IT IS the season of marking assignments and other scholarly work in universities, and most of those involved are already weary of the unpleasant evidence of plagiarism. It is indeed a chilly thought that some are plagiarising – sometimes taking entire paragraphs verbatim from the Internet – without any qualms.
Plagiarism is forbidden by all universities, but with hectic demands on lecturers’ and supervisors’ time, it is not always possible to curb it — but failing to stop it is destructive to the integrity of our academic system.