Question

Sasha is writing an essay about a fictional text that was written in 1904. The text is in the public domain, meaning that it is no longer protected by copyright.

Should Sasha take steps to avoid plagiarizing the text? Why or why not?

A.
Yes. It is never appropriate to use someone else's words as your own.
B.
Yes. There are financial penalties for plagiarizing texts that aren't copyrighted.
C.
No. The text is so old that no one will know whether Sasha is using her own words or someone else's words.
D.
No. It’s fine to copy the text word-for-word and pass it off as her own because the copyright is no longer protected.

Answer 1

Sasha should avoid plagiarism by citing the public domain text appropriately, as it is about respecting intellectual property and maintaining ethical research standards. Option a is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, Sasha should take steps to avoid plagiarizing the text, despite the fact that it is in the public domain. While the text being in the public domain means that it is no longer protected by copyright and can be freely used without fear of financial penalties, plagiarism is not only about copyright infringement. It is about the ethical use of information and giving credit where it is due. Intellectual property laws protect the original creators of works, but ethical research practices demand recognition of the creators' contributions, regardless of copyright status. When someone uses another's words, ideas, or information, proper citation is necessary to avoid plagiarism. Answer A is correct because it emphasizes the importance of ethical standards over legal requirements, recognizing that academic honesty involves accurately citing all sources, even those that are no longer copyrighted.