Continuing our new occasional online column by Professor Ampersand: designed to discuss words, language and related matters of interest and/or concern to the Left. My aim is to discuss the usage and origins of words, their change of meaning as time goes by but also, importantly, the connections and interactions of these words with other words. This will include not only the written but also the spoken word. Word4Word is not a dictionary, indeed dictionary definitions can be rather limited; it might best be regarded as an expanded, historically and materially based radical compendium. My model, if I have one, is Keywords by Raymond Williams, first published in 1976. Language is central to our raison d’etre, it is how we communicate our ideas and actions. It is therefore important to attempt to achieve maximum clarity and understanding.
Today’s word: ‘Plagiarism’ (and a friendly note to Rachel Reeves).
Oh dear, it appears Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the Labour MP for Leeds West and Keir Starmer’s right-hand woman, doesn’t understand what plagiarism is. Have no fear Ms Reeves, help is on hand from none other than Professor Ampersand.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines the verb to plagiarize as: ‘Take 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.’
The word has a long history going back to Ancient Greece and Rome, with its roots in the term for kidnapping (plagium). The first recorded use of it, in a literary context, comes in the First Century when the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis complained about his verses being lifted by a plagiarus (i.e. a kidnapper).
It appears that, for hundreds of years, plagiarism wasn’t thought that important; there were few books in circulation (all hand-written and usually in Latin) and literacy was limited mainly to the aristocracy and clergy. It is well-known, for example, that Shakespeare was no slouch when it came to ‘borrowing’ from other writers. He freely used Holinshed’s Chronicles for material for his history plays, likewise the Roman historian Plutarch was plundered at will.
The first mention of plagiarism in English comes in 1601 with the dramatist Ben Johnson condemning literary theft (although he used the word plagiary). With the development of printing and publishing – William Caxton brought the first printing press to Britain in the 1470s – in the sense that we recognise it today, plagiarism begins to be taken more seriously, although it must not be confused with issues around copyright which is something different.
The first Copyright Act in Britain was passed in 1710 but applied only to books, music would have wait till 1906 before the Music Copyright Act was passed by Parliament. There is, as far as I am aware, no specific law against plagiarism, although it is possible for it to have legal ramifications. So Ms Reeves don’t worry, you won’t have to appear before the beak or – like a number of your colleagues in recent years – spend a year or two in the slammer.
You are, however, in good company: one of the most blatant and infamous cases of plagiarism involved another Labour politician (and one of your heroes) – Tony Blair. Chunks of his ‘dodgy-dossier’ (written in 2003) on Iraq’s supposed war capability and preparedness were taken verbatim from an article written by a student, Ibrahim al-Marashi.
Plagiarism can be hotly contested ground, particularly in universities and care must always be taken. An undergraduate, guilty of plagiarism might receive a severe slap on the wrist but a high-ranking Professor could even lose his/her post (although it doesn’t happen that often).
What advice can I offer? First of all procure a good style guide; most universities produce these and they are usually easy to follow and provide information on how to avoid plagiarism. My own preference, which I highly recommend, is the Chicago Manual of Style.
Secondly, it’s probably best to avoid paraphrasing, this is often where plagiarism occurs: either write out everything in your own words or use a quote verbatim (with full reference of course!)
Thirdly, it is essential to have your work checked over by a competent proof-reader. Finally, by all means use Wikipedia and other sites, they can be quite useful e.g. for checking dates but they are sometimes unreliable.
On a different note I look forward to reading your book on women economists (The Women who made Modern Economics) and I’m delighted to note that there is a chapter on Rosa Luxemburg. If you encounter further difficulties with plagiarism or if there is something you don’t understand I am always on hand to offer assistance.
Professor Ampersand