essays about plagiarism

Plagiarism Essay

Plagiarism And The Ethics Of Plagiarism

and parents have heard the term “plagiarism” while talking about writing essays, poems, and other works. Plagiarism is defined as “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one 's own” by Merriam-Webster dictionary. While plagiarism may be denoted as stealing one’s work without credit, a more vast and broad definition usually applies to college level work. Every college and university has their own handbook and code of conduct on what exactly “plagiarism” is defined as, and what are the

Plagiarism : What Is Plagiarism?

What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is using someone else’s work, words, production, researches and ideas without the approval or the acknowledgment of the writer or producer, and claiming the credit for himself. Many reasons and factors are attributed for the use of plagiarism and could be cultural, historical, linguistic, environmental and educational background. Plagiarism is a form of an academic dishonesty, academic misconduct, and a digital cheating. It is declared to be an unacceptable legal act

Plagiarism And The Consequences Of Plagiarism

In this paper we will cover plagiarism. We will cover a brief history of plagiarism and look at the different types of plagiarism, as well as compare and contrast the different types. We will also look at who is most prone to plagiarize and why. We will also discuss the role plagiarism plays in academia and the consequences to plagiarizing. Webster’s online Dictionary defines plagiarism as “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one 's own: use (another 's production) without crediting

Plagiarism: Why it Continues to Occur? Darian Camacho English 111, Section 11 Professor Coulter March 21, 2013 Plagiarism: Why it Continues to Occur? The increase in plagiarism has gained the attention of many institutions, administrators and educators, as well as researchers and the public. This increase has brought to attention the concern of why plagiarism continues to occur. In order to debate this concern we should first understand the definition and background of plagiarism, the

Plagiarism And Academic Integrity : Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a topic that is consistently brought up in many areas of education.1 In every syllabus presented to students, there is a section that refers to plagiarism and academic integrity. Plagiarism can be defined as “the act or instance of stealing or passing off ideas or words of another as one’s own.”2 Despite this being an important piece of information; students may overlook this material and still plagiarize. In a study from the University of Toronto, 90% of senior pharmacy students admitted

Title : A theft of works among the students : Plagiarism. During the antiquity, it exists an ancient concept called plagiarism. Plagiarism is happened when a student fail to properly document and give attribution to the source of ideas and text in his work. Alongside with the commercialization of writing, the concept of copyright and the rights given to authors has developed (VAIL Faculty Administrator, 1996-2003). However, the problem of plagiarism has been increased nowadays and became a highly

Plagiarism And Online Education : Plagiarism

Plagiarism and Online Education Ticara Cook INF 103: Computer Literacy Joan Rhodes July 10, 2015   Plagiarism and Online Education Online education has been one of the largest growing concepts of learning new skills and gain knowledge throughout the digital world. Over ten years ago educational institutes were using textbooks, blackboards and paper to teach higher learning techniques. While online education is a part of the digital society it gives many people ways to balance life and accomplish

Plagiarism And Politics : Plagiarism

Saroj Dahal Professor Dr. Sharon Manna GOVT 2305-71005 19 Sep, 2016 Plagiarism and politics Plagiarism is an act of stealing someone else’s original ideas or thoughts (either written or oral) and copying it either exactly in a same way or remixing it, without giving credit to the owner. In today’s world, Plagiarism is omnipresent. People try to imitate others watching them in TVs, movies, and songs which tend them to plagiarize knowingly or accidentally. It can be found in almost all fields like

"I think there was far more plagiarism in the last century. It was almost an accepted part of writing. The ethics of writing has changed. Nobody gets upset about whether Shakespeare plagiarized something. But I think the standards have to be pretty high now, particularly for non-fiction writers." [1] Introduction to Plagiarism According to most leading authorities, including The Office of Research Integrity, plagiarism includes "both the theft or misrepresentation of intellectual property and the

and universities, the prevalence of plagiarism is on the rise. In a 2005 study conducted by the Center for Academic Integrity (www.academicintegrity.org), it was concluded that 40% of the 50,000 undergraduates asked admitted to having plagiarized from the internet. This is a very large jump over a span of six years, from only 10% in 1999 (Badke, 2007). It is becoming clear that educators, as well as students, need to become more familiar with what plagiarism is, what constitutes it, and how it

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• Examples of Plagiarism & Tips for Avoiding It

Examples of Plagiarism & Tips for Avoiding It

Published on November 1, 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on July 15, 2022.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting the original author.

Some common examples of plagiarism include:

• Paraphrasing a source too closely
• Including a direct quote without quotation marks
• Copying elements of different sources and pasting them into a new document
• Leaving out an in-text citation
• Submitting a full text that is not your own

Table of contents

Paraphrasing plagiarism, verbatim plagiarism, patchwork plagiarism: combining multiple sources, common knowledge: when do i need a citation, real-life examples of plagiarism, frequently asked questions about plagiarism.

Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words. In order to do so correctly, you must entirely rewrite the passage you are referencing without changing the meaning of the original text.

Every time you paraphrase, it’s important to cite the original source and avoid wording that is too similar to the original. Otherwise, you could be at risk of committing paraphrasing plagiarism .

Remember that paraphrasing doesn’t just mean switching out a few words for synonyms while retaining the original sentence structure. The author’s idea must be reformulated in a way that fits smoothly into your text.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Quoting means copying a brief passage from another text, enclosing it in quotation marks .

If you fail to include quotation marks or a citation, you’re committing verbatim plagiarism : copying someone’s exact words without acknowledgement. Even if you change a few of the words, it’s still plagiarism.

To quote correctly, introduce the quotation in your own words, make sure it’s enclosed in quotation marks, and include a citation showing where it comes from.

Patchwork plagiarism , also called mosaic plagiarism, involves copying elements of different sources and combining them to create a new text. It can include both directly copying and paraphrasing content without citation.

It can be challenging to incorporate several sources into your work at once, so be sure to double-check that you are citing each one correctly.

If you quote or paraphrase multiple sources in one sentence, it’s often best to cite each one separately, so that it’s clear what material comes from which source.

“Americans have always remembered the battle. What we often forget are the difficult decisions tribal leaders made afterward to ensure the safety of their people” (Van Heuvelen, 2020).

“Under skies darkened by smoke, gunfire and flying arrows, 210 men of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Unit led by Lt. Colonel George Custer confronted thousands of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors on June 25, 1876, near the Little Big Horn River in present-day Montana. The engagement was one in a series of battles and negotiations between Plains Indians and U.S. forces over control of Western territory, collectively known as the Sioux Wars” (McDermott, 2021). Example: Patchwork plagiarism For many Americans, the headdress is a well-known symbol of indigenous America indistinguishable from the narrative of the “wild west and cowboys and Indians.” One of the most famous examples of the cowboys versus Indians narrative is the Battle of Little Bighorn.

On June 25, 1876, 210 men of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Unit led by Lt. Colonel George Custer confronted thousands of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors . Custer and his men were handily defeated, and Americans have always remembered the battle as “Custer’s Last Stand.” What is often forgotten is the difficult decisions tribal leaders made afterward to ensure the safety of their people . Example: Correctly citing multiple sources The headdress is a well-known symbol of indigenous America, forming part of “the narrative of the wild west and cowboys and Indians” (Van Heuvelen, 2020). One of the most famous examples of this narrative is the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Common knowledge refers to information you can reasonably expect the average reader to accept without proof.

For this kind of information, you don’t need a citation. For example, you won’t be accused of plagiarism for failing to cite your sources when you mention Paris is the capital city of France.

In order to be considered common knowledge, your statement must be widely known, undisputed, and easily verified. It also generally cannot be attributed to a specific person or paper. When in doubt, add a citation.

Plagiarism is most commonly discussed in the context of academia, but it’s a relevant concern across all sorts of different industries, from pop music to politics.

• Plagiarism in academia
• Plagiarism in art
• Plagiarism in politics
• Plagiarism in music

In 2006, the Brookings Institute accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having plagiarized 80% of his economics dissertation from a paper published by the University of Pittsburgh a few decades earlier.

Dissertation plagiarism committed by other famous politicians, such as former Senator John Walsh, former German Defense Secretary Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg, and former Hungarian President Pal Schmitt, led to their resignations and their degrees being revoked.

Source: CNN Reusing or copying existing materials has been a big part of many types of art. However, it is still possible to plagiarize art.

In 1966, famous Pop Art artist Andy Warhol was sued by photographer Patricia Caulfield, who claimed unauthorized use of one of her photographs. Warhol had seen her photo of hibiscus flowers in the 1964 issue of Modern Photography  and used it for his silkscreen work Flowers .

While Warhol’s team argued that this was “fair use,” a judge determined that Warhol had, in fact, plagiarized the photo. This led to enduring reputation costs and a large financial settlement.

Source: Garden Collage Many political speeches revolve around similar themes, but while it is natural to draw inspiration from previous speeches, paraphrasing them too closely is considered plagiarism.

In 2016, a speech Melania Trump gave at the Republican National Convention was found to have copied several paragraphs almost verbatim from a speech Michelle Obama gave at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

While her staff claimed that she had incorporated “fragments of others’ speeches that reflected her own thinking,” she was widely considered to have plagiarized.

Joe Biden was found to have committed similar plagiarism in a speech he gave during the 1988 presidential campaign, paraphrasing a speech by Welsh politician Neil Kinnock too closely.

Source: CNN While technically no one owns a chord progression or particular combination of sounds, plagiarism in the music industry is a common accusation.

In 2018, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the 2013 hit song “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, infringed on the copyright of the song “Got to Give it Up,” by the late Marvin Gaye. The Gaye family was awarded over $5 million in damages as well as 50% of the royalties moving forward.

This sets a precedent that new music must be different in both style and substance from previously copyrighted songs. Other hit artists, such as Sam Smith, George Harrison, and Olivia Rodrigo, have faced similar consequences.

Plagiarism means presenting someone else’s work as your own without giving proper credit to the original author. In academic writing, plagiarism involves using words, ideas, or information from a source without including a citation .

Plagiarism can have serious consequences , even when it’s done accidentally. To avoid plagiarism, it’s important to keep track of your sources and cite them correctly.

Some examples of plagiarism include:

• Copying and pasting a Wikipedia article into the body of an assignment
• Quoting a source without including a citation
• Not paraphrasing a source properly, such as maintaining wording too close to the original
• Forgetting to cite the source of an idea

The most surefire way to avoid plagiarism is to always cite your sources . When in doubt, cite!

If you’re concerned about plagiarism, consider running your work through a plagiarism checker tool prior to submission. Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker takes less than 10 minutes and can help you turn in your paper with confidence.

Common knowledge does not need to be cited. However, you should be extra careful when deciding what counts as common knowledge.

Common knowledge encompasses information that the average educated reader would accept as true without needing the extra validation of a source or citation.

Common knowledge should be widely known, undisputed and easily verified. When in doubt, always cite your sources.

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly cite the source . This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style .

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Yes, reusing your own work without acknowledgment is considered self-plagiarism . This can range from re-submitting an entire assignment to reusing passages or data from something you’ve turned in previously without citing them.

Self-plagiarism often has the same consequences as other types of plagiarism . If you want to reuse content you wrote in the past, make sure to check your university’s policy or consult your professor.

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Information about what plagiarism is, and how you can avoid it.

The University defines plagiarism as follows:

“Presenting work or ideas from another source as your own, with or without consent of the original author, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition, as is the use of material generated wholly or in part through use of artificial intelligence (save when use of AI for assessment has received prior authorisation e.g. as a reasonable adjustment for a student’s disability). Plagiarism can also include re-using your own work without citation. Under the regulations for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offence.”

The necessity to acknowledge others’ work or ideas applies not only to text, but also to other media, such as computer code, illustrations, graphs etc. It applies equally to published text and data drawn from books and journals, and to unpublished text and data, whether from lectures, theses or other students’ essays. You must also attribute text, data, or other resources downloaded from websites.

Please note that artificial intelligence (AI) can only be used within assessments where specific prior authorisation has been given, or when technology that uses AI has been agreed as reasonable adjustment for a student’s disability (such as voice recognition software for transcriptions, or spelling and grammar checkers).

The best way of avoiding plagiarism is to learn and employ the principles of good academic practice from the beginning of your university career. Avoiding plagiarism is not simply a matter of making sure your references are all correct, or changing enough words so the examiner will not notice your paraphrase; it is about deploying your academic skills to make your work as good as it can be.

Students will benefit from taking an  online course  which has been developed to provide a useful overview of the issues surrounding plagiarism and practical ways to avoid it.

Forms of plagiarism

Verbatim (word for word) quotation without clear acknowledgement Quotations must always be identified as such by the use of either quotation marks or indentation, and with full referencing of the sources cited. It must always be apparent to the reader which parts are your own independent work and where you have drawn on ideas and language from another source.

Cutting and pasting from the Internet without clear acknowledgement Information derived from the Internet must be adequately referenced and included in the bibliography. It is important to evaluate carefully all material found on the Internet, as it is less likely to have been through the same process of scholarly peer review as published sources.

Paraphrasing Paraphrasing the work of others by altering a few words and changing their order, or by closely following the structure of their argument, is plagiarism if you do not give due acknowledgement to the author whose work you are using.

A passing reference to the original author in your own text may not be enough; you must ensure that you do not create the misleading impression that the paraphrased wording or the sequence of ideas are entirely your own. It is better to write a brief summary of the author’s overall argument in your own words, indicating that you are doing so, than to paraphrase particular sections of his or her writing. This will ensure you have a genuine grasp of the argument and will avoid the difficulty of paraphrasing without plagiarising. You must also properly attribute all material you derive from lectures.

Collusion This can involve unauthorised collaboration between students, failure to attribute assistance received, or failure to follow precisely regulations on group work projects. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are entirely clear about the extent of collaboration permitted, and which parts of the work must be your own.

Inaccurate citation It is important to cite correctly, according to the conventions of your discipline. As well as listing your sources (i.e. in a bibliography), you must indicate, using a footnote or an in-text reference, where a quoted passage comes from. Additionally, you should not include anything in your references or bibliography that you have not actually consulted. If you cannot gain access to a primary source you must make it clear in your citation that your knowledge of the work has been derived from a secondary text (for example, Bradshaw, D. Title of Book, discussed in Wilson, E., Title of Book (London, 2004), p. 189).

Failure to acknowledge assistance You must clearly acknowledge all assistance which has contributed to the production of your work, such as advice from fellow students, laboratory technicians, and other external sources. This need not apply to the assistance provided by your tutor or supervisor, or to ordinary proofreading, but it is necessary to acknowledge other guidance which leads to substantive changes of content or approach.

Use of material written by professional agencies or other persons You should neither make use of professional agencies in the production of your work nor submit material which has been written for you even with the consent of the person who has written it. It is vital to your intellectual training and development that you should undertake the research process unaided. Under Statute XI on University Discipline, all members of the University are prohibited from providing material that could be submitted in an examination by students at this University or elsewhere.

Auto-plagiarism You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted (partially or in full), either for your current course or for another qualification of this, or any other, university, unless this is specifically provided for in the special regulations for your course. Where earlier work by you is citable, ie. it has already been published, you must reference it clearly. Identical pieces of work submitted concurrently will also be considered to be auto-plagiarism.

Why does plagiarism matter?

Plagiarism is a breach of academic integrity. It is a principle of intellectual honesty that all members of the academic community should acknowledge their debt to the originators of the ideas, words, and data which form the basis for their own work. Passing off another’s work as your own is not only poor scholarship, but also means that you have failed to complete the learning process. Plagiarism is unethical and can have serious consequences for your future career; it also undermines the standards of your institution and of the degrees it issues.

Why should you avoid plagiarism?

There are many reasons to avoid plagiarism. You have come to university to learn to know and speak your own mind, not merely to reproduce the opinions of others - at least not without attribution. At first it may seem very difficult to develop your own views, and you will probably find yourself paraphrasing the writings of others as you attempt to understand and assimilate their arguments. However it is important that you learn to develop your own voice. You are not necessarily expected to become an original thinker, but you are expected to be an independent one - by learning to assess critically the work of others, weigh up differing arguments and draw your own conclusions. Students who plagiarise undermine the ethos of academic scholarship while avoiding an essential part of the learning process.

You should avoid plagiarism because you aspire to produce work of the highest quality. Once you have grasped the principles of source use and citation, you should find it relatively straightforward to steer clear of plagiarism. Moreover, you will reap the additional benefits of improvements to both the lucidity and quality of your writing. It is important to appreciate that mastery of the techniques of academic writing is not merely a practical skill, but one that lends both credibility and authority to your work, and demonstrates your commitment to the principle of intellectual honesty in scholarship.

What happens if you are thought to have plagiarised?

The University regards plagiarism in examinations as a serious matter. Cases will be investigated and penalties may range from deduction of marks to expulsion from the University, depending on the seriousness of the occurrence. Even if plagiarism is inadvertent, it can result in a penalty. The forms of plagiarism listed above are all potentially disciplinary offences in the context of formal assessment requirements.

The regulations regarding conduct in examinations apply equally to the ‘submission and assessment of a thesis, dissertation, essay, or other coursework not undertaken in formal examination conditions but which counts towards or constitutes the work for a degree or other academic award’. Additionally, this includes the transfer and confirmation of status exercises undertaken by graduate students. Cases of suspected plagiarism in assessed work are investigated under the disciplinary regulations concerning conduct in examinations. Intentional plagiarism in this context means that you understood that you were breaching the regulations and did so intending to gain advantage in the examination. Reckless, in this context, means that you understood or could be expected to have understood (even if you did not specifically consider it) that your work might breach the regulations, but you took no action to avoid doing so. Intentional or reckless plagiarism may incur severe penalties, including failure of your degree or expulsion from the university.

If plagiarism is suspected in a piece of work submitted for assessment in an examination, the matter will be referred to the Proctors. They will thoroughly investigate the claim and call the student concerned for interview. If at this point there is no evidence of a breach of the regulations, no further disciplinary action will be taken although there may still be an academic penalty. However, if it is concluded that a breach of the regulations may have occurred, the Proctors will refer the case to the Student Disciplinary Panel.

If you are suspected of plagiarism your College Secretary/Academic Administrator and subject tutor will support you through the process and arrange for a member of Congregation to accompany you to all hearings. They will be able to advise you what to expect during the investigation and how best to make your case. The OUSU Student Advice Service can also provide useful information and support. 

Does this mean that I shouldn’t use the work of other authors?

On the contrary, it is vital that you situate your writing within the intellectual debates of your discipline. Academic essays almost always involve the use and discussion of material written by others, and, with due acknowledgement and proper referencing, this is clearly distinguishable from plagiarism. The knowledge in your discipline has developed cumulatively as a result of years of research, innovation and debate. You need to give credit to the authors of the ideas and observations you cite. Not only does this accord recognition to their work, it also helps you to strengthen your argument by making clear the basis on which you make it. Moreover, good citation practice gives your reader the opportunity to follow up your references, or check the validity of your interpretation.

Does every statement in my essay have to be backed up with references?

You may feel that including the citation for every point you make will interrupt the flow of your essay and make it look very unoriginal. At least initially, this may sometimes be inevitable. However, by employing good citation practice from the start, you will learn to avoid errors such as close paraphrasing or inadequately referenced quotation. It is important to understand the reasons behind the need for transparency of source use.

All academic texts, even student essays, are multi-voiced, which means they are filled with references to other texts. Rather than attempting to synthesise these voices into one narrative account, you should make it clear whose interpretation or argument you are employing at any one time - whose ‘voice’ is speaking.

If you are substantially indebted to a particular argument in the formulation of your own, you should make this clear both in footnotes and in the body of your text according to the agreed conventions of the discipline, before going on to describe how your own views develop or diverge from this influence.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to give references for facts that are common knowledge in your discipline. If you are unsure as to whether something is considered to be common knowledge or not, it is safer to cite it anyway and seek clarification. You do need to document facts that are not generally known and ideas that are interpretations of facts. 

Does this only matter in exams?

Although plagiarism in weekly essays does not constitute a University disciplinary offence, it may well lead to College disciplinary measures. Persistent academic under-performance can even result in your being sent down from the University. Although tutorial essays traditionally do not require the full scholarly apparatus of footnotes and referencing, it is still necessary to acknowledge your sources and demonstrate the development of your argument, usually by an in-text reference. Many tutors will ask that you do employ a formal citation style early on, and you will find that this is good preparation for later project and dissertation work. In any case, your work will benefit considerably if you adopt good scholarly habits from the start, together with the techniques of critical thinking and writing described above.

As junior members of the academic community, students need to learn how to read academic literature and how to write in a style appropriate to their discipline. This does not mean that you must become masters of jargon and obfuscation; however the process is akin to learning a new language. It is necessary not only to learn new terminology, but the practical study skills and other techniques which will help you to learn effectively.

Developing these skills throughout your time at university will not only help you to produce better coursework, dissertations, projects and exam papers, but will lay the intellectual foundations for your future career. Even if you have no intention of becoming an academic, being able to analyse evidence, exercise critical judgement, and write clearly and persuasively are skills that will serve you for life, and which any employer will value.

Borrowing essays from other students to adapt and submit as your own is plagiarism, and will develop none of these necessary skills, holding back your academic development. Students who lend essays for this purpose are doing their peers no favours.

Unintentional plagiarism

Not all cases of plagiarism arise from a deliberate intention to cheat. Sometimes students may omit to take down citation details when taking notes, or they may be genuinely ignorant of referencing conventions. However, these excuses offer no sure protection against a charge of plagiarism. Even in cases where the plagiarism is found to have been neither intentional nor reckless, there may still be an academic penalty for poor practice.

It is your responsibility to find out the prevailing referencing conventions in your discipline, to take adequate notes, and to avoid close paraphrasing. If you are offered induction sessions on plagiarism and study skills, you should attend. Together with the advice contained in your subject handbook, these will help you learn how to avoid common errors. If you are undertaking a project or dissertation you should ensure that you have information on plagiarism and collusion. If ever in doubt about referencing, paraphrasing or plagiarism, you have only to ask your tutor.

Examples of plagiarism

There are some helpful examples of plagiarism-by-paraphrase and you will also find extensive advice on the referencing and library skills pages.

The following examples demonstrate some of the common pitfalls to avoid. These examples use the referencing system prescribed by the History Faculty but should be of use to students of all disciplines.

Source text

From a class perspective this put them [highwaymen] in an ambivalent position. In aspiring to that proud, if temporary, status of ‘Gentleman of the Road’, they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society. Yet their boldness of act and deed, in putting them outside the law as rebellious fugitives, revivified the ‘animal spirits’ of capitalism and became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London, a serious obstacle to the formation of a tractable, obedient labour force. Therefore, it was not enough to hang them – the values they espoused or represented had to be challenged.

(Linebaugh, P., The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century (London, 1991), p. 213. [You should give the reference in full the first time you use it in a footnote; thereafter it is acceptable to use an abbreviated version, e.g. Linebaugh, The London Hanged, p. 213.]

Plagiarised

• Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London, posing a serious threat to the formation of a biddable labour force. (This is a patchwork of phrases copied verbatim from the source, with just a few words changed here and there. There is no reference to the original author and no indication that these words are not the writer’s own.)
• Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen exercised a powerful attraction for the working classes. Some historians believe that this hindered the development of a submissive workforce. (This is a mixture of verbatim copying and acceptable paraphrase. Although only one phrase has been copied from the source, this would still count as plagiarism. The idea expressed in the first sentence has not been attributed at all, and the reference to ‘some historians’ in the second is insufficient. The writer should use clear referencing to acknowledge all ideas taken from other people’s work.)
• Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen ‘became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London [and] a serious obstacle to the formation of a tractable, obedient labour force’.1 (This contains a mixture of attributed and unattributed quotation, which suggests to the reader that the first line is original to this writer. All quoted material must be enclosed in quotation marks and adequately referenced.)
• Highwaymen’s bold deeds ‘revivified the “animal spirits” of capitalism’ and made them an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London.1 Peter Linebaugh argues that they posed a major obstacle to the formation of an obedient labour force. (Although the most striking phrase has been placed within quotation marks and correctly referenced, and the original author is referred to in the text, there has been a great deal of unacknowledged borrowing. This should have been put into the writer’s own words instead.)
• By aspiring to the title of ‘Gentleman of the Road’, highwaymen did not challenge the unfair taxonomy of their society. Yet their daring exploits made them into outlaws and inspired the antagonistic culture of labouring London, forming a grave impediment to the development of a submissive workforce. Ultimately, hanging them was insufficient – the ideals they personified had to be discredited.1 (This may seem acceptable on a superficial level, but by imitating exactly the structure of the original passage and using synonyms for almost every word, the writer has paraphrased too closely. The reference to the original author does not make it clear how extensive the borrowing has been. Instead, the writer should try to express the argument in his or her own words, rather than relying on a ‘translation’ of the original.)

Non-plagiarised

• Peter Linebaugh argues that although highwaymen posed no overt challenge to social orthodoxy – they aspired to be known as ‘Gentlemen of the Road’ – they were often seen as anti-hero role models by the unruly working classes. He concludes that they were executed not only for their criminal acts, but in order to stamp out the threat of insubordinacy.1 (This paraphrase of the passage is acceptable as the wording and structure demonstrate the reader’s interpretation of the passage and do not follow the original too closely. The source of the ideas under discussion has been properly attributed in both textual and footnote references.)
• Peter Linebaugh argues that highwaymen represented a powerful challenge to the mores of capitalist society and inspired the rebelliousness of London’s working class.1 (This is a brief summary of the argument with appropriate attribution.) 1 Linebaugh, P., The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century (London, 1991), p. 213.

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Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism

Failure to document source material in a research paper, or doing so improperly, is plagiarism: a wrongful use of someone else's work. All educational and research institutions have strict rules against it and all publish clear guidelines regarding the policies by which you will be expected to live. This guide is intended to clear up any questions you may have regarding Plagiarism.

Overview: What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the unauthorized or unacknowledged use of another person's academic or scholarly work. Done on purpose, it is cheating. Done accidentally, it is no less serious. Regardless of how it occurs, plagiarism is a theft of intellectual property and a violation of an ironclad rule demanding "credit be given where credit is due".

Quite often, carelessness, procrastination and inexperience are contributing factors behind a charge of plagiarism. Developing good research habits and learning how to properly cite and document your sources will keep you above suspicion and protect you from such charges.

If you intend on pursuing an academic career, your scholarship will undergo constant examination by your peers and colleagues. Your reputation will be earned when you earn their respect; how you will be judged will be based, in part, on how you treat the intellectual property of others.

Acknowledging those from whom you have learned assigns credibility to your work and creates a record that other researchers can refer to and build upon. More importantly, your own skill and talent as a scholar will begin to take shape.

As respect for your scholarship grows, so too will your inclusion in the ongoing conversation among experts, past and present, within your specific field of study. Your own body of intellectual property will not be far behind.

Today, when you turn an assignment in online through your University’s EdTech company (BlackBoard, Canvas, etc.) it is checked for plagiarism via an AI scanner (like Turnitin). So if you plagiarize for school, you will be caught and punished. In order to avoid being kicked out of your University or punished legally, it’s crucial for you to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid doing it.

What is Research?

In every field of study, there are those who have blazed a trail of inquiry and, in so doing, advanced the general knowledge of the world in which we live. Research is an active process of learning from these trailblazers. Look upon your own project as an exploration of what they thought, discovered, created or, in any way added to the body of knowledge prior to your entry into the same field of study.

Look at your research project as a quest for answers to a central question, or set of related questions, that will further your own understanding of the world. Look at it also as an opportunity to contribute something of value to the already existing body of knowledge or the ongoing conversation among other individuals investigating the same topic.

It should be fun. Pick a topic in which you are particularly interested or curious and the journey will be that much more interesting. As you read, study, and absorb ideas and facts from others, write them down. Keep detailed notes on your sources. Who said what? In which journal was it published? Why, when, where, who, etc.(See our guides on ‘ Developing a Research Question ’ and ‘ Choosing and Refining Topics ’ for more information.)

As a researcher and a writer you must credit these sources. Whenever you incorporate a general concept, idea, quotation, statistic, fact, illustration, graph or data that is not your own, it must be acknowledged. Failure to do so is plagiarism.

Common Forms of Plagiarism

The most common forms of plagiarism are committed by students; the most offensive are deliberate attempts to "pull one over" on the instructor. The reasons for doing this vary but laziness and procrastination are high on the list.

Once discovered—and they are seldom not—deliberate incidences of plagiarism are handed over to a governing body for review and prosecution. Here is a list of the most common:

• Purchasing an essay or paper from a Web site (or anywhere else) and calling it your own.
• Borrowing another student's paper from a previous semester and calling it your own.
• Having someone else do your work, for free or for hire. Agreeing to do someone else's work is equally wrong.
• Claiming originality regarding material copied directly from outside sources. In other words, deliberately failing to cite sources.
• Improperly documenting quoted, paraphrased or summarized source material.
• Extending the length of a bibliography to meet project requirements by including sources not used in your research or making them up all together.
• Killing two birds with one stone. Recycling an essay or paper written for one class by using it in another class studying the same or similar material.
• Receiving help from other students on an essay or paper and turning it in under your own name as individual work.
• Collectively researching and writing a paper with other students and each turning copies into different class sections claiming it as individual work.

As you can see, most of these involve lying, cheating and stealing. The last two forms of plagiarism, however, are a bit more complicated. They involve collaboration and sometimes the line between it and plagiarizing can be a little blurry. After all, working, studying and sharing information is encouraged in most educational institutions.

Collaboration

Collaborative learning is an important educational process in which a group of students work together to achieve a common learning goal. As new ideas and information are discussed and shared, individual critical thinking skills are strengthened.

In the sciences, research projects and lab work are regularly intermingled. Problem solving is often worked on in a group setting. In the liberal arts, although individual work is more often the norm, writing instruction is often provided in classes with a "workshop" format.

At Colorado State University, for instance, COCC150, the composition course required of all undergraduates for graduation, is workshop oriented. Instructors plan for and expect collaboration in the classroom.

If you are a CSU student, your writing assignments will be read and commented upon by your peers. Expect to participate with your fellow classmates in an active exchange of ideas and suggestions. The Writing Center is also available, free of charge, for individualized tutoring assistance and you will be encouraged to take advantage of the help provided.

Any class requiring peer review, draft sharing, brainstorming, information swapping, outside tutoring, etc., is an approved collaborative learning program and your participation is not plagiarism. Keep in mind, however, that individual effort is no less important than collaborative teamwork.

The issues that arise around collaboration involve authorized and unauthorized boundaries. What is acceptable and what is not? If the parameters for collaboration are unclear and not addressed in your class syllabus, ask your instructor.

If you are receiving help from a tutor or a friend outside of class, discuss the situation with your instructor to avoid any misunderstanding. Everything will be fine if you stay within the guidelines he or she provides.

Avoiding Plagiarism

First, do your own work - Begin your research project as early as possible. Keep up in class, do your library work and start your drafts in a timely fashion. Writing your paper will be so much easier if you don't put it off to the last minute. Procrastination is not a credible excuse; it's simply a bad choice. Performing under deadline pressures often pushes a student into cheating.

Second, establish your own voice - Easier said than done, but this is a key ingredient to your success and a primary difficulty all experienced writers have had to face and overcome. Learn as much as you can about your topic: it will help you develop a point-of-view from which to speak. The more you know, the easier it will be to avoid plagiarism.

Third, do your research carefully. Read the material closely. Knowing your topic well includes knowing what others have said. Strive for a mastery of your topic by introducing yourself intellectually to those who have already made a contribution, or are presently adding to the ongoing conversation. Keep an annotated bibliography of the source material you intend to use in your paper.

Fourth, keep copies of all your drafts - In review, you will notice your own point-of-view developing, changing and growing; a voice of authority all your own, emerging. It will stand in contrast to those of your sources. The difference between yours and their voices will go a long way toward helping you avoid plagiarism.

Finally, make sure that your document is properly constructed and your sources correctly cited. Remember, if the general concept, idea, quotation, statistic, fact, illustration, graph or data you intend to include is not common knowledge in the field of your investigation, a source must be cited. Not doing so will damage your credibility.

Share copies of "work-in-progress" with your instructor. As you move toward completion, invite—and be receptive—to constructive suggestions. It can only make your paper better. This is where errors, especially citation errors, get pointed out and corrected. After a paper is handed in, such mistakes can be grounds for plagiarism charges.

Here is a checklist of questions to ask yourself before handing in your work:

• Are all quotations surrounded by quotation marks?
• Are single and double quotation marks properly used in quotations within quotations?
• Are ellipses and brackets included in quotations where words have been deleted or comments added?
• Are any quotations, paraphrases or summaries attributed to the wrong author? Are any missing an attribution completely?
• Are your paraphrases worded significantly different than the original?
• Are your summaries written in your own voice?
• Are all your source citations included in your bibliography or sources cited page?
• Are the titles, page numbers and dates in your documentation correct?

Warning: On Copying Unique Phrasing or Terminology

When paraphrasing or summarizing, avoid copying the unique phrasing or terminology found in your source material. Many students have been charged with plagiarism for using words that are clearly too sophisticated or well-crafted to be their own.

For instance, you would not want to refer to "the textual resistant narrative that counteracts the narrative supremacy of the dominant social text" (1) when writing an essay about the novel Wide Sargasso Sea unless your instructor is aware that you are at an advanced stage of thinking in the field of literary criticism and is familiar with and used to seeing that kind of writing style from you.

Such language includes terminology bound to raise the proverbial "red flag" when your instructor reads your work. He or she is more likely than not to be familiar with your source and, if not, will discover in short order the critical work of Fiona Barnes.

When struck by particularly impressive or compelling phrasing, it is better to quote and document it rather than represent it as your own in a paraphrase or summary.

(1) Fiona R. Barnes, "Dismantling the Master's Houses: Jean Rhys and West Indian Identity," in International Women's Writing, ed. Anne E. Brown and Manjarme E. Gooze (Westport Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1995), 150-61.

Penalties for Plagiarism and Your Legal Rights

Plagiarism constitutes academic dishonesty and is both prosecuted and punished at every credible institution in the world. At Colorado State University, failure to do your own work in COCC150, or any other course for that matter—or to plagiarize in any way—is a failure to meet course requirements and is a violation of long established CSU policy regarding Academic Integrity.

The penalties for plagiarism depend upon the degree of gravity. Should you be found guilty, the least is an "F" on a paper. Failing an entire course is also possible and, in cases where the charges are graver, expulsion from the university.

It's important for you to know that fair and impartial treatment is your right and that due process is guaranteed. Regardless of the outcome, your case will be held in strict confidence in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Additional Resources

NYU Libraries - ‘ Plagiarism and How to Avoid it ’

Purdue OWL - ‘ Avoiding Plagiarism ’

Purdue OWL - ‘ Plagiarism Overview ’

UAGC Writing Center - ‘ Plagiarism Guide ’

University of Michigan Libraries - ‘ Introduction to Academic Integrity ’

Connor, Peter, Luann Barnes, & Andrea Bennett. (2022). Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University.  https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=17

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Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

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How to Avoid Plagiarism

It's not enough to know why plagiarism is taken so seriously in the academic world or to know how to recognize it. You also need to know how to avoid it. The simplest cases of plagiarism to avoid are the intentional ones: If you copy a paper from a classmate, buy a paper from the Internet, copy whole passages from a book, article, or Web site without citing the author, you are plagiarizing. Here's the best advice you'll ever receive about avoiding intentional plagiarism: If you're tempted to borrow someone else's ideas or plagiarize in any way because you're pressed for time, nervous about how you're doing in a class, or confused about the assignment, don't do it . The problems you think you're solving by plagiarizing are really minor compared to the problems you will create for yourself by plagiarizing. In every case, the consequences of plagiarism are much more serious than the consequences of turning in a paper late or turning in a paper you're not satisfied to have written.

"...the consequences of plagiarism are much more serious than the consequences of turning in a paper late..."

The consequences of accidental plagiarism are equally daunting and should be avoided at all costs. Whether or not you intended to plagiarize, you will still be held responsible. As a member of an intellectual community you are expected to respect the ideas of others in the same way that you would respect any other property that didn't belong to you, and this is true whether you plagiarize on purpose or by accident. The best way to make sure you don't plagiarize due to confusion or carelessness is to 1) understand what you're doing when you write a paper and 2) follow a method that is systematic and careful as you do your research . In other words, if you have a clear sense of what question you're trying to answer and what knowledge you're building on, and if you keep careful, clear notes along the way, it's much easier to use sources effectively and responsibly and, most of all, to write a successful paper. If you have questions about plagiarism at any point in your research or writing process, ask. It's always better to ask questions than it is to wait for an instructor to respond to work that you have turned in for a grade. Once you have turned in your final work, you will be held responsible for misuse of sources.

With these principles in mind, here are some guidelines for conducting research responsibly:

Keep track of your sources; print electronic sources

While it's easy enough to keep a stack of books or journal articles on your desk where you can easily refer back to them, it's just as important to keep track of electronic sources. When you save a PDF of a journal article, make sure you put it into a folder on your computer where you'll be able to find it. When you consult a Web site, log the Web address in a separate document from the paper you're writing so that you'll be able to return to the Web site and cite it correctly. You should also print the relevant pages from any Web sites you use, making sure you note the complete URL and the date on which you printed the material. Because electronic sources aren't stable and Web pages can be deleted without notice, beware of directing your readers to sources that might have disappeared. Check when the Web site you're using was last updated and update the URLs as you work and once again right before you submit your essay. If an electronic source disappears before you submit your work, you will need to decide whether or not to keep the source in your paper. If you have printed the source and can turn it in with your paper, you should do so. If you have not printed the source, you should consult your instructor about whether or not to use that source in your paper.

The library has several helpful resources for managing your sources, including RefWorks .

Keep sources in correct context

Whenever you consult a source, you should make sure you understand the context, both of the ideas within a source and of the source itself. You should also be careful to consider the context in which a source was written. For example, a book of essays published by an organization with a political bias might not present an issue with adequate complexity for your project.

The question of context can be more complicated when you're working with Internet sources than with print sources because you may see one Web page as separate from an entire Web site and use or interpret that page without fully understanding or representing its context. For example, a definition of "communism" taken from a Web site with a particular political agenda might provide one interpretation of the meaning of the word—but if you neglect to mention the context for that definition you might use it as though it's unbiased when it isn't. Likewise, some Internet searches will take you to a URL that's just one Web page within a larger Web site; be sure to investigate and take notes on the context of the information you're citing.

Research can often turn out to be more time-consuming that you anticipate. Budget enough time to search for sources, to take notes, and to think about how to use the sources in your essay. Moments of carelessness are more common when you leave your essay until the last minute and are tired or stressed. Honest mistakes can lead to charges of plagiarism just as dishonesty can; be careful when note-taking and when incorporating ideas and language from electronic sources so you always know what language and ideas are yours and what belongs to a source.

Don't cut and paste: File and label your sources

Never cut and paste information from an electronic source straight into your own essay, and never type verbatim sentences from a print source straight into your essay. Instead, open a separate document on your computer for each source so you can file research information carefully. When you type or cut and paste into that document, make sure to include the full citation information for the print source or the full URL and the date you copied the page(s). For Web sources, make sure to cite the page from which you're taking information, which may not necessarily be the home page of the site you're using. Use logical and precise names for the files you create, and add citation information and dates. This allows you to retrieve the files easily, deters you from accidentally deleting files, and helps you keep a log of the order in which your research was conducted. It's a good idea to add a note to each file that describes how you might use the information in that file. Remember: you're entering a conversation with your sources, and accurate file names and notes can help you understand and engage that conversation. And, of course, always remember to back up your files.

Keep your own writing and your sources separate

Work with either the printed copy of your source(s) or (in the case of online sources), the copy you pasted into a separate document—not the online version—as you draft your essay. This precaution not only decreases the risk of plagiarism but also enables you to annotate your sources in various ways that will help you understand and use them most effectively in your essay.

Keep your notes and your draft separate

Be careful to keep your research notes separate from your actual draft at all stages of your writing process. This will ensure that you don't cut language from a source and paste it into your paper without proper attribution. If you work from your notes, you're more likely to keep track of the boundaries between your own ideas and those in a source.

Paraphrase carefully in your notes; acknowledge your sources explicitly when paraphrasing

When you want to paraphrase material, it's a good idea first to paste the actual quotation into your notes (not directly into your draft) and then to paraphrase it (still in your notes). Putting the information in your own words will help you make sure that you've thought about what the source is saying and that you have a good reason for using it in your paper. Remember to use some form of notation in your notes to indicate what you've paraphrased and mention the author's name within the material you paraphrase. You should also include all citation information in your notes.

When you decide to use paraphrased material in your essay, make sure that you avoid gradually rewording the paraphrased material from draft to draft until you lose sight of the fact that it's still a paraphrase. Also, avoid excessive paraphrasing in which your essay simply strings together a series of paraphrases. When the ideas taken from your sources start to blend in deceptively with your own thinking, you will have a more difficult time maintaining the boundaries between your ideas and those drawn from sources. Finally, whenever you paraphrase, make sure you indicate, at each logical progression, that the ideas are taken from an authored source.

Avoid reading a classmate's paper for inspiration

If you're in a course that requires peer review or workshops of student drafts, you are going to read your classmates' work and discuss it. This is a productive way of exchanging ideas and getting feedback on your work. If you find, in the course of this work, that you wish to use someone else's idea at some point in your paper (you should never use someone else's idea as your thesis, but there may be times when a classmate's idea would work as a counterargument or other point in your paper), you must credit that person the same way you would credit any other source. On the other hand, if you find yourself reading someone else's paper because you're stuck on an assignment and don't know how to proceed, you may end up creating a problem for yourself because you might unconsciously copy that person's ideas. When you're stuck, make an appointment with your instructor or go to the Writing Center for advice on how to develop your own ideas.

Don't save your citations for later

Never paraphrase or quote from a source without immediately adding a citation. You should add citations in your notes, in your response papers, in your drafts, and in your revisions. Without them, it's too easy to lose track of where you got a quotation or an idea and to end up inadvertently taking credit for material that's not your own.

Quote your sources properly

Always use quotation marks for directly quoted material, even for short phrases and key terms.

Keep a source trail

As you write and revise your essay, make sure that you keep track of your sources in your notes and in each successive draft of your essay. You should begin this process early, even before you start writing your draft. Even after you've handed in your essay, keep all of your research notes and drafts. You ought to be able to reconstruct the path you took from your sources to your notes and from your notes to your drafts and revision. These careful records and clear boundaries between your writing and your sources will help you avoid plagiarism. And if you are called upon to explain your process to your instructor, you'll be able to retrace the path you took when thinking, researching, and writing, from the essay you submitted back through your drafts and to your sources.

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• v.50(6); Nov-Dec 2016

What is plagiarism and how to avoid it?

Ish kumar dhammi.

Department of Orthopaedics, UCMS and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, New Delhi, India

Rehan Ul Haq

Writing a manuscript is an art. Any clinician or an academician, has a hidden desire to publish his/her work in an indexed journal. Writing has been made mandatory for promotions in certain departments, so the clinicians are more inclined to publish. Often, we note that we (Indian Journal of Orthopaedics) receive more articles from China, Turkey, and South Korea (abroad) instead of from our own country though the journal is an official publication of Indian Orthopaedic Association. Therefore, we have decided to encourage more and more publications, especially from our own country. For that reason, we have decided to educate our members by publishing an editorial on “How to write a paper?,” which is likely to be published soon. In one of our last editorials, we discussed indexing. In this issue, we will be discussing the plagiarism. In forthcoming issues, we are planning to discuss “Ethics in publication,” How to write Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Referencing, Title, Abstract, and Keywords, and then how to write case report which is acceptable. The editorial team tries to help out our readers, so that their hidden instinct of writing their own work could be made true.

D EFINITION OF P LAGIARISM

Plagiarism is derived from Latin word “ plagiarius ” which means “kidnapper,” who abducts the child. 1 The word plagiarism entered the Oxford English dictionary in 1621. Plagiarism has been defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as “the act of taking the writings of another person and passing them off as ones own.” 2 It is an act of forgery, piracy, and fraud and is stated to be a serious crime of academia. 3 It is also a violation of copyright laws. Honesty in scientific practice and in publication is necessary. The World Association of Medical Editors 4 (WAME) defines plagiarism as “… the use of others’ published and unpublished ideas or words (or other intellectual property) without attribution or permission and presenting them as new and original rather than derived from an existing source.”

In 1999, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) 5 , 6 defined plagiarism as “Plagiarism ranges from the unreferenced use of others’ published and unpublished ideas including research grant applications to submission under new authorship of a complex paper, sometimes in a different language. It may occur at any stage of planning, research, writing or publication; it applies to print and electronic versions.”

F ORMS OF P LAGIARISM

• Verbatim plagiarism: When one submits someone else's words verbatim in his/her own name without even acknowledging him publically. Copy and paste from a published article without referencing is a common form of verbatim plagiarism. Most commonly, it is seen in introduction and discussion part of manuscript 2 , 7
• Mosaic plagiarism: In this type of plagiarism each word is not copied but it involves mixing ones own words in someone else's ideas and opinions. This is copying and pasting in patchy manner 2
• Paraphrasing: If one rewrites any part/paragraph of manuscript in his/her own words it is called paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is a restatement in your own words, of someone else's ideas. Changing a few words of the original sentences does not make it your writing. Just changing words cannot make it the property of borrower; hence, this should be properly referenced. If it is not referenced, it will amount to plagiarism
• Duplicate publication: When an author submits identical or almost identical manuscript (same data, results, and discussion) to two different journals, it is considered as duplicate (redundant) publication. 9 As per COPE guidelines, this is an offense and editor can take an action as per the COPE flowchart
• Augmented publication: If the author adds additional data to his/her previously published work and changes title, modifies aim of the study, and recalculates results, it amounts to augmented publication. Plagiarism detection software usually do not pick it because it is not same by verbatim. This self plagiarism is as such technical plagiarism and is not considered with same strictness as plagiarism. The editor may consider it for publication in the following three situations: If author refers to his/her previous work; if ’methods’ cannot be written in any other form; and if author clearly states that new manuscript contains data from previous publication 10
• Segmented publication: Also called “Salami-Sliced” publication. In this case, two or more papers are derived from the same experimental/research/original work. Salami-sliced papers are difficult to detect and usually are pointed out by reviewers or readers. The decision regarding such manuscript is again on editor's shoulder. The author must be asked to refer to his/her previously published work and explain reasonably the connection of the segmented paper to his/her previously published work
• Text recycling: If the author uses large portions of his/her own already published text in his/her new manuscript, it is called text recycling. It can be detected by plagiarism software. It can be handled as per the COPE guidelines.
• Cyber plagiarism: “Copying or downloading in part or in their entirety articles or research papers and ideas from the internet and not giving proper attribution is unethical and falls in the range of cyber plagiarism” 2
• Image plagiarism: Using an image or video without receiving proper permission or providing appropriate citation is plagiarism. 7 “Images can be tampered on support findings, promote a specific technique over another to strengthen the correctness of poorly visualized findings, remove the defects of an image and to misrepresent an image from what it really is”? 11

H OW TO D ETECT P LAGIARISM ?

It is generally difficult to detect plagiarism, but information technology has made available few websites which can detect/catch plagiarism. Few of them are www.ithentical.com , www.turnitin.com , www.plagiarism.org , etc. 12

Besides this, learned and watchful reviewers and readers can detect it due to his/her familiarity with published material in his/her area of interest.

H OW TO A VOID P LAGIARISM ?

Practice the ethical writing honestly. Keep honesty in all scientific writings. Crediting all the original sources. When you fail to cite your sources or when you cite them inadequately, you commit plagiarism, an offense that is taken extremely seriously in academic world and is a misconduct. Some simple dos and don’ts 5 are outlined in Table 1 .

Dos and don’ts of plagiarism

In the following situation, permission is required to use published work from publisher to avoid plagiarism. 8

• Directly quoting significant portion of a published work. How much text may be used without approaching publisher for permission is not specified. The best approach is whenever in doubt, ask for permission
• Reproducing a table
• Reproducing a figure/image.

H OW TO D EAL W ITH P LAGIARISM

Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and breach of ethics. Plagiarism is not in itself a crime but can constitute copyright infringement. 7 In academia, it is a serious ethical offense. Plagiarism is not punished by law but rather by institutions. Professional associations, educational institutions, and publishing companies can pose penalties, suspensions, and even expulsions of authors. 7

As per the COPE guidelines, “If editors suspect misconduct by authors, reviewer's editorial staff or other editors then they have a duty to take action. This duty extends to both published and unpublished papers. Editors first see a response from those accused. If the editors are not satisfied with the response, they should ask the employers of the authors, reviewers, or editors or some other appropriate body to investigate and take appropriate action.” 6

If the editor is satisfied that the act of plagiarism has taken place, minimum he should do is “reject” the manuscript if it is in different stage of editorial process and “retract” if it is already published.

To conclude, we must increase awareness about plagiarism and ethical issues among our scientists and authors. We must be honest in our work and should not violate copyright law. There should be serious steps against authors, which should bring disrespect to author and even loss of his academic position.

We will end it by quote of Albert Einstein “Many people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist, they are wrong, it is the character.”

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Essay on Plagiarism

Students are often asked to write an essay on Plagiarism in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Plagiarism

Understanding plagiarism.

Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s work without giving them credit. This could be a book, an article, a picture, or even a piece of music. It’s like stealing.

Why is Plagiarism Wrong?

Plagiarism is wrong because it’s unfair to the original creator. It also doesn’t allow you to learn and grow. You miss out on the chance to develop your own ideas and skills.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

To avoid plagiarism, always give credit to the original creator. This is called citing. Also, try to write in your own words as much as possible.

250 Words Essay on Plagiarism

Plagiarism, a term derived from the Latin word ‘plagiarius’ meaning ‘kidnapper’, refers to the act of using someone else’s work without giving them due credit. It is a serious ethical breach that can have far-reaching consequences in academia and beyond.

Types of Plagiarism

Plagiarism can take many forms. Direct plagiarism is the verbatim copying of another’s work, while mosaic plagiarism involves interweaving various sources without citation. Self-plagiarism, on the other hand, occurs when one reuses their own previously published work.

Consequences of Plagiarism

The repercussions of plagiarism are severe and multifaceted. In academia, it can lead to failure in assignments, expulsion, and a tarnished reputation. In the professional world, it can result in legal action, job loss, and damaged credibility.

Preventing Plagiarism

Preventing plagiarism necessitates a strong understanding of proper citation and referencing techniques. It also requires a commitment to integrity and respect for intellectual property. Using plagiarism detection tools can further assist in ensuring originality.

The Role of Technology

Technology plays a double-edged role in plagiarism. While it has made it easier to access and copy others’ work, it has also provided tools to detect and prevent plagiarism. It is thus a powerful ally in fostering academic honesty.

In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious issue that requires concerted effort to combat. By understanding its forms and consequences, and by leveraging technology, we can promote a culture of integrity and originality in academia and beyond.

500 Words Essay on Plagiarism

Introduction.

Plagiarism is a pervasive issue in academic, professional, and creative spaces, often leading to serious consequences. It involves appropriating someone else’s work and presenting it as one’s own, without giving due credit to the original author. This act not only violates academic and professional ethics but also stifles personal growth and creativity.

Plagiarism can take many forms, from copying text directly to paraphrasing someone else’s work without proper citation. It also includes using someone else’s ideas or data without acknowledgment. While it may seem an easy way to achieve quick results, it fundamentally undermines the purpose of education and research, which is to foster original thinking and innovation.

Implications of Plagiarism

The implications of plagiarism are far-reaching. It can lead to academic penalties, professional disgrace, and legal repercussions. It devalues the effort and creativity of original authors and compromises the integrity of academic and professional fields. Furthermore, those who plagiarize miss out on the opportunity to develop critical thinking, research, and writing skills – aspects that are integral to personal and professional growth.

Preventing plagiarism requires a concerted effort from both institutions and individuals. Educational institutions should have strict policies against plagiarism and should educate students about its implications. They should also use plagiarism detection tools to maintain the integrity of academic work.

On an individual level, students and professionals should understand the importance of academic honesty. They should learn proper citation practices and strive for originality in their work. Paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting should be used appropriately, with clear distinctions between one’s own ideas and those borrowed from others.

In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious issue that undermines the value of education and research, and it should be actively discouraged. It is essential for students and professionals to understand the implications of plagiarism and to strive for integrity and originality in their work. By doing so, they will not only uphold academic and professional standards but also foster personal growth and innovation.

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Essay on Plagiarism

In the academic and literary world, originality and authenticity are paramount. Plagiarism, the act of using someone else’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgment, is a serious ethical violation. This essay delves into the definition, implications, and ways to avoid plagiarism, particularly for students participating in essay writing competitions.

Plagiarism is not just copying text word-for-word; it encompasses a range of actions, including:

• Paraphrasing someone’s ideas without crediting the source.
• Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
• Using media or research data without proper citation.
• Recycling your own previous work (self-plagiarism).

Types of Plagiarism :

• Direct Plagiarism: Copying text word-for-word without quotation marks or citation.
• Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s own previously published work without acknowledgment.
• Mosaic Plagiarism: Integrating ideas or phrases from a source into one’s own work without proper citation.
• Accidental Plagiarism: Unintentionally failing to cite sources or misquoting them.

The Ethical Implications of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is not merely a matter of academic misconduct; it raises significant ethical concerns:

• Intellectual Theft : It disrespects the original creator’s effort and intellectual property.
• Academic Dishonesty : It undermines the trust and credibility in the educational system.
• Legal Consequences : In some cases, it can lead to legal actions and severe penalties.

The Importance of Originality in Essay Competitions

In essay competitions, originality is the cornerstone of excellence. Original essays:

• Demonstrate a student’s unique perspective and understanding.
• Showcase creativity and critical thinking skills.
• Are valued for their contribution to the topic’s discourse.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism involves conscious effort and knowledge. Here are some practical tips:

• Understand the Source Material : Comprehend the original text to paraphrase effectively.
• Use Citations Correctly : Familiarize yourself with citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago) and use them consistently.
• Quote Properly : When using direct quotes, ensure they are enclosed in quotation marks with appropriate attribution.
• Paraphrase Effectively : Rewrite the source information in your own words and style, not just replacing a few words.
• Cross-Check Your Work : Utilize plagiarism checkers to ensure the uniqueness of your content.
• Maintain a Bibliography : Keep a record of all sources referenced in your essay.

Deepening the Understanding of Plagiarism

• Cultural Perspective : It’s essential to acknowledge that perceptions of plagiarism can vary culturally. Understanding these nuances is crucial for international students and competitions.
• Impact on Learning : Plagiarism hinders personal academic growth. When students engage in this practice, they lose the opportunity to develop critical thinking and writing skills, which are invaluable in their educational journey.
• Role of Educators : Teachers and mentors play a pivotal role in shaping students’ understanding of plagiarism. They should provide clear guidelines and tools for proper citation and academic honesty.
• Technological Aid : In today’s digital age, various software and online tools are available to help detect and prevent plagiarism. These tools, however, should be used as aids, not replacements for a student’s own vigilance in maintaining academic integrity.

Broadening the Perspective

• Beyond Academia : The concept of plagiarism is not confined to academic settings. In creative fields like art, music, and literature, plagiarism can lead to serious reputational damage and legal issues.
• Collaborative Work : When working on group projects, it’s vital to delineate individual contributions clearly to avoid any unintentional group plagiarism.
• Long-Term Consequences : Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, can have long-lasting effects on a student’s educational and professional career. It’s important to understand that the consequences extend beyond just a grade.

The Role of Technology

In the modern academic landscape, technology plays a pivotal role in both facilitating and combating plagiarism. Understanding its dual influence is crucial for students, educators, and professionals alike.

Facilitating Access and Temptation

• Easy Access to Information : The internet offers a vast repository of information, making it easy to find and potentially copy academic material.
• Essay Mills and Ghostwriting Services : Online platforms provide ready-made essays or offer ghostwriting services, tempting students to submit work that is not their own.
• File Sharing : Students can easily share and access papers and assignments, increasing the temptation to plagiarize.

Tools for Detection and Prevention

• Plagiarism Detection Software : Tools like Turnitin and Grammarly effectively identify plagiarized content by comparing submissions against extensive databases of published work, academic papers, and internet sources.
• Educational Platforms : Online educational platforms incorporate plagiarism checking features, helping both students and educators identify and address plagiarism promptly.
• Citation and Bibliography Tools : Applications like Zotero and EndNote assist in managing citations and bibliographies, making it easier for students to correctly attribute sources.
• Digital Literacy Education : Technology also aids in educating students about the ethics of information use, teaching them how to distinguish between legitimate research and plagiarism.

Balancing Act

While technology simplifies access to information, potentially increasing the risk of plagiarism, it also provides robust tools for detection and education. It’s crucial that students and educators use technology ethically and responsibly, leveraging it not just as a means of detection, but also as a platform for teaching the importance of academic integrity and originality.

Plagiarism is a critical concern in the realm of academic and competitive writing. Understanding its definition, ethical implications, and ways to avoid it is essential for students. By fostering originality and ethical writing practices, students can excel in essay competitions and contribute valuable perspectives to academic discourse. Let’s champion the cause of intellectual integrity and creativity in our scholarly endeavors.

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Causes and Effects of Plagiarism Essay

Every human being has an inherent element of creativity within, and this enables that person to produce works of art. Those who recognize such traits and nourish them become good in particular arts or crafts. Writing is perhaps the most significant of art forms because everybody has to indulge in this activity as part of his or her routine. This may be the reason why developing adequate writing skills is considered as a crucial part of a person’s academic life. Plagiarism is an act of copying someone’s writing or any other form of creative output and using it as if it were the user’s own creation. In other words, it is a kind of ‘intellectual plunder’, which means a person is stealing something conceived and created by another individual and pretending that it is his or her own work. This, obviously, is an act to be condemned because it nullifies the values of originality, creativity, integrity morality and ethics.

Plagiarism is basically wrong because it is an act of stealing another person’s work and using it for a specific purpose. The values and principles imbibed in human beings teach them that ‘stealing’ is a wrong thing ethically besides being a criminal offence. Laws in all counties across this universe recognize ‘stealing’ as a criminal offence which needs to be tried in a court of law. Thus the civilized society wants every citizen to abstain from this activity. In the same context, stealing the creative work of another person and using it for one’s purpose, must be seen as a heinous offence and suitably dealt with. The morals, values and principles that humans have been taught to follow, are against stealing of any kind and, therefore, plagiarism which is an act of intellectual theft, should be avoided.

As stated in the introduction all humans are born with an element of creativity. Individuals who nourish this trait can hone up their talents and become good artists. Writing is a daily activity that every person has to indulge in, and this is especially significant in the case of students who pursue academic degrees. Students therefore, need to acknowledge the fact that they also possess a talent element of creativity and only by grooming it to full maturity they can tap their potential. Thus they need to nourish their writing from the very beginning itself and appropriately improve their skills at every level of their academic career graph, to become effective writers. When a student commits plagiarism it mars the creativity in that person and he or she, instead of learning the art of writing will end up copying and learn nothing on his or her own. This defeats the very purpose of education. Therefore, students should desist from activities like plagiarising to become real learners.

Personal and academic integrity are qualities that are very important for students. At no stage in their academic life should they allow these traits to be eroded by activities that are considered as unethical or immoral. Students should also include in them respect for values and principles. From the above discussions, it emerges that plagiarism, besides being unethical and immoral, is an act of criminal offence at par with stealing. Moreover, it destroys rather than enhances the creativity in students who are pursuing academic goals. Thus it can be stated that plagiarism is a wrong thing to do and all students should avoid it all together.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 19). Causes and Effects of Plagiarism. https://ivypanda.com/essays/causes-and-effects-of-plagiarism/

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Essay on Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as stealing or copying someone else’s work, ideas, expressions or thoughts and represent it as your own work without giving any credit to the original author. It is considered a serious offense and intellectual theft in the writing world.

Plagiarism can be also be defined as a form of academic dishonesty, academic misconduct, and digital cheating. It has been declared as unacceptable by many universities and also legally, so if the original author sees his work somewhere he can take some legal actions against it.

On the university lever, plagiarism is taken very seriously. If a student copies someone else’s work and submit to the instructor, he would directly get 0 on his work or in some rare cases “F” in the entire course if the instructor is very strict about his rules. In some university if the plagiarism is repeated by a student then he may even get kicked out of the university.

it is against the law but you shouldn’t just avoid it because of that reason alone. You should have personal integrity, original thoughts and scholarly research so that you can easily avoid plagiarism. You should learn to cite the sources and certainly know how to integrate quotations properly so that would help you in avoiding the plagiarism.

Plagiarism can be done unintentionally too so if you think you would never plagiarize someone else’s work then you may be wrong because plagiarism can be caused by your ignorance, negligence or your lack of confidence.

Therefore, even good students sometimes are caught plagiarizing, the reason for that can be his / her last-minute panic, a misunderstanding about what constitutes plagiarism, purposely copying someone else’s work or ideas or citing sources bibliography and not in the paper. Still it considered plagiarism as it no excuse to be ignorant towards someone else’s work.

Paraphrasing is a one way of avoiding plagiarism. Paraphrasing is when you take ideas from someone’s work and use it in your own words by providing only citation but without any quotation marks. In paraphrasing you are allowed to use some of the words from the context but not the entire phrase that would include in plagiarism so that is why you should change it as much as possible.

Some students say that how do they avoid plagiarism if they are given a topic they have no information about, they are bound to search through the internet and copy other people’s work. To answer that students should do some thorough research on the topic and gain all the information they can get, this way they can form an opinion about the topic and avoid plagiarism.

Students nowadays only use google to research on their respective topics which increases the chances of the plagiarism. Students now do not even think about the topic themselves or think about any of the ideas for the topic, they directly go to google and search about what the others have o say about the topic. institutions should encourage the students to trust themselves and think about the topic themselves.

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Is a robot writing your kids’ essays? We asked educators to weigh in on the growing role of AI in classrooms.

Educators weigh in on the growing role of ai and chatgpt in classrooms..

Remember writing essays in high school? Chances are you had to look up stuff in an encyclopedia — an actual one, not Wikipedia — or else connect to AOL via a modem bigger than your parents’ Taurus station wagon.

Now, of course, there’s artificial intelligence. According to new research from Pew, about 1 in 5 US teens who’ve heard of ChatGPT have used it for schoolwork. Kids in upper grades are more apt to have used the chatbot: About a quarter of 11th- and 12th-graders who know about ChatGPT have tried it.

For the uninitiated, ChatGPT arrived on the scene in late 2022, and educators continue to grapple with the ethics surrounding its growing popularity. Essentially, it generates free, human-like responses based on commands. (I’m sure this sentence will look antiquated in about six months, like when people described the internet as the “information superhighway.”)

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I used ChatGPT to plug in this prompt: “Write an essay on ‘The Scarlet Letter.’” Within moments, ChatGPT created an essay as thorough as anything I’d labored over in AP English.

Is this cheating? Is it just part of our strange new world? I talked to several educators about what they’re seeing in classrooms and how they’re monitoring it. Before you berate your child over how you wrote essays with a No. 2 pencil, here are some things to consider.

Adapting to new technology isn’t immoral. “We have to recalibrate our sense of what’s acceptable. There was a time when every teacher said: ‘Oh, it’s cheating to use Wikipedia.’ And guess what? We got used to it, we decided it’s reputable enough, and we cite Wikipedia all the time,” says Noah Giansiracusa, an associate math professor at Bentley University who hosts the podcast “ AI in Academia: Navigating the Future .”

“There’s a calibration period where a technology is new and untested. It’s good to be cautious and to treat it with trepidation. Then, over time, the norms kind of adapt,” he says — just like new-fangled graphing calculators or the internet in days of yore.

“I think the current conversation around AI should not be centered on an issue with plagiarism. It should be centered on how AI will alter methods for learning and expressing oneself. ‘Catching’ students who use fully AI-generated products ... implies a ‘gotcha’ atmosphere,” says Jim Nagle, a history teacher at Bedford High School. “Since AI is already a huge part of our day-to-day lives, it’s no surprise our students are making it a part of their academic tool kit. Teachers and students should be at the forefront of discussions about responsible and ethical use.”

Teachers and parents could use AI to think about education at a higher level. Really, learning is about more than regurgitating information — or it should be, anyway. But regurgitation is what AI does best.

“If our system is just for students to write a bunch of essays and then grade the results? Something’s missing. We need to really talk about their purpose and what they’re getting out of this, and maybe think about different forms of assignments and grading,” Giansiracusa says.

After all, while AI aggregates and organizes ideas, the quality of its responses depends on the users’ prompts. Instead of recoiling from it, use it as a conversation-starter.

“What parents and teachers can do is to start the conversation with kids: ‘What are we trying to learn here? Is it even something that ChatGPT could answer? Why did your assignment not convince you that you need to do this thinking on your own when a tool can do it for you?’” says Houman Harouni , a lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Harouni urges parents to read an essay written by ChatGPT alongside their student. Was it good? What could be done better? Did it feel like a short cut?

“What they’re going to remember is that you had that conversation with them; that someone thought, at some point in their lives, that taking a shortcut is not the best way ... especially if you do it with the tool right in front of you, because you have something real to talk about,” he says.

Harouni hopes teachers think about its implications, too. Consider math: So much grunt work has been eliminated by calculators and computers. Yet kids are still tested as in days of old, when perhaps they could expand their learning to be assessed in ways that are more personal and human-centric, leaving the rote stuff to AI.

“We could take this moment of confusion and loss of certainty seriously, at least in some small pockets, and start thinking about what a different kind of school would look like. Five years from now, we might have the beginnings of some very interesting exploration. Five years from now, you and I might be talking about schools wherein teaching and learning is happening in a very self-directed way, in a way that’s more based on … igniting the kid’s interest and seeing where they go and supporting them to go deeper and to go wider,” Harouni says.

Teachers have the chance to offer assignments with more intentionality.

“Really think about the purpose of the assignments. Don’t just think of the outcome and the deliverable: ‘I need a student to produce a document.’ Why are we getting students to write? Why are we doing all these things in the first place? If teachers are more mindful, and maybe parents can also be more mindful, I think it pushes us away from this dangerous trap of thinking about in terms of ‘cheating,’ which, to me, is a really slippery path,” Giansiracusa says.

AI can boost confidence and reduce procrastination. Sometimes, a robot can do something better than a human, such as writing a dreaded resume and cover letter. And that’s OK; it’s useful, even.

“Often, students avoid applying to internships because they’re just overwhelmed at the thought of writing a cover letter, or they’re afraid their resume isn’t good enough. I think that tools like this can help them feel more confident. They may be more likely to do it sooner and have more organized and better applications,” says Kristin Casasanto, director of post-graduate planning at Olin College of Engineering.

Casasanto says that AI is also useful for de-stressing during interview prep.

“Students can use generative AI to plug in a job description and say, ‘Come up with a list of interview questions based on the job description,’ which will give them an idea of what may be asked, and they can even then say, ‘Here’s my resume. Give me answers to these questions based on my skills and experience.’ They’re going to really build their confidence around that,” Casasanto says.

Plus, when students use AI for basics, it frees up more time to meet with career counselors about substantive issues.

“It will help us as far as scalability. … Career services staff can then utilize our personal time in much more meaningful ways with students,” Casasanto says.

We need to remember: These kids grew up during a pandemic. We can’t expect kids to resist technology when they’ve been forced to learn in new ways since COVID hit.

“Now we’re seeing pandemic-era high school students come into college. They’ve been channeled through Google Classroom their whole career,” says Katherine Jewell, a history professor at Fitchburg State University.

“They need to have technology management and information literacy built into the curriculum,” Jewell says.

Jewell recently graded a paper on the history of college sports. It was obvious which papers were written by AI: They didn’t address the question. In her syllabus, Jewell defines plagiarism as “any attempt by a student to represent the work of another, including computers, as their own.”

This means that AI qualifies, but she also has an open mind, given students’ circumstances.

“My students want to do the right thing, for the most part. They don’t want to get away with stuff. I understand why they turned to these tools; I really do. I try to reassure them that I’m here to help them learn systems. I’m focusing much more on the learning process. I incentivize them to improve, and I acknowledge: ‘You don’t know how to do this the first time out of the gate,’” Jewell says. “I try to incentivize them so that they’re improving their confidence in their abilities, so they don’t feel the need to turn to these tools.”

Understand the forces that make kids resort to AI in the first place . Clubs, sports, homework: Kids are busy and under pressure. Why not do what’s easy?

“Kids are so overscheduled in their day-to-day lives. I think there’s so much enormous pressure on these kids, whether it’s self-inflicted, parent-inflicted, or school-culture inflicted. It’s on them to maximize their schedule. They’ve learned that AI can be a way to take an assignment that would take five hours and cut it down to one,” says a teacher at a competitive high school outside Boston who asked to remain anonymous.

Recently, this teacher says, “I got papers back that were just so robotic and so cold. I had to tell [students]: ‘I understand that you tried to use a tool to help you. I’m not going to penalize you, but what I am going to penalize you for is that you didn’t actually answer the prompt.”

Afterward, more students felt safe to come forward to say they’d used AI. This teacher hopes that age restrictions become implemented for these programs, similar to apps such as Snapchat. Educationally and developmentally, they say, high-schoolers are still finding their voice — a voice that could be easily thwarted by a robot.

“Part of high school writing is to figure out who you are, and what is your voice as a writer. And I think, developmentally, that takes all of high school to figure out,” they say.

And AI can’t replicate voice and personality — for now, at least.

Kara Baskin can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @kcbaskin .

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Patrick Healy

Deputy Opinion Editor

Have Swing Voters Stopped Listening to Joe Biden?

Every Monday morning on The Point, we kick off the week with a tipsheet on the latest in the presidential campaign. Here’s what we’re looking at this week:

One of the worst things that can happen to a president seeking re-election is to have voters stop listening to you. As the campaign unfolds this week, I’m curious whether President Biden says or does things that really command attention from voters, and in particular might be persuasive to swing voters.

My curiosity stems from reading the latest polls and my colleague Nate Cohn’s article on Saturday. This is how Nate summed up Biden’s standing in the race since his strong State of the Union speech on March 7: “It has gotten harder to see signs of any Biden bump. Taken together, new polls from Fox , CNBC and Quinnipiac suggested that the presidential race was essentially unchanged, with Mr. Trump still holding a narrow lead nationwide. The president’s approval rating doesn’t seem discernibly higher, either.”

Now, State of the Union speeches themselves rarely produce a bump. But Biden was a new man in March, with a sharper message, lots of campaigning, strong ads and any number of Trump comments to whack. Yet we enter April with Trump in a narrow lead.

Something is not working for Joe Biden right now. Trump is behind him in campaign money , tied up in court, making crazy comments and posting videos showing Biden hogtied. For all that, Biden doesn’t seem to have changed large numbers of minds. Are voters still listening to the president?

Previous presidents who lost re-election, including Trump, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, struggled to persuade voters they were effective and sympathetic. In their own ways, the three men were seen as all talk, no action, and that’s what some progressive Democrats and young voters think about Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza. While his administration is talking tougher about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the bombs keep falling on Gaza (and more American bombs are on the way) and the aid keeps being blocked from reaching starving people.

And it’s not just Gaza: It’s immigration, abortion rights and, especially, the economy. Nate Silver had a striking chart last week showing how “even as consumer and investor sentiment has improved, President Biden’s approval rating hasn’t , or at least it hasn’t by much .”

Right now, Biden doesn’t have the same galvanizing, persuasive political narrative for swing voters that he had in 2020 — I think Trump nostalgia is very real — nor does he have the results enough voters want. Some voters have already written him off because of his age. But I think the bigger threat to re-election is that more voters will stop listening to him if he doesn’t offer a stronger narrative and stronger results.

Opinion Writer

The Government’s Weakest Antitrust Case Is Against Amazon

So, who do you think is going to come out on top in the Final Four? I’m not asking about the N.C.A.A. March Madness basketball tournament. I’m asking about the federal government’s antitrust lawsuits against Amazon, Apple, Facebook’s parent Meta, and Google. The most recent entry in the Final Four is Apple, which the Department of Justice sued last week.

Daniel Crane, a University of Michigan law professor, informally asked about 50 of his peers at law schools around the country which of the four companies is most likely to win against the government. He got 19 responses.

Amazon came out on top, followed by Apple, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and in last place Google. To put it differently, the law professors felt that the government’s antitrust arguments against Amazon are the weakest and its arguments against Google are the strongest.

Crane wrote up his results in a post for a joint blog of the Yale Journal of Regulation and the American Bar Association’s section of administrative law and regulatory practice. He wrote that all of the respondents are “people I would consider distinguished in the field, fair minded, and highly knowledgeable,” and that they span the ideological spectrum of antitrust profs. But he admitted that it “certainly was not a scientific study.”

There are multiple government and private actions against each of the four companies. To keep things simple for the informal survey, Crane grouped them into five buckets: Google search, Google’s ad technology, Meta/Facebook, Amazon and Apple.

In color commentary, the professors — to whom Crane promised anonymity — ranged from calling all four cases manure, or a phrase to that effect, to writing that “each tells a powerful story of a monopolist fighting hard to maintain market power.”

“Google is the consensus choice for the strongest government case; Amazon is the consensus choice for the weakest government case,” Crane wrote. “Indeed, not a single respondent ranked Amazon the strongest government case, and only one ranked Google the weakest.”

That makes sense to me. As Eleanor Fox, an antitrust expert at New York University School of Law, told me, the first thing the government needs to establish is that the defendant is, indeed, a monopolist. Only then can it turn to proving anticompetitive behavior. All four companies have taken actions that could be deemed anticompetitive, but it’s only Google that clearly crosses the threshold of being a monopolist — in its case, in terms of market share in online search and advertising. Amazon is huge but a monopolist? Harder to see.

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Spencer Bokat-Lindell

Opinion Staff Editor

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Showcases Her Greatest Instrument

Like many Beyoncé fans, I remember where I was when she dropped her self-titled album in 2013 without warning. (In my college library, failing to finish a term paper.) And I’ll confess: I wasn’t initially sure if the album was what I wanted to hear.

As an amateur singer, I had been drawn to Beyoncé mainly because of her prodigious voice. It’s a gift you can truly appreciate only after you’ve sat through enough college a cappella group covers of “Love on Top,” four key changes and all, and each time heard the act of singing devolve into one of sonic seppuku.

The electronic, subdued style of “Beyoncé” marked a significant departure from the vocal bombast of the ballad-laden album “4” and the belt-heavy “B’Day.” That shift in aesthetic emphasis continued with “Lemonade” in 2016 and “Renaissance” in 2022, in which showcasing her impressive voice could feel secondary, beside a greater artistic point.

With her new album, “Cowboy Carter,” released on Friday, Beyoncé is definitely still trying to make a point, but she’s traded synthetic production for a far more acoustic sound.

“With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones,” Beyoncé said in a news release about the album. “I didn’t want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune.”

It’s a delight to hear her voice, the album’s primary instrument, unmediated and deployed in novel ways. Some of those she’s previewed elsewhere: The operatic soprano passages of “Daughter” are evocative of those she added to the beginning of “ I Care ” in her Coachella performance in 2018; the gliding, gospel-inflected growls in “Ya Ya” of her live renditions of “ Me, Myself and I .” Other vocalizations I don’t think we’ve ever heard from her before, such as the croaky screeches in the opening track, “Ameriican Requiem.”

“I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects,” Beyoncé said, “but it’s the best music I’ve ever made.”

I’ll leave it to the music critics to determine whether that’s true, but I’m glad that Beyoncé is using the security of her position — more Grammys than anyone else has received, more money than anyone needs — to once again experiment, expanding the boundaries of her body of work.

“Nothin’ really ends,” she sings on “Ameriican Requiem.” “For things to stay the same they have to change again.”

Bret Stephens

Opinion Columnist

May Joe Lieberman’s Memory Be for a Blessing

For a man as genial, upright and mild-mannered as Joe Lieberman, he could inspire a staggering amount of loathing — most of all from fellow liberals. Some would never forgive his scalding speech about Bill Clinton’s extramarital affair, others his stalwart support for the invasion of Iraq, others for campaigning for John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.

Lieberman never seemed to care. He did what he thought was right and was rewarded with four terms in the Senate — the last time as an independent — and, very nearly, the vice presidency in 2000. When he died this week at 82 from a fall in his New York apartment, he could lay claim to being the most consequential elected Jewish official in the history of American politics.

Today, Lieberman’s detractors may want to reconsider their loathing, and not just for politeness’ sake. Though his foreign policy views tilted right, he was also a champion of labor unions, gay rights and climate-change legislation; Obamacare never would have become law without his vote. Earlier in his life, he helped register Black voters in Mississippi — part of his belief, as he wrote at the time, that “this is one nation or it is nothing.”

That conviction probably helped explain his brand of politics, which never sat well with partisans but made him important and interesting as a legislator. Lieberman wasn’t a centrist, at least not in the sense of being a difference splitter. But he never felt bound to follow the ideological herd, and he had a moral code that overrode political expedience, in ways that could earn him enmity and respect at the same time. After he blasted Clinton, the then-president called him to say, “There’s nothing you said in that speech that I don’t agree with. And I want you to know that I’m working on it.”

Most Americans would probably agree that our political system is ailing, not least because partisanship has become so extreme and so few politicians are willing to work across political differences or challenge the most rabid partisans on their own side. Lieberman’s political career is a model of how politics was once done differently, in a way that — whatever one thought about discrete issues — made democracy better for everyone.

Jews traditionally say of the dead, “May their memory be for a blessing.” Joe Lieberman’s memory is a blessing America sorely needs now.

Frank Bruni

Contributing Opinion Writer

Behind the Ray-Bans, Two Presidents Send a Message About Biden

It was as starry as an Oscar ceremony. It had a Grammy-caliber musical lineup. And the financial haul — roughly $25 million raised for President Biden’s re-election effort — set a record for a single political event, according to the president’s aides.

But none of that mattered as much as a single tableau at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan on Thursday night : Biden and the two Democratic presidents before him, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, on the same stage and the same page, in a show of unity and continuity that underscored what a disruptive, divisive force Donald Trump is.

Biden, Obama and Clinton sat in identical white armchairs for a group interview by Stephen Colbert, but the questions and answers weren’t the main point. The camaraderie was. The warmth. The support that Biden was getting from past leaders of the Democratic Party and its contrast with the low regard for Trump held by many onetime Republican standard-bearers.

I’m wary of political predictions, but I’ll venture this much: Trump’s Republican predecessor George W. Bush won’t be stumping or speaking for him anytime soon. Nor will Mitt Romney or Mike Pence.

Trump, of course, casts his isolation as affirmation: He’s no prisoner of history or of hoary ideas. No creature of the ruling class. To emphasize that last bit of positioning, he counterprogrammed the fund-raiser with his own visit to the New York area on Thursday for the wake of a police officer killed during a traffic stop this week.

But despite that messaging and despite the presence of protesters at Radio City who denounced Biden’s support of Israel, the fund-raiser provided a crucial retort to all the second-guessing among Democrats — all the concern about Biden’s age, all the worry about his alienation of certain groups of voters.

Obama and Clinton were present as ambassadors of the sentiment that Biden was up to this task, that he deserved a second term and that he would indeed secure one, if everybody would just get on board and get to work.

They were there with counsel, too. In his comments onstage, Obama seemed to nudge Biden toward a campaign with more focus on his accomplishments. “It’s not just the negative case against the presumptive nominee on the other side,” Obama said. “It’s the positive case for somebody who’s done an outstanding job.”

Obama and Clinton radiated appreciation to portray Biden as unappreciated. Then each of the three men put on a pair of Biden’s signature aviator glasses. Eyewear can speak louder than words.

Adam Sternbergh

Opinion Culture Editor

If Opening Day Can’t Be a National Holiday, Here’s a Better Idea

Baseball’s Opening Day has always had a special resonance. Maybe it’s the concurrence with springtime, or the mytho-poetic virtues of baseball that its acolytes always preach . There’s even been intermittent talk of making Opening Day a national holiday — a whimsical notion that actually picked up a corporate endorsement .

I’m in favor of the idea, though there are obvious hurdles: outcry from fans of other sports or the many ways in which Major League Baseball has undermined the sanctity of its own ritual. Thankfully, there’s a simple and even more appealing alternative.

Part of the problem with Opening Day is that its timing and national location are no longer reliable. Historically, the very first game of every season was played in Cincinnati, the home of the first professional baseball team . But in 2019, as part of an effort to market M.L.B. to international fans, the league started the season with a series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland A’s in Japan. In 2020, the season opening was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic; in 2022, it was delayed by a contract-related lockout; and in 2024 it began last week with a showcase abroad, between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in South Korea. All of these scenarios suggest the difficulty of pinning a federal holiday to Opening Day.

It’s unlikely that M.L.B. will abandon its efforts at international expansion anytime soon. But there’s an elegant solution: Declare Jackie Robinson Day a federal holiday instead.

Since 2004, M.L.B. has used April 15 to commemorate Robinson, who broke the sport’s color line on April 15, 1947 (which, that year, was opening day). Since 2009, every player wears the number 42 on April 15 to honor him. Unlike Opening Day, Jackie Robinson Day happens every year on the same date and it spotlights a moment of American progress.

Yes, April 15 coincides with the federal tax-filing deadline, but who would complain if that got pushed back a week or two? Plus, the weather for an afternoon ballgame is reliably better in mid-April than in late March.

This year, play hooky and don number 42 to catch a ballgame on April 15. If we’re lucky, by next year, maybe the whole nation will follow suit.

Jesse Wegman

Editorial Board Member

For John Eastman, the Sweet Smell of Accountability

John Eastman, the lawyer who played a central role in helping Donald Trump try to use the courts to overthrow the results of the 2020 election, will be disbarred in California after a state bar court judge found him liable for 10 of 11 charges, including lying to the court, failing to uphold the Constitution, and moral turpitude.

It’s about time that one of the many lawyers who worked to undermine the Constitution loses a law license for doing so.

Eastman “made multiple patently false and misleading statements in court filings, in public remarks heard by countless Americans,” Judge Yvette Roland wrote in her 128-page ruling . These statements were “improperly aimed at casting doubt on the legitimate election results and support for the baseless claim that the presidency was stolen from his client — all while relying on his credentials as an attorney and constitutional scholar to lend credibility to his unfounded claims.”

Given the seriousness of this misconduct and Eastman’s refusal to express any remorse, Roland was more than justified in ruling that “the most severe available professional sanction is warranted to protect the public and preserve the public confidence in the legal system.”

Darn straight. There hasn’t been much to smile about lately when it comes to holding the most powerful people to account for the Jan. 6 insurrection. Its ringleader, Trump, has managed to flummox the federal courts with his standard recipe of delay and misdirection, and the odds are increasing that he will face no legal repercussions before Election Day. That would be an astounding and unforgivable failure of justice that would be laid at the feet of the Justice Department and the Supreme Court, both of which have taken far too long to address one of the most urgent challenges facing American democracy.

But the news of Eastman’s comeuppance should satisfy anyone who cares about truth, justice and the rule of law. It’s not enough, surely: Eastman should be disbarred from every jurisdiction where he still holds a law license, and he has been criminally charged in the Georgia racketeering case, although that is not getting to trial anytime soon. For now, at least, it’s good to see even one of the bad guys pay a price.

David French

Justice Thomas Is a Kind Man. But His New Hire Raises Disturbing Questions.

My newsroom colleagues Steve Eder and Abbie VanSickle have written an excellent report on Crystal Clanton, who is Justice Clarence Thomas’s new law clerk. She left Turning Point USA, a MAGA-aligned group, after she was accused of writing racist messages, including a text that said “I HATE BLACK PEOPLE.”

Clanton told The New Yorker that she doesn’t remember sending the message, and she’s been silent on the matter since. Since her firing, however, her former boss, Charlie Kirk, has claimed that the messages were fake and were created to smear her.

After Turning Point USA fired her, Clarence and Virginia Thomas took her in. They let her live in their home, and she worked for Ginni Thomas at her firm, Liberty Consulting. The Thomases have helped guide Clanton’s career since, and now Justice Thomas has hired her.

I have three distinct thoughts. First, I don’t think anyone should criticize the Thomases for taking her in. Even if she made a dreadful mistake, she should still be treated with love and compassion. In fact, extending a helping hand to someone who is in the center of a public firestorm is an act of grace that more people should emulate.

Second, there is an immense difference, however, between opening your home and opening up a public office. Clanton is now in a position of public trust, and no one should simply trust Kirk’s explanation. Her own silence is deafening. She will be working on civil rights cases, and the public needs to know if she actually did write that she hates Black people.

Third, I’m disturbed by the fact that she worked first for Ginni Thomas and then for Justice Thomas. Ginni Thomas urged the Trump administration to overturn the 2020 election and trafficked in the most bizarre conspiracy theories . It would be entirely fair to call her rhetoric unhinged.

Clarence Thomas’s defenders have rightly argued that we can’t judge a justice by his spouse, but that defense becomes harder to make when he hires one of his wife’s former employees.

Justice Thomas has a number of loyal defenders on the right, and for good reason. He’s a brilliant man who is known to be kind and generous to the people around him. In 2022, Justice Sonia Sotomayor went out of her way to compliment Thomas , saying that he is a “man who cares deeply about the court as an institution — about the people who work here.”

But one shouldn’t simply trust even those public officials one admires. Clanton’s hiring demands answers, and it’s now up to Clanton and Kirk to speak plainly.

Kristina Samulewski

Opinion Senior News Assistant

What Happens to the Stories of Ukrainian Lives?

Five months after Russia invaded Ukraine, I was living in Berlin for the summer. At that point, the German capital had received thousands of Ukrainian refugees. A friend of mine told me that her friend who lived near the central railway station would watch floods of Ukrainians emerge from the trains daily.

I am half German and half Ukrainian. So when I discovered that my apartment in Schöneberg was on the same street as a Ukrainian refugee center called LaruHelpsUkraine , I took it as a sign of duty and reached out to volunteer. As an audio journalist, I felt an urgency to document the stories of refugee Ukrainian women.

In times of conflict, I sometimes wonder if news stories can hold all the nuance that life encompasses. “Why this story, and why now?” is a question that often confronts editors and writers. In a news cycle filled with so much devastation — shootings, climate disasters, wars, you name it — asking “why” can seem both important and futile. But in the practice of oral history, “why” doesn’t exist.

If you’re unfamiliar with the medium, oral history is the process of documenting and capturing people’s experiences. The goal is to ask open-ended questions that allow the interviewees, or narrators, as I’ve been trained to call them, the opportunity to share whatever comes to mind for them. Silence is encouraged in between questions to allow narrators the room to direct their own stories.

I spent a few days helping at Laru and mustered the boldness to ask if some women would be open to my interviewing them. Fortunately, eight were. What resulted is a documentation of the experiences of women whose fates are connected through nationality and a particular German city.

As the war rages on in Ukraine and the headlines appear and disappear on the conflict, I believe it’s even more important to know the life stories of people affected by war. Because they deserve to be documented and known.

My hope is you’ll give your ear to their stories and listen .

Paul Krugman

Trump on Obamacare: Still Ludicrous After All These Years

In some ways, I understand Donald Trump’s appeal. The very transgressiveness of his behavior — his open embrace of racism and authoritarianism, without the usual resort to dog whistles — connects with the large number of voters who have always held such views and are thrilled to see someone express them out loud.

One thing I still have trouble wrapping my mind around, however, is that more people don’t find Trump’s grandiosity — his constant unearned claims of greatness — ridiculous.

Sometimes the subjects of Trump’s self-congratulation are trivial though revealing: It’s pretty wild to see a man who was and might again be president boasting about winning two golf championships at a club he owns.

But sometimes his boasting has real and dire implications for policy that can affect people’s lives.

Here, for example, is his recent rant in response to Democrats claiming, correctly, that a second Trump term would probably cause many Americans to lose health coverage:

I realize that MAGA types aren’t bothered by the mangled language and bar-stool belligerence. But even if you don’t follow policy closely, presumably you’re aware that Trump was president for four years. If he knows of a way to make the Affordable Care Act “much, much better for far less money,” why didn’t he do it?

The truth, as I wrote the other day , is that Obamacare was well designed, given the political constraints, and that when Trump tried to produce an alternative, it would have taken health insurance away from many of his own supporters. You don’t have to be a liberal to scoff at Trump’s continuing insistence that he can pull off a trick he repeatedly failed at for all those years.

So why don’t more people see Trump as a ridiculous braggart?

Katherine Miller

Opinion Writer and Editor

There Are Some Pretty Weird Things Happening at the R.N.C.

The Republican National Committee exists, theoretically, to win elections. It communicates the G.O.P.’s political message, does fund-raising and undertakes an array of legal and data work to help candidates. For all this, the R.N.C. needs leaders and staff members who are grounded in reality — because useful data, solid legal arguments and persuasive fund-raising and political pitches generally need to be tethered to the real world.

But right now, there are some pretty weird things happening with the new Trump-era R.N.C.

The Trump-backed leadership fired a few dozen people immediately after taking over the committee this month, even though, at this point, it’s hard to imagine that many people working for the Republican Party were deeply skeptical of Trump. Will the people who replace them be about the same, or will this turnover produce a more fringe-infused party in terms of the claims out there on a given day?

The question is newly pertinent after a Washington Post article this week , in which Josh Dawsey reported that multiple people interviewing for a job at the R.N.C. were asked whether the 2020 election was stolen.

It isn’t clear how such a job interview question is shaping the committee staff, but we know the answer that Trump would want. And that answer is not grounded in reality. Any credible person familiar with the mechanics of elections would answer no.

The risk for the committee is that it will become a place where the staff is untethered to reality and, as a result, will fumble on those legal, data, fund-raising and messaging fronts. Rebuilding an R.N.C. around wild claims made by the Trump campaign about 2020 may please Trump, but it can hurt candidates and fund-raising, which has been a huge problem already for Trump and Republicans.

There is a world where the newly configured and staffed party apparatus around Trump amplifies more and more false stuff about the election while becoming worse at dealing with the technical realities of campaigns, like fund-raising, which could have unpredictable consequences. Bad polling work, weak fund-raising or weak legal challenges would be bad for any campaign trying to win.

An R.N.C. untethered to reality may seem like bad news just for Republicans, but it’s to everyone’s detriment if a big segment of America keeps hearing and believing that the 2020 election was stolen.

Opinion Researcher

What New York City Did to Flaco the Owl

The death of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who flew into a building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan last month, shook our usually unflappable city. This week, Bronx Zoo pathologists published a coroner’s report that helps explain why he died . It revealed that even Flaco, who had fled the confines of the Central Park Zoo, could not escape the strictures of his environment, especially because that environment was New York City.

While the acute trauma from that crash was the most immediate cause of death, the necropsy also found that Flaco had pigeon herpesvirus and exposure to four different anticoagulant rodenticides. In other words, he had eaten too many infected pigeons and poisoned rats.

“These factors would have been debilitating and ultimately fatal, even without a traumatic injury,” the report states , “and may have predisposed him to flying into or falling from the building.” Flaco, it seems, was a dead bird flying.

Last summer, I edited a guest essay for Times Opinion by Jason Munshi-South, an urban ecologist at Fordham University, about New York City’s clumsy, counterproductive war on rats. Munshi-South warned me at the time that the city’s widespread deployment of rat poison posed a grave threat to Flaco.

Of all the ways to kill rats, anticoagulants are an especially slow and pernicious method. A rat repeatedly nibbles on bait laced with the stuff. Eventually, the rat becomes weak from internal bleeding. If the internal bleeding doesn’t kill it, the rat’s lethargic state makes it easy prey. Rat poison travels up the food chain all the way to owls.

Flaco is not the only creature who has died as a result of New York City’s pest management policies; rodenticide is a widespread cause of death for much of the city’s wildlife.

Humans don’t have to turn to punitive and ineffective crackdowns through poison and traps for rat management. One alternative, already being rolled out by the Department of Sanitation, is better trash collection.

Flaco lived a notable life as the sole member of his species in New York. It’s easy to anthropomorphize an uncomplicated individualism in him. He was above the mess of the city. He knew nothing of SantaCon or Eric Adams. But no matter how high he flew, Flaco could not escape the decisions that can make the city a death trap for those who are not human.

Charles M. Blow

Plagiarism Charges at Harvard Are Really About Rolling Back D.E.I.

Anyone who believed that the forced exodus of Claudine Gay as Harvard’s first Black female president was dousing the fire rather than fanning it doesn’t understand how racial propaganda wars feed on momentum.

As The Harvard Crimson reported last week, three other Black women at the university have had anonymous complaints of plagiarism lodged against them since Gay’s departure. Christopher Rufo, a right-wing provocateur and instigator, immediately cheered the complaints on social media , claiming they were part of a clear pattern for academics involved in the diversity, equity and inclusion field.

This is, after all, part of Rufo’s plan, having announced, “ Game on ,” after helping to push out Gay. The veracity of the complaints doesn’t matter; the reputational harm — to the accused and to the idea of inclusion — is the goal.

The narrative here is about innate and pervasive inferiority, ineptitude and fraudulence by women and minorities, specifically Black women in this case. And it must be understood that the subtext, the inverse, of minority inferiority is therefore white supremacy.

Black faculty members at Harvard are rightfully outraged by all of this and feel that their reputations are under review and under assault.

Prof. Lawrence D. Bobo , the dean of social science at Harvard, told me that it was “unambiguous racial bias, arguably racism.” He called Rufo “a zealous ideological guttersnipe.”

The rate at which D.E.I. programs are being banned is breathtaking. In January, Florida’s board of governors barred state money from being used to fund D.E.I. initiatives at the state’s 12 public universities. Last week, Alabama’s governor signed a bill that forbids public schools and universities from maintaining or funding D.E.I. programs. Kentucky is advancing a similar bill. House Republicans in Washington are trying to make similar moves.

The attacks on professors at Harvard and other schools only help to propel these efforts because they provide a confirmation of bias. They feed a feeling that minority achievement and advancement are a sham, that somehow deceit at the pinnacle means it exists everywhere.

Tommie Shelby , a professor of African and African American studies at Harvard, told me that these attacks exploit old stereotypes of Black people as “not smart,” and as “lazy and irresponsible.” And apparently, he said, those stereotypes still have currency.

What’s happening at Harvard is about far more than Harvard or elite professors at elite institutions. The bigger issue — the war, not just the battle — is arresting all efforts at racial inclusion and turning back the clock to a time before they existed.

Maureen Dowd

James Carville on the Reasons Hillary Clinton Lost

When my column about the Democratic strategist James Carville was published last weekend, a lot of readers were transported back to the Clinton era. Carville was a key strategist for Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign in 1992 and an adviser to Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful one in 2008.

Naturally, the prolix politico had more to say than I had room for. Here are some of his comments that didn’t make it into the column:

“ When you look back at why Hillary lost,” I asked Carville at one point, “do you think it was mostly sexism, or we underestimated Trump, or they didn’t listen to Bill, or what?”

“ Certainly some of it was sexism,” he replied. “I’d never deny that. Some of it. They made the wrong calculation. Their calculation was there’s more of us than there are of them, and if our people come out, that women, particularly white women, are going to find it totally unacceptable, and that will overcome any deficiencies that we have, and they didn’t go to Wisconsin.”

“I could go on and on,” he said. “To be honest with you, I think she knows. Everybody knows that it was believing in an algorithm as opposed to something else. Here, it was destroyed by an algorithm,” referring to ways that the Clinton campaign (and other political campaigns) used big data to try to anticipate and shape voter behavior — as the 2012 Obama campaign did as part of its winning strategy. “That’s just not how people think.”

“I don’t dislike Robbie Mook,” Carville said, referring to Clinton’s campaign manager in 2016. “He’s a nice man, but he had a flawed view of what American politics was…. It was just an unfortunate confluence of events.”

Opinion Editorial Assistant

Shakira Plays It Safe

Shakira’s “ Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran ” — her first album in seven years, released on Friday — has all the ingredients to be a downright explosive comeback. After splitting from the retired soccer star Gerard Piqué in 2022, she released a diss track directed at him and his new girlfriend. Fans reeled, and Shakira enjoyed her biggest commercial success in years.

But all those elements — an icon reveling in her legacy, a media-commanding breakup narrative and commercial clout — can’t compensate for uninspired music. This album lacks what has long made Shakira a daring artist: her devotion to sonic eclecticism that cuts against the pop landscape’s typical riskless pablum.

Shakira knows how to concoct genre-bending bangers. Her first English record borrowed from Nirvana’s guitar riffs . The Wyclef Jean collaboration “ Hips Don’t Lie ” has a reggaeton beat and a sampled salsa intro. And there may never be a World Cup song that tops the Soca-infused “ Waka Waka .” Her transnational sound can sometimes feel more like mélange than cohesion, but more often, Shakira’s go-for-broke attitude captivates.

On this album, her maximalist approach to genre is channeled into collaborations with a new generation of Latin hitmakers who have taken over pop music in the past few years. When Shakira crossed over to Anglo audiences in the early 2000s, she carved a path for artists like Karol G and Rauw Alejandro. Now she’s bringing in her descendants to help turn her “ pain into productivity .”

Unfortunately, even Shakira’s collaborators cannot lift her tracks to electrifying heights. From the disco-pop “Cohete,” which lusts for new passion, to the slow-drip reggaeton “TQG,” which boasts about postbreakup self-love, many tracks are devoid of Shakira’s typical interplay between sound and word. That’s why it’s particularly telling that her new album takes its name from the lyric “Las mujeres ya no lloran; las mujeres facturan” (“Women don’t cry anymore; they cash in”). The album promised to be an opus on catharsis and perseverance. Instead, it relies on the safety of bankability.

At her sharpest, Shakira can write poetic, oddball lyrics and play with the musical zeitgeist to create timelessness. An example is “ Inevitable ,” her 1998 grunge-y ballad about letting go of toxic love. It’s a live-show mainstay because her audience still loves the way the acoustic confessional verses burst into the raucous, raw chorus.

But this time, Shakira doesn’t seem to aim for emotional sharpness. Instead of transcending the zeitgeist, she’s allowed herself to fade into the most boring version of the pop scene. The she-wolf is nowhere to be found.

Joanna Pearlstein

Opinion Senior Staff Editor

Florida Protects Children From Social Media but Not Measles

Parents know what’s best for their kids, except when the State of Florida does.

When Florida passed a law prohibiting children younger than 14 from having social media accounts, lawmakers crowed about the move, claiming they had to act because children don’t have the brain development to see the harm in addictive platforms.

In other words, under the new law, even if parents want their tweens to have a social media account, they’re out of luck. Florida knows better. (The state doesn’t allow parents to decide about the merits of gender-affirming care for their kids either.)

But Florida is happy to let parents make decisions about other matters of vital importance to children’s well-being. Consider: When measles broke out in an elementary school in Weston in February, Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, let parents determine whether to keep their unvaccinated children at home.

Those measles cases “received disproportionate attention for political reasons,” according to a March 8 statement from the Florida Department of Health. Or maybe it was statistical ones: So far this year the United States has recorded 64 cases of measles (more than in all of 2023); 11 of those were in Florida. Meaning that a state with 6.5 percent of the nation’s population has hosted 17.2 percent of its measles cases.

Still: “Once again, Florida has shown that good public health policy includes personal responsibility and parents’ rights,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis in the March 8 statement. About 92 percent of students in Florida are fully vaccinated, according to health officials; the state is one of 45 that let parents skip their children’s shots for religious or moral reasons.

Because measles is so transmissible — nine of 10 unvaccinated people in a room will get the disease if one infected person sneezes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — scientists estimate that 95 percent of a population needs to be immunized in order to achieve herd immunity.

Protecting children from social media is a laudable goal. It won’t be easy to kick children off social media platforms; the tech companies acknowledge they don’t really know how old their users are, and they’ve yet to fully roll out long-promised age-verification systems.

That leaves parents to rely on their elected officials, who have empowered themselves to safeguard children from digital boogeymen. But not viral ones.

An Anti-Abortion Case Too Far-Fetched for the Supreme Court

Even the hard-right Supreme Court has its outer limits, it seems.

On Tuesday morning, a majority of justices appeared very likely to vote to throw out the first big challenge to abortion rights to reach the court since it overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. (Wait, didn’t they promise us that the ruling would end abortion litigation at the court, sending the issue instead back to the states, where it rightfully belongs? But I digress.)

The current case was brought by a group of doctors who are morally opposed to abortion and are seeking to severely limit the distribution of the nation’s most used abortion drug — mifepristone, which women obtain to end about 650,000 pregnancies a year, or nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the country. They challenged the F.D.A.’s approval of the drug as well as recent regulatory changes that have made it easier for women to obtain and use.

These claims were dubious on their face, given that the F.D.A. has produced reams of evidence and explanation for its approval and treatment of mifepristone, one of the safer drugs on the market — far safer than, say, Viagra. But the justices were more troubled by the plaintiffs’ inability to show any concrete injury to themselves, a requirement, known as “standing,” that must be met before the court can consider any case.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Erin Hawley, was given several opportunities to demonstrate how this requirement was satisfied by her clients, none of whom had ever prescribed mifepristone or even had to treat a patient experiencing complications from using it. She offered nothing other than generalized concerns that they might one day have to do so.

That raised the related question of how these plaintiffs, given their extremely tenuous connection to the focus of their lawsuit, nevertheless managed to win a nationwide injunction against the drug’s use. (Short answer: They went judge-shopping .)

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pointed out this extreme mismatch and the fact that there is already a federal law exempting health-care providers who oppose abortions from participating in them.

“‘Because we object to being forced to participate in this procedure, we’re seeking an order preventing anyone from having access to these drugs at all,’” Jackson said, summarizing the doctors’ argument. “How could they possibly be entitled to that?”

Good question. This time, at least, the Supreme Court seems poised to answer it the right way.

Accidents Like the Baltimore Bridge Collision Are Far Too Common

It’s standard practice in engineering — as well as common sense — to design a system so that it stands up even if something goes wrong. An engine failure on a cargo ship is a foreseeable problem. It should not have been enough to bring down an entire bridge span, as happened on Tuesday, when a ship leaving the Port of Baltimore lost power and plowed into a pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse. Six workers who had been patching potholes on the bridge were missing.

Diagnosing precisely what went wrong in Baltimore will take months or years. I expect investigators will zero in on a few obvious questions. One is why the vulnerable piers of the bridge, which opened to traffic in 1977, were so exposed. The buffers around the piers failed. If the piers had been buffered by wider concrete bases or giant piles of rocks or both, the errant ship might not have done the damage it did. If the lack of a thick buffer was intended to save money, it was a costly mistake, though the bridge was designed before the modern era of gigantic ships.

It also appears that the ship wasn’t escorted by tugboats, which could have kept it on course after it lost power. That would also appear to be a cost-saving decision. I can’t judge whether it was a mistake or not, but it clearly needs to be looked into.

@nytopinion “Damaging collisions between ships and bridges are all too common. There were 35 major ones worldwide between 1960 and 2015, killing 342 people, of which 18 occurred in the United States, according to a 2018 tally by the engineering consultant firm Moffatt & Nichol. “As ships have gotten bigger, the damage has gotten worse. I found a 1983 report by the National Research Council that said that vessel collisions are far more frequent causes of damage to bridges than storms or earthquakes. “The date of the report tells you that this is a well-known problem. A bridge engineering handbook published in 2000 made clear the concerns. The stomach-churning video of the Baltimore collapse brings home just how fragile a bridge can be in comparison to a giant cargo ship. It’s an irresistible force meeting a very movable object,” says Opinion writer Peter Coy. #baltimorebridge #bridgecollapse #nytopinion ♬ original sound - New York Times Opinion

Damaging collisions between ships and bridges are all too common. There were 35 major ones worldwide between 1960 and 2015, killing 342 people, of which 18 occurred in the United States, according to a 2018 tally by the engineering consultant firm Moffatt & Nichol.

As ships have gotten bigger, the damage has gotten worse. I found a 1983 report by the National Research Council that said that vessel collisions are far more frequent causes of damage to bridges than storms or earthquakes.

The date of the report tells you that this is a well-known problem. A bridge engineering handbook published in 2000 made clear the concerns. The stomach-churning video of the Baltimore collapse brings home just how fragile a bridge can be in comparison to a giant cargo ship. It’s an irresistible force meeting a very movable object.

Steering a cargo ship beneath a bridge isn’t easy even when the engine is running. The captain can’t slow down too much because the ship needs a certain amount of speed to be steerable. So vessels keep colliding with bridges, bridges keep collapsing and people keep getting killed. Something needs to change.

Congestion Pricing Is a Victory for Millions of Transit Riders

On Wednesday, New York may finally become the first city in the nation to adopt congestion pricing, a plan to get cars and trucks off city streets and raise funds for public transit by charging drivers a premium for entering Manhattan’s busiest areas.

The ambitious plan was stymied for nearly two decades, mostly because politicians were wary of challenging the city’s car culture, but if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approves the final proposal on Wednesday, as expected, the program could start in June. It will be a resounding victory for New York’s economy and for roughly 5.5 million people who ride the region’s subways, buses and commuter rails every day.

The money raised from truck and car tolls in Lower and Midtown Manhattan is expected to add about $1 billion each year for the region’s public transit system, which needs significant investment, especially after taking a hit in ridership during the height of the pandemic.

Cities like London and Singapore, both with excellent transit systems, have had tolling programs like this for years. But lawsuits and Albany gridlock delayed the program, and it’s still disappointing to see groups like the city’s teachers’ union and a local chapter of the N.A.A.C.P . fighting the program in court. The reality is that the city’s economy relies heavily on a fully functioning transit system, and a majority of residents living in poverty in New York City depend on that transit system.

“This isn’t just a fight about tolls,” Janno Lieber, the M.T.A. chief, who has championed the plan, told me. “Nobody speaks for the people who can’t get in the train station because there’s no elevator,” he said. “We’re going to have cleaner air, safer streets, better traffic, and we’re going to invest in transit.”

In the final accounting, supporters of the plan — a group that over the years has included New Yorkers from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to ordinary subway riders who voiced support to the M.T.A. — appear to be the stronger coalition. In recent months, Gov. Kathy Hochul has pushed hard for the plan, too. If it succeeds, it will be a refreshing example of the progress that good government and steady civic pressure can bring.

Nicholas Kristof and Patrick Healy

What Most Surprised Us About the Outbreak of Deepfake Porn

Patrick Healy , Deputy Opinion Editor

Nick, you’ve reported deeply for years about exploitation, abuse and trafficking of women and girls. Your latest column on deepfake nude videos showed us new ways that technology has become a vile weapon against them. What did you learn in reporting the piece that surprised you?

Nicholas Kristof , Opinion Columnist

What startled me the most was simply the failure of regulators, lawmakers and tech companies to show much concern for the humiliation of victims, even as sleazy companies post nonconsensual fake sex videos and make money on them. Women and girls are targeted, yet the response from the tech community has mostly been a collective shrug. Why should Google, whose original motto was “don’t be evil,” be a pillar of this ecosystem and direct traffic to websites whose business is nonconsensual porn?

Even when underage victims go to the police, there’s usually no good recourse. We’ve effectively armed predators and exploitative companies with artificial intelligence but denied victims any defense.

You write: “With just a single good image of a person’s face, it is now possible in just half an hour to make a 60-second sex video.” Is there any way people can protect themselves?

Nicholas Kristof

Some experts counsel girls or women to avoid posting images on public Instagram or Facebook pages. That strikes me as unrealistic. Some of the victims are prominent women whose images are everywhere — one deepfake site appropriated a congresswoman’s official portrait. Or sometimes an ordinary woman or girl is targeted by an ex-boyfriend or by a classmate, who will probably have photos already.

Because it’s so difficult for individuals to protect themselves, we need systemic solutions, like amending Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act so that there is less immunity for badly behaved tech companies. End impunity, and incentivize companies to police themselves.

Among the statistics that froze me was this one: “Graphika, an online analytics company, identified 34 nudify websites that received a combined 24 million unique visitors in September alone.” These numbers are enormous. What does this say to you about our society?

A generation ago, there was an argument that social networks were going to knit us together. In fact, I think we’ve become more atomized, with screen time substituting for people time. Some experts think that in an age of social isolation, porn is becoming an easy way to avoid the complexity and frustration of dealing with real people. Meanwhile, the casual cruelty we see on social media is paralleled by the cruelty we see in deepfake sites showing actresses, princesses, singers or politicians being raped.

It’s hard to view these exploitative, nonconsensual videos and not perceive misogyny — both in the videos and in a system that tolerates them and provides victims with no remedy.

Photograph by Larysa Shcherbyna/Getty Images

Boeing Needs New Leadership With the Right Kind of Experience

Has Boeing finally gotten the message that its very future rests on restoring faith in the safety of its products? I hope so.

Trust in the aircraft manufacturer was shaken nearly five years ago, after the crashes of two 737 Max 8 planes killed nearly 350 people. Then in January, just when it seemed that the company had put its safety problems behind it, a panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane midair during an Alaska Airlines flight. Fortunately, there were no major injuries.

If Boeing’s current management had tried to ride out this storm, it would have shown a sense of impunity and a lack of remorse. The people at the top aren’t the only problem at Boeing, to be sure, but leadership matters.

So it was a step in the right direction on Monday when Boeing announced that David Calhoun had chosen to step down as chief executive officer, Stan Deal would retire as president of the commercial airplanes division, and Larry Kellner would not stand for re-election as chairman of the board.

That’s not enough, though. To show that it means what it says, Boeing needs to find a new chief executive officer who has lived and breathed manufacturing and understands how to manage giant projects. That’s a rare commodity. Few projects are as big and complex as designing and building a commercial airliner.

Thomas Black, an opinion columnist for Bloomberg, mentions Larry Culp, who is the chief executive of General Electric as well as G.E. Aerospace, one of the three companies that will survive as G.E. breaks itself up. But Culp might not want the job.

Another step that would impress aircraft purchasers and passengers would be clawing back some of Calhoun’s bonus pay, or at least not paying out awards that haven’t vested yet. I asked Boeing about that and was told that details on that issue are coming in a few weeks.

When Calhoun took over as chief executive in 2020, he vowed to produce jets at a pace the factory can handle, instill discipline, hunt for bad news and act on it, according to a profile in The Times. “If I don’t accomplish all that,” he said, “then you can throw me out.”

They just did.

Daniel J. Wakin

For All His Brilliance, Pollini Could Be a Supreme Romantic

Maurizio Pollini, the great Italian pianist who died on Saturday at 82, could never escape adjectives like cool and cerebral and remote. Perhaps some critics and listeners found him that way. Certainly there was no dispute over his technique, considered to be among the most brilliant of any pianist who flourished in the second half of the last century. He was also an intellectually searching man, interested in art and literature.

Pollini’s virtuosity was evident from the beginning. Artur Rubinstein, who led the jury that awarded him first prize at the Chopin competition in 1960, reportedly said , “That boy plays better than any of us jurors.” Pollini was 18.

Pollini’s brilliance was marked by precision and clarity. He excelled in complex modernist scores by Stockhausen, Nono and Boulez — especially Boulez’s Piano Sonata No. 2. For some, his Beethoven was exceptional. He was a master of Schumann. Brahms, Schubert and Debussy were in his repertoire. Mozart too, although the accolades here were a bit quieter.

I once asked Pollini, in an interview , about his reputation for aloofness in his playing. He did not answer directly. “One can only think what music should give to a listener,” he said. “Certainly a strong emotion.”

It is in Pollini’s Chopin performances that the whole discussion over his coolness becomes, for me, a little pointless. Few composers are as poetic as Chopin, and oddly, Pollini — so often described as overly intellectual — performs Chopin in a way that feels truly lyrical. I’m convinced it is Pollini’s brilliant control over technique that helps make it so (not to mention a formidable musical intelligence). His keyboard mastery allowed him to transmit, without mediation, Chopin’s romantic intentions. (In the interview, the pianist called Chopin “innately seductive.”)

On news of his death I went back to a recording of Chopin’s 24 Preludes, released by Deutsche Grammophon in 1984, to hear that technique in service of poetry. It was there in the vaguely ominous oscillating undercurrent passages, the crystalline rippling configurations and the devilishly fast passages that never seemed rushed. It was there in the purity of touch in plaintive melodies, the élan of dashed-off broken chords, the patrician, elegant tone and the perfectly paced crescendos. The common denominator? An uncommon clarity.

A Trump Criminal Trial Really Could Start This Year

Don’t hold your breath, but as of Monday, the American people are just a few weeks away from maybe, possibly, witnessing the first ever criminal prosecution of a former American president. It might even end before Election Day.

That prospect — once a near certainty, given that Donald Trump faced 91 ( now reduced to 88 ) felony charges in four separate trials — has been looking increasingly dodgy of late. One trial has been delayed by an inexperienced, Trump-friendly judge . Another has been delayed by an indiscreet, overstretched prosecutor . Yet another, the federal Jan. 6 trial, which was supposed to start three weeks ago, has been delayed by an absurd hail-Mary legal argument by Trump that the Supreme Court has decided to take seriously .

Through it all, the former president has reveled openly in his unmatched ability to turn the justice system’s great strengths — deliberation and due process — against it. “We want delays, obviously,” Trump told reporters in February before a hearing in the fourth case, involving hush-money payments made to Stormy Daniels, a porn star, in the hope of influencing the outcome of the 2016 election.

On Monday, however, Juan Merchan, the New York judge in that case, set the trial to start on April 15 . This was itself a delay from the original start date of March 25, which had to be postponed after a last-minute document dump by federal prosecutors. Merchan was not impressed by Trump’s lawyers’ flailing attempts to exploit the new evidence and ask for yet more time to prepare. “For whatever reason, you waited until two months before trial” to seek out these documents, he lectured them.

(Trump did get a break on the $557 million bond he owes for a separate civil fraud judgment against him. Earlier on Monday, a New York appeals court cut that amount by almost $400 million and gave him 10 days to come up with the cash.)

It’s been argued that the New York case — technically about falsifying business records — is the weakest of the four against Trump. But it may also be the most fitting. Falsification, after all, is the essence of Trump. And it sets the stage for the broader arc of criminal charges — from before, during and after his presidency — that define the Trump era to date.

The man is a walking crime scene. The American people deserve to see the end of the show.

Serge Schmemann

The U.S. Is Using the Security Council to Pressure Israel

How the United States deals with U.N. Security Council resolutions on Israel has long been a barometer of Washington’s feelings about its close ally. America’s record of at least 55 vetoes on Israel’s behalf over half a century, often standing alone with Israel, has made those times when the United States abstains or even votes against Israel noteworthy and newsworthy.

So when the Biden administration produced a tough resolution last week calling for a cease-fire and then allowed a similar measure to pass by abstaining on Monday, the signal was unmistakable. It was a way of broadcasting what President Biden has made abundantly clear in other ways in recent weeks: He is tired of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defiance of American and global calls to ease up on an offensive that threatens famine on a Gazan population whose homes and lives have already been cruelly devastated.

Security Council resolutions are binding in international law but have no enforcement mechanism. In Israel’s case they have been used as a diplomatic cudgel that the United States has usually blocked and Israel has usually ignored. This time, the administration’s demonstration of frustration with Netanyahu was all the sharper, since Washington vetoed three earlier resolutions calling for cease-fires. Netanyahu, whose survival in office depends on the support of two extremist parties, has resisted all entreaties to order a pause in the brutal Israeli offensive.

Last Friday, the administration offered its own draft calling for an immediate cease-fire, but it was vetoed by Russia and China, America’s primary adversaries on the global stage, which were not prepared to allow Washington to have its way. Nor were Republicans prepared to give Biden any slack over the Middle East, assailing him for turning on an ally in the middle of a war.

But historically, Republicans have been at least as critical of Israel as Democrats, at least by the barometer of the Security Council. Every president since 1967 except Donald Trump has allowed at least one Security Council resolution critical of Israel to pass, and by far, the most were under the administrations of Richard Nixon (15) and Ronald Reagan (21). Barack Obama had the fewest: one, when shortly before leaving office he abstained on a resolution critical of the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

An earlier version of this article misstated details of the history of U.N. Security Council resolutions about Israel in relation to presidential administrations. It is not the case that every president since 1967 has allowed a few Security Council resolutions critical of Israel to pass or that the Obama administration had the fewest critical resolutions. No such resolutions passed during the Trump administration.

How we handle corrections

Zeynep Tufekci

Who’s to Blame for Those Kate Middleton Conspiracies?

A British government source, reportedly, told the British newspaper The Telegraph that “hostile state actors” — China, Russia and Iran — are “fueling disinformation about the Princess of Wales to destabilize the nation.” British morning shows promptly picked up the story, comparing it to election interference.

It’s certainly possible that countries with a history of online conspiracy mongering played some role in amplifying the most salacious rumors about Catherine, the Princess of Wales. But it’s also undeniable that large numbers of people — and celebrities and newspapers and everything else — were intensely interested in the princess’s whereabouts.

The claim about foreign bots and the Princess of Wales is just the latest of similar claims of foreign interference or social media manipulation made without convincing public evidence. Young people are dissatisfied with President Biden’s policies over the Israel-Hamas war? Blame TikTok . Consumer sentiment soured amid high inflation and housing prices? Must be social media!

If our institutions turn foreign meddling on social media into the new “the dog ate my homework,” it will become an easy excuse to ignore public dissatisfaction with divisive policies. And how will such claims be believable when they actually involve consequential foreign meddling in elections?

There is nothing mysterious about the Kate Middleton rumors and conspiracies. She completely disappeared from view amid conflicting claims about her whereabouts. Then photo agencies conceded that the one photo the palace released of her and her children was doctored. Because the royals cultivate a headline-grabbing parasocial relationship with the public, the topic merged with the global water cooler chat online and rumors ran wild.

But there is a lesson. Kensington Palace is the latest institution to discover that lying to the public will make people suspicious. Mistrust will swirl on social media, as valid questions and bonkers conspiracies percolate.

It was true for the pandemic and for the war in Gaza. It’s true in the royals’ case, too. Western institutions should first worry about shoring up their own behavior. Then they can talk about meddling — with evidence, please.

Assessing Presidential Candidates by the Company They Keep

You can learn a lot about presidential candidates by the company they keep. In the first campaign I covered as a reporter, in 2004, then-Senator John Kerry came alive on the trail when he invited Edward M. Kennedy to join him in Iowa; Teddy loosened Kerry up, and those Kennedy stemwinders gave Kerry energy. By contrast, Kerry was never excited by his slick No. 2, John Edwards. In 2008, Hillary Clinton seemed happiest and heartiest when Bill Clinton was around, making her laugh, rooting her on — but they did relatively few joint appearances, with the Big Dog casting a long shadow. In 2016, if Donald Trump had a friend, I never saw it. He was a man who liked being alone with his own press clippings, and seemed happiest talking to journalists about his poll numbers.

This week, consider the company the candidates keep. Today, the No. 1 reality of Trump’s life — unending legal problems — will be in sharp relief as his lawyers grapple with a Manhattan court date in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case, and as they fight the seizure of his assets in the New York civil fraud case. Yes, Republican leaders are falling in line behind Trump, but few want to be in his company in public. Trump stands before us not only friendless and family-less — the company he keeps is the company of lawyers.

On Tuesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will announce his running mate in his independent bid for the presidency. Kennedy’s choice — the company he keeps — will tell us plenty about his campaign’s strategic imperatives ; does he go with someone who has governing experience, or does he choose someone with celebrity flash or with deep pockets who can help finance signature collections to qualify for the November ballots?

Then there’s President Biden, who is focusing on the Democratic base. He held a call on Saturday with former President Barack Obama, the former House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and supporters celebrating the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, and will join Obama and Bill Clinton at a big fund-raiser Thursday. Obama and Clinton are two of the party’s best communicators; though they have lost some popularity, I think they’ll be big assets for Biden and unfurl some good lines on his behalf. If Trump can prosper from misplaced nostalgia for his economic record, surely Biden can prosper from genuine nostalgia among a lot of Democrats and swing voters for the Clinton and Obama visions for hope and change. Plus, they’re fun company.

For Putin, Even a Terrorist Attack Is a Chance to Spread Misinformation

The horrific terrorist attack on people gathering for a concert at Moscow’s cavernous Crocus City Hall was a brutal reminder that Russia has long been a target of Islamist terrorists. From the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, through Moscow’s long and savage campaign to crush Chechen separatists, and Russia’s support of the Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad, Moscow has been at least as despised a foe of Islamist extremists as the United States for all of Vladimir Putin’s years in power.

In the past the Kremlin acknowledged its opponent and dealt ruthlessly with Islamist extremists. This time, however, Putin made no mention of the organization that credibly claimed responsibility, an Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State known as ISIS-K, and instead cast indirect and utterly unsubstantiated suspicion on Ukraine.

He said the criminals acted like the Nazis invaders who once slaughtered helpless civilians to intimidate the population, a charge meant to echo Putin’s regular depiction of the Ukrainian leadership as neo-Nazis. And the four attackers who were apprehended, he said, were moving in the direction of Ukraine, where he said a “window was prepared” for their escape.

It was not a particularly believable story — the Russia-Ukraine border is arguably among the most militarized on earth. But the claim reflected Putin’s problem: coming on the heels of a staged election which was intended to glorify him as the only leader who can assure the Russians security against sworn enemies in Ukraine and the West, the attack was an obvious and devastating failure of intelligence and policing.

The failure was all the more acute since the United States had warned him that it had intelligence of an impending attack in Russia, a warning Putin dismissed.

Many expatriate Russian bloggers — a population that has swelled with Putin’s repression — warned from the outset that Putin would seek to implicate Ukraine and the West in the attack. After that, many surmised, he would use the attack to rally people behind the government and to launch another mobilization of men for the Ukraine war.

Domestically, many reactions on the internet seemed to embrace the Kremlin’s conspiracy theories. One preposterous version, quoted by Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, said it made sense that Washington would deflect blame from Ukraine, since the U.S. helped create ISIS.

The post may well have been part of a Kremlin propaganda offensive, but it would likely find many believers in Russia, where Putin turns even murderous attacks to his advantage.