AdamL,

Plagiarism strikes a raw nerve with academics because in a world where so little counts for much the little things count for a lot. In academia the only thing you trade upon are your ideas. Ideas may be reprsented in books or patents, but those ideas are your product. If you stole bread from a baker you would understand the theft. In the realm of intellectual exchange the trade of cash for bread is in the attribution. Academics are given accolades for being cited and creating dialog.

Academics are rarely paid extensive sums of money for their work and the only acknowledgment of their work is the report that citation bibliometrics provide. Attribution is about giving due recognition for others work and not claiming others work as yours. In academia you can publish an annotated bibliography which is nothing but citations and have that considered scholarship. There are other reasons such as recreating the science for attribution, but in general I think it is about credit. A history of science shows good scientists being claim jumped by better politically connected scientists which led to funding and respect.

I understand why the Army and Marine Corps would do things a particular way and I'll even take their side, but I'll be honest I walk on hot coals with my colleagues doing so and jeopardize my career. Even just doing so here on SWC. I think Steve Metz and MarcT would back me up in saying in academia plagiarism is not about the money and many careers have ended for less than what these accusations entail. When you talk about ideas being the coin of the realm what appears to be of no consequence can have extreme effects.

Those outside of academia can belittle the specifics of intellectual pursuit that academics engage in, but they are lesser individuals for that. Every career has it's way of dealing with acknowledgement and attribution for acts. In the military medals, and rank are given based on the deeds of the soldier. In academia awards and academic rank are given based on the quality and quantity of scholarship. In the military wearing medals not earned are nearing culturally the same level of abhorrence as plagiarism in academia.

It might not make sense to everybody but you have to respect it. I'm sure there is some silly anthropologist theory about it, but I call it respect.