The different perception of plagiarism can be confusing to some students, especially international students. In the past people relied on oral tradition and folk stories. As result, ideas and concepts were not owned by an individual, but rather by the society. Hence, citing was not necessary. With this in mind, plagiarism can then be confusing for someone who is coming from a society where plagiarism is not taken seriously as it is in the Western culture.
There are different notions about plagiarism around the world that can confuse students.The concept of ownership of ideas and written expressions exists in the English-speaking countries.Authors have the right to own the phrases or ideas written exclusively by the author. It is unacceptable to use those words without giving proper credit to the author. (Mundava & Chaudhuri)