Plagiarize: To “[t]ake and use as one’s own (the thoughts, writings, inventions, etc., of another person); copy (literary work, ideas, etc.) improperly or without acknowledgement; pass off the thoughts, work, etc., of (another person) as one’s own” (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2007).

There—I have plagiarized before I even start my article—or have I? Apparently not: by the word’s own definition, I have acknowledged my source and have made clear that they are not my own words.

Boxall, S. 2011. The oceanography classroom: How often do you plagiarize in class? Oceanography 24(4):134–135, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2011.106.

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