Plagiarism

T he theft of someone’s words or thoughts—plagiarism—has long been a concern in medi-cal literature. The phenomenon applies to unreferenced published or unpublished datathat belong to someone else, including applications for grants and a publication sub-mitted in a different language. Other acts of plagiarism are paraphrasing without cred-iting the source, using “blanket ” references, “second-generation ” references, and duplicate or re-petitive publication of one’s own previously published work. Does incorporating a peer reviewer’s ideas constitute plagiarism? The requirement of many journals for a short list of references is prob-lematic, as is confusion about what constitutes common knowledge. What criteria should be used for detecting plagiarism? To make an accusation of plagiarism is serious and perilous. Motivations for plagiarism are considered, and 2 striking historical examples of plagiarism are summarized. We believe that with insight into its causes and effects, plagiarism can be eliminated. Arch Surg. 2004;139:1022-1024 The poet’s eye in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, And, as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to air