Plagiarism is a word that should be well known to everyone who has attended school. To plagiarize, as defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, means “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of others) as one's own; use (the production of others) without crediting the source; commit literary theft; present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. Although it seems obvious that this would be a bad thing to do and, therefore, easy to avoid, many students and writers of all backgrounds find the subject confusing. Even famous people, like Martin Luther King and Helen Keller, have been accused of plagiarism. Many teachers have spent years wondering about the topic of plagiarism. Some rely on personal knowledge and experience to identify them, then check suspicious sources for confirmation. However, in the age of technology, it is much easier to search for sources on the web. Copying and pasting text into Google, for example, can quickly bring up lists containing the original material if a student directly quotes something. However, even close matching or similar wording can often reveal evidence of missing citations. Teachers often use specialized websites dedicated to identifying plagiarism to check student work. There are many software options available that compare submitted writing to passages of text available on the web. This can save instructors a lot of time, allowing them to focus on grading assignments instead of worrying about the source of students' materials. There are many simple ways to avoid plagiarism. One of the most basic ways is to avoid situations that might make it a temptation. First of all, it's important to make sure you manage your time effectively in the middle of a piece of paper .......jpg. Digital image. Mediabistro.com. Internet. January 13, 2010. .6. Plagiarism6.jpg. Digital image. Valley of the Subconscious. Internet. January 13, 2010. .7. “Plagiarizing – Definition.” Merriam-Webster Online. Internet. January 18, 2010..8. “Prevent and detect plagiarism.” MU personal web pages. Internet. January 17, 2010. .9. “What is plagiarism?” Plagiarism.org. Internet. January 14, 2010. .10. “What is the price of plagiarism?” CSMonitor.com. Internet. January 17. 2010. .