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Abstract

Plagiarism is regarded as an academic crime, but can affect hobbies that rely on research and information sharing such as genealogy. The issue is well-known within the genealogy community. However, information professionals who aid genealogists in their research may not know enough about the issue. How can the library field respond constructively to the issue of uncontrolled plagiarism in genealogy? While the genealogy community condemns plagiarism and offers resources to correct it, current library practices concentrate on services and not on plagiarism education in the genealogy context, concentrating more on copyright and legal problems. The library field can help professionals respond to uncontrolled plagiarism in genealogy by studying the issue. Recommendations for further action include more research on the information-seeking behaviors of genealogists, training information professionals to give both copyright and plagiarism attention and an increase in workshops to educate genealogists on citation.

About Author

Katherine S. Richers, M.A., is a MLIS student in the San Jose State iSchool program. She lives in Bakersfield, California. Her educational background is in the humanities (English and history). She currently volunteers at the Historical Research Center at California State University, Bakersfield as she completes her degree.

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