Don't play it again, Sam [From the Editor]

The subject of plagiarism turns up now and again, especially for us in academia and scientific publishing. It is one of those issues that we would prefer to not have to deal with, yet there are times when we have little choice. Fortunately, I have not had to deal with many cases as a journal editor or faculty member, yet the possibility is ever present. Plagiarism is one of those things where you want to have a strong case with appropriate evidence before you accuse anyone of taking written material, illustrations, or other intellectual property from someone else or from one's self without permission and proper acknowledgment. Getting hard evidence of transgressions can be a very difficult task. Unless a plagiarism detective is very familiar with the literature and the work of others, it is incredibly difficult to even suspect plagiarism, let alone to prove it has occurred.