The Consequences of Plagiarism in Academic and Professional Life

If you’re going to plagiarize content, you best be prepared for the consequences. Plagiarism is illegal! The copyright laws that are in place aren’t just for show. Those who don’t follow these laws can have their entire lives ruined, and yet it seems some students and working professionals haven’t received the memo.

When you see websites like MyAssignmentHelp.com offering plagiarism-free essays, you might scoff at the deal. After all, what’s the big deal about plagiarism? Isn’t it all just a threat that professors give just to make sure students don’t copy things from other resources? Do they check if the assignments students submit are plagiarized or not?

In an age where you can pay for assignments online and get essay help within seconds, the answer becomes obvious. Colleges and universities have now adopted strict plagiarism checks to make sure students submit original content. This is all thanks to technological advancements.

What happens when the plagiarism percentage turns out to be high?

Well, you might not like the consequences.

Consequences in Academic Life

Educational institutes have clear instructions regarding maintaining academic integrity. Yet, a survey reveals that students often dabble in actions that can lead them to submit plagiarized content, including the following –

• Getting someone to do the assignment on their behalf
• Using unauthorized sources to gather information for an assignment
• Paraphrasing from sources without citing materials properly

If you’re found engaging in any of these activities, then the consequences can be as severe as temporary suspension or even expulsion. That’s not all. The entire academic world takes plagiarism extremely seriously. So, you can bet the higher-ups are going to make sure this offense sticks on your record.

What does that mean for you?

Well, a black mark on your record is going to make it extremely difficult to gain admission to any other college or university.

Now, things don’t progress to such a stage if you’ve unintentionally plagiarized something. This might happen if you weren’t aware of the source content and shared similar views to that of another writer. Usually, it’s easy to determine when unintentional plagiarism occurs. So, the consequences for that can be –

The punishment that you end up with depends on the professor. So, make sure you remain within everyone’s good books.

If an academic researcher decides to dabble in plagiarism, their academic reputation will lie in tatters. Academia has always been a “publish or perish” kind of world, where the only way a scholar can progress their career is to publish research papers. It’s the only way they can establish the credibility of their academic talent.

Now, imagine what happens when the news spreads that someone has been plagiarizing their work. Once an academic researcher’s reputation gets smeared, it’s nearly impossible for them to gain back their credibility.

Consequences in Professional Life

Professionals in almost every career can land up in immense trouble if they forget all that they’ve learned about NOT plagiarizing in school. You see, plagiarism isn’t just relevant in academia. Here are some instances where plagiarism occurs the most –

• Copying another brand’s logo for your brand
• Taking a picture from Pinterest for advertising without credits
• Presenting a colleague’s work as your own

What happens if you take part in any of these activities? Well, let’s find out the harsh truth.

I. Job-Related Consequences

Getting fired or demoted is just the start of your problems. If you’re a part of the creatives and the main offender, you can expect the plagiarism accusation to stick to your profile throughout your career. It’s almost impossible to work in the same field because any new employer would be hesitant to hire someone who has dabbled in serious plagiarism. For some, it can be the end of their professional life if they can’t adapt to the situation and look for a career change.

II. Legal Consequences

“Can I be sued if I plagiarize?”

Those who plagiarize never end up asking this question before plagiarizing. It’s only when they are caught that they recall the possibility of legal consequences. The answer to the question is “Yes.” If someone claims that their work has been plagiarized, and if it holds in court, you might even end up with jail time.

III. Monetary Consequences

This one is directly related to the legal consequences that I’ve mentioned before. In case the author or creator who has sued you decides to be lenient and not press for jail time, you can be let off by paying monetary compensation for the damages caused. This compensation can be in the form of hundreds and thousands of dollars, which is surely going to leave you in debt.

In conclusion,

The consequences of dabbling in plagiarism can range from destroyed academic and professional reputation to jail time. So, carefully consider your options if you’re planning to cut corners. Is it worth going to jail just to copy someone’s work? Surely not! Instead, consider reaching out to an assignment expert to ensure you produce original work without the risk of plagiarism.