Rand Paul: Accusations of Plagiarism

The recent plagiarism accusations against Kentucky Senator Rand Paul highlight an important aspect of content curation: attributing sources. Buzzfeed reported that a piece Paul wrote for The Washington Times about mandatory minimum sentences contain three paragraphs that were allegedly copied almost verbatim from an op-ed written by a senior editor at The Week. Paul’s other works including speeches, book, and congressional testimony may also contain sections that may have been copied from other sources.

In response to these accusations, Paul has argued that spoken word does not allow footnoting in the same way that an academic paper would. Even so, his office yesterday announced a new approval process to prevent future plagiarism accusations and make sure sources are properly attributed. Plagiarism is not something to be taken lightly - especially on behalf of an organization. When it comes to online content, ensuring you’re taking the necessary steps to provide clear attribution to curated content is key. Here are three ways to ensure proper attribution.

1. Find and mention the original source.
   Nowadays, things get reported and re-reported via online curation. It’s best to find the original creator, both out of respect for that source and in the interest of getting as close to primary sources as possible. Always mention this original source. For online curation, prominently linking to the source is considered a best practice. For speeches or spoken testimony, you can credit your source in other ways. For instance, “according to an op-ed in The Week …” or “The Week reports that …” Paul’s office added footnotes to the online transcript of the speech, which is also a smart idea, although they should not have waited until accusations came to light.
2. Quote only short sections.
   Never copy and paste from another source and try to pass it off as your own. If you’re quoting a third-party source, those sections should be clearly marked as quotes and attributed to the original author. Quotes should be used sparingly to give readers a feel for the original source, not as a way to avoid writing your own original thoughts. If you quote long sections of the original piece, there’s very little incentive for readers to go read the original. Likewise with photos, you can’t just copy and paste a photo from another source. Use only a small thumbnail or locate another image that’s free from any copyright or royalty issues.
3. Add your own commentary.
   Don’t simply summarize or regurgitate what another author has written. Insert your own point of view and add new context or data. That way you’re authoring something new and using outside sources to bolster your argument. Your commentary should be longer than any sections you’re quoting.

Find these three and more by downloading our latest eBook “Content Markeing Done Right.”