work while demonstrating themselves as actual authors. Most of the time, it is not encouraged, but the situation is different in professional writing. There are many cases in which plagiarism can be required and compulsory, such as template use. That is why the perception of plagiarism needs to be revised.
Companies usually use template plagiarism for annual reports because they should be notorious. Dougherty (2020) states that “template plagiarism is the use of a source text as a template to fabricate the illusion of new research” (p. 127). However, in this case, the structure, phrases, and vocabulary stay the same for years, and none of the partners is against it. It is also called institutionalized plagiarism, and it is reasonable because the knowledge of such documents is common.
Plagiarism can be helpful for students because of its developmental influence. Students can use such experiments to sound like experienced writers and understand core rules. Helms (2015) declares that “imitation and patchwriting are good ways of building vocabulary and learning writing conventions.” Still, plagiarism remains an ethical issue and needs to be avoided every time it is possible. To avoid plagiarism is “being accurate, clear and honest with where you got ideas or material in your work” (Proofreading Pal, 2019). Respect for authorship is one of the critical elements of professional writing.
To conclude, plagiarism can be seen differently from various points of view. The rules of it can and need to be respected to observe copyright. On most occasions, it is not acceptable for different reasons. However, society needs to see it another way. It can save time and give students examples of how the writing should be done and what is usually used.
References
Dougherty, M. V. (2020). Disguised Academic Plagiarism. Springer.
Helms, G. (2015). Why plagiarism doesn’t bother me at all: a research-based overview of plagiarism as an educational opportunity. Teaching & Learning at Higher Ed.
Proofreading Pal. (2019). Tricky Issues in Plagiarism: Part 2.