In the current age of the internet and social media, it has never been more simple to find exactly the information you need online for a school assignment. All you have to do is enter keywords into a search engine and you have endless possibilities. However, unless you have properly utilized and cited your material, it could be viewed as plagiarism. This type of accusation can lead to serious consequences academically, jeopardizing your education and future opportunities. Our plagiarism lawyer understands that you may be at risk of expulsion from the college institution you are currently enrolled with. If you have been accused of plagiarism and need help resolving the issue, please contact K Altman Law right away.
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is one example of academic dishonesty. But with the increasing popularity of remote education, studious untruths have become more omnipresent. Reusing an assignment you already submitted for another class could qualify under this category. By law, anything someone writes, even on their personal drive, is protected by copyright. Using anything that has been written by another person without citing the original source and/or using quotations can be deemed plagiarism. Even rewriting or rephrasing work without the exact word use may be considered a violation. Along with copying someone else’s words without citing the source, here are other forms of plagiarism:
- Taking an idea from someone else and using it without citation
- Reusing your own work, or that of another student, from a different class
- Citing non-existent or fake sources
- Copying work of several people and combining them together so the end result seems to be an original thought or piece
- Changing keywords or paraphrasing the text of others without appropriate citation
Ultimately, academic dishonesty can be in the form of cheating, fabrication or false information, damage or theft of intellectual property, creating an unfair advantage for oneself, and alerting university documents. Lying to a professor or working with others to plagiarize an assignment or cheat on an exam could also put you in an academic dishonesty situation. If you have been accused of any of these kinds of offenses, we urge you to contact our plagiarism attorney without hesitation.
Defending Your Accusation
Facing an accusation about academic dishonesty can be stressful. You may be worried about your future and whether you risk being expelled from the institution. Our experienced plagiarism attorney is ready to intervene so that your reputation is protected. Those who pursue higher education oftentimes value their pursuits, and would be devastated to learn that they are found guilty of plagiarism, unlawful use of copyright, and other academic violations. If you are dealing with a situation like this, please know that you do not have to go about it alone. While there are no criminal offenses related to plagiarism, it can impact your success and opportunities. The team at K Altman Law is ready to hear about what you are going through and can then offer individualized support. We hope to speak with you today.
Our dedicated plagiarism team can help you understand the most effective defenses against a plagiarism accusation and gather evidence to support your claims. Our team of skilled attorneys, academics, and legal specialists provides us with a detailed understanding of higher education institutions and allows us to help you achieve a favorable result. We are a full service law firm that provides comprehensive legal representation to clients throughout the United States. For more information on how we can assist you with your case, contact K Altman Law today.
Proof of Authorship
One of the foundational defenses used in defending against plagiarism is demonstrating proof of authorship. This includes showing drafts, notes, or any preliminary work that led to the final piece. By presenting these materials, we can establish a timeline and show the evolution of the work, which often demonstrates that the content was created independently. Digital timestamps on documents, emails, and cloud storage can be particularly compelling in proving the originality of your work.
Access and Opportunity
Another critical aspect of defending against an accusation of plagiarism is examining whether the claimant had access to the allegedly plagiarized work. For a plagiarism claim to hold, it must be shown that the accused had a reasonable opportunity to access the original work. By analyzing the distribution of the original work, its availability, and whether it was in a format or location that the accused could feasibly have accessed, our firm can seek to prove that the original document was not accessed.
Similarity Analysis
Plagiarism claims often rely on the perceived similarity between works. However, not all similarities constitute plagiarism. We employ experienced lawyers who delve into these similarities, distinguishing between coincidental likenesses and genuine instances of content copying. Our goal is to show that the similarities are either too generic to be considered plagiarism or fall within acceptable limits of academic and creative work.
Independent Creation
Proving independent creation is a strong defense against plagiarism allegations. This involves demonstrating that the accused produced their work independently, without any reference to the claimant’s work. Witness statements from colleagues, mentors, or collaborators can support this claim, providing a narrative of the work’s creation process. Additionally, showing prior work that exhibits a consistent style or thematic preference similar to the accused work can further bolster the defense.
The Role of Technology
Technology plays a pivotal role in both the prosecution and defense of plagiarism cases. Advanced plagiarism detection tools are used to identify similarities between texts. However, our plagiarism lawyer knows that these tools are not foolproof and can sometimes flag content that is not genuinely plagiarized. Our team of attorneys is adept at interpreting these reports, identifying false positives, and presenting counter-evidence that highlights the nuances missed by automated systems.
Contact Our Firm Today
Defending against plagiarism requires a meticulous approach and a deep understanding of the evidence that can counter such claims. Our lawyers combine legal experience with detailed knowledge of educational institutions to provide you with the best possible chance of a successful defense. If you are facing plagiarism allegations, contact K Altman Law today.
