The Plagiarism Decision Process: The Role of Pressure and Rationalization

Plagiarism is more than just the failure to use quotation marks or to cite a paraphrased passage. Dual publishing, self-plagiarism, and ghost authorship are other forms of plagiarism. Plagiarism is generally viewed as an act when, in fact, it is a decision process. Five steps are used here to represent plagiarism as a decision process. Various forms of pressure act as stimuli to begin the process, and rationalization is used to justify the decision and to avoid feelings of regret. Education is necessary to decrease the likelihood that an individual will opt to plagiarize when faced with the opportunity. Considerations for education of graduate students and young faculty are discussed.