Plagiarism refers to stealing another author’s work, thoughts or expressions and representing the write-up as one’s original work without quoting references. In academia, plagiarism in essay and thesis is considered dishonesty and fraud. An essay or thesis is often written by students with the intention of conducting genuine research and achieving a university degree. If the content is copied, it can considerably risk your chances of clearing your MBA or Ph.D.

There can be drastic consequences if originality in the content is not maintained.

1. Legal Action – An author has the right to sue a plagiarist. Copyright laws can be very strict. It can lead to a serious offence. Hence, citations and references are of considerable importance. You might have to even pay a hefty monetary compensation.

2. Expulsion from course – Schools, colleges and universities take plagiarism much more seriously than you expect. It can get you expelled from the academic course, and if very serious you might even be restricted from pursuing the degree again.

3. Loss of credibility – It can harm your academic record and sabotage your career. It can lead to loss of personal reputation and respect in academic circles. Your work would be destroyed, and your future work will always be doubted upon.

Prevention is always better than cure. If you don’t know what plagiarism is, you must understand what t is and how it should be avoided. It is of utmost importance that one makes sure that their work is plagiarism free by using any one of the free plagiarism software online or hiring a professional agency for the same rather than being ignorant about it.