Plagiarism: what is it, whom does it offend, and how does one deal with it?

Academic plagiarism is a thorny ethical and practical problem. Perhaps readers have never personally encountered or recognized a case of plagiarism so its immediate interest and relevance may be obscure. A short case history may provide evidence that the issue of plagiarism is germane to the contemporary academic endeavor. A young university radiologist recognized his own writing in a professional journal under another's authorship, without attribution to himself, and had no idea what to do about it. He finally wrote to the author of the article who answered something to the effect that it was indeed a "remarkable coincidence" and that "great minds think alike." Unsatisfied with the response, he considered reporting the matter to the journal editor, but he was a junior faculty member while the plagiarist was a revered figure in his subspecialty. He chose not to pursue the issue further because he was afraid that the plagiarist would harm him professionally [1].