Cameron has just finished reading the written report his assistant, Grace, completed for an important client in the computer industry. Cameron thinks that the wording "just doesn't sound like Grace" and that he has read the material somewhere before. During an Internet search, Cameron discovers a report that a rival company wrote several years ago for another client in the computer industry. Grace has lifted entire paragraphs from the rival's report and placed them in her own. When confronted with the evidence, Grace doesn't understand "the big deal. It's just the Internet. They wouldn't have put it on a Web site if they didn't want us to use it." Which of the following statements about plagiarism would best refute Grace's claims?
A) Plagiarism comes from the Latin word meaning to kidnap a Roman citizen's slave.
B) APA gives guidelines for documenting Web sites.
C) The Internet is NOT public domain.
D) Plagiarism can get you fired.
E) Plagiarism is unethical.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement that "the Internet is NOT public domain" refutes Grace's claim that the information is free for anyone to use without consequence. Just because information is available on the Internet does not mean it can be used without giving proper credit to the original source.

Cameron Has Just Finished Reading the Written Report His Assistant