Dudley Delvin Plagiarism In America Summary

In Dudley Delvin’s “Plagiarism in America,” Delvin expresses his opinion about the growing plagiarism epidemic in America’s schools and presents a solution to correct the situation. The modern student body has begun to view plagiarism as a common practice since much of the information used is available instantaneously. Students often fail to see the issue of using another individual’s ideas as their own since the ideas are made public, allowing others to obtain the information. To solve the epidemic, Delvin proposes a solution that increases the surveillance of student work and incorporates zero tolerance policies that punish students for the use of plagiarism.

Plagiarism has increased at rates proportionate to the advancements in technology. The increased ability to search information instantly at any location has allowed students to often use information without giving credit to its author. Delvin states

He asserts that the high levels of plagiarism would decrease if appropriate punishments and consequences followed the action of not giving credit where credit is due: “Teachers must be vigilant, and students who plagiarize must be punished swiftly and severely” (p. 103). Delvin believed that punishments should be severe as all students have been educated about the issue of plagiarism through scholarly institutions or common morals: “all students instinctively know… that it is wrong to steal someone else’s ideas, words, or facts” (p. 105). Delvin also claims that “[prohibited actions] begin to drop only when increased enforcement and stricter … penalties [are] enforced” (p. 105). Due to the students’ prior knowledge about the subject, one would expect that they would uphold to the regulations. However, as students still continue to plagiarize, the appropriate punishment for their actions should be strictly