Plagiarism and Authors

Paul Tolme, one of the authors whose work was lifted by Cassie Edwards, wrote an interesting and thought-provoking column on the topic in Newsweek Online. You can find Tolme's article here; his remarks about plagiarism at the end of the article are particularly astute, and I plan to share the article with my Composition students to open up a discussion about the fair use of research. As Tolme's remarks, "Plagiarism victimizes writers. It betrays the trust of readers. It tarnishes the craft of writing." As an English instructor, I've always been attuned to how I incorporate other authors in my research on the nineteenth century, which has helped when I approach research for my fiction writing. It's just plain courtesy, thanking the people who have helped you along the way to complete your research by acknowledging their contributions.