Final answer:
Copying materials word for word without quotation marks or proper citation constitutes plagiarism. Whether intentional or not, failing to give credit to the original source is academically dishonest and has serious consequences. It is essential to always attribute ideas that are not your own to maintain academic integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Copying materials from a source text without using quotation marks or author attribution is indeed considered plagiarism. When a student copies a passage word for word from an Internet site and includes it in their paper without proper attribution, they are failing to give credit to the original author, which is a requisite academic practice. Simple forgetfulness does not excuse this action; it is still an act of plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can range from copying and pasting text without citation to submitting an entire paper written by someone else. It misrepresents the plagiarist's abilities and undermines the integrity of the educational process. Correctly citing all sources, whether you are paraphrasing or directly quoting, is essential in upholding academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism. While unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism, it can be easily avoided with careful research and writing practices. Instances of permissible use without attribution include facts that are considered common knowledge, such as dates of historical events or general laws of science. However, unique ideas or specific phrasings from a source must always be credited, whether they are quoted directly or paraphrased.