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If you steal from one person, that's plagiarism… If you…

“If you steal from one person, that's plagiarism… If you steal from a lot of people, that's research.” quote by George R.R. Martin
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““If you steal from one person, that's plagiarism… If you steal from a lot of people, that's research.””

George R.R. Martin

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Plagiarism copies a single source without credit; research builds on many works with attribution.

In simple terms: Copying one source is theft; using many sources with credit is research.

Key Takeaway

Respect sources, cite properly.

Themes

ethics creativity intellectual property

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

advice ethical

When to use this quote

  • academic writing
  • creative projects
  • software development
  • journalism
  • artistic inspiration

Key Concepts

originality citation knowledge synthesis

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you differentiate inspiration from theft?
  • What practices ensure ethical research?
A Different Perspective

If sources are not credited, the work may still be unethical.

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