If suspected of plagiarism, which act is the individual believed to have carried out?

The act of passing off copied work as one's own constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism involves using someone else's ideas, writings, or intellectual property without appropriate acknowledgment, thereby presenting it as one's own original work. In academic and professional contexts, this is considered a serious ethical violation because it undermines the integrity of the work and disrespects the contributions of the original author.

In contrast, the other options relate to different types of misconduct in professional practice. Breaching patient confidentiality pertains to violating the privacy rights of patients, forgery involves the illegal act of falsifying a signature, and keeping incomplete records refers to the failure to maintain accurate and thorough documentation. While all these actions could result in professional repercussions, they do not specifically relate to the act of plagiarism. Passing off copied work as original is the clear and focused definition of plagiarism, establishing the understanding around academic honesty and integrity.