Types of Plagiarism in Writing
Plagiarism is a dishonest practice, and you should avoid it at any cost. To do that, you need to know what is considered plagiarism. Here we will describe seven different types of it and give tips on how to avoid them. We will speak about such types of plagiarized works as:
- Global plagiarism
- Paraphrasing
- Verbatim (direct)
- Patchwork (mosaic)
- Self-plagiarism
- Accidental plagiarism
- Source-based plagiarism
If you fail to check your submitted paper or article for plagiarism, you will be accused of academic dishonesty. As a result, it will have negative consequences for your future academic career. So you need to be attentive to your paper. This task does not seem as difficult as you may think since you can learn more from this article to write a paper that will be unique and use a plagiarism checker.
Global (Complete) Plagiarism
This copy-paste practice is considered the worst type of plagiarism in any academic environment, which may result in severe consequences. It happens when a student takes someone else’s academic paper or research results and changes only the name of the author.
If you find the ready assignment online and copy it, it is also global plagiarism. Of course, the action is deliberate and dishonest, and you may be punished for it. So, try to avoid it with a help of a plagiarism checker.
Paraphrasing or Incremental Plagiarism
You may think that if you rephrase the content of the text in your words, everything will be OK. Though, if you rephrase without citing, the text will be considered plagiarized because you have used the ideas of other authors without citing.
You can easily encounter this type of plagiarism when you read a source and then write about its content in your words. Even if you read the information in any other language and then simply translate it into the language of your paper, it is plagiarism anyway. Translated texts also need to be cited.
This type of plagiarism is the most common one in academic writing because students often think that the rephrased ideas can look like their own.
Verbatim (Direct) Plagiarism
Such a type of plagiarism means you copy and paste the pieces of the text and insert them in your work without any citation. The biggest part of the words and the sentence structure is the same as in the original, so it is easy to detect this.
Even if you have changed a couple of words and added or deleted some of them, it does not count. If the author’s opinion is quite important to you, make a quote from the source. Using quotation marks, in this case, is a must, as well as in-text citations.
Even the simplest online plagiarism checkers easily detect such kind of plagiarism, so you need to be aware of that.
Patchwork or Mosaic Plagiarism
Here, the sentences, paragraphs, or passages from different sources are mingled together in a new text and inserted among your sentences and ideas. Such a practice is called mosaic or patchwork plagiarism. You may think that in this way, you will protect yourself against being caught. Still, professional plagiarism checkers can easily detect it.
Even if you interweave the material from other resources with your perspectives, ideas and opinions, your professor may notice that the content is quite similar to what they already know. You may try to change or paraphrase some sentences and use synonyms, but the overall idea is obvious. To cite things taken from other sources is the best way to avoid this type of plagiarism.
Self-Plagiarism (Auto-Plagiarism)
You should know that even if you repeat the ideas and phrases from your previous papers that you have already submitted or published, it will be considered plagiarism. Why is it so? It is simply dishonest in the academic environment to present an old piece of research or data as a brand-new one. The only exception can be made if your professor allows you to do that for some specific academic reasons.
You may think that if you paraphrase some sentences or use synonyms for some words and terms, your work will look new. It may be so, but it is always better to cite your previous work even if you have successfully reworked your previous ideas.
Remember that your old pieces of work may have been used and cited by someone else in their research work. So the harm caused by your self-plagiarized paper can influence other people's reputations. Try to write your ideas from scratch or, if you need the results of your previous work, cite them properly.
Accidental Plagiarism
In most cases, plagiarism is not committed purposefully. Whenever you have a temptation to write about someone’s motivating, inspiring or useful idea, cite it properly and you will always be on the safe side. You may just skip the quotation marks by doing it unintentionally. Still, explaining it to your professor will be difficult, so try to be as attentive as possible.
Always check your ready work properly to avoid plagiarism incidents. If you have doubts about some parts of your text, it is always better to use a plagiarism checker and cite them.
Source-Based Plagiarism
It is a dangerous type of plagiarism when you provide misleading sources to your work. For example, you may have used two or more different sources of the same author but have cited only one. The worst thing here is when you cite a non-existing source or invent an author. Sometimes, you may give an incorrect reference to the source, misspell the author’s name or change the title of their work.
When you fabricate the information, it is considered plagiarism that can influence your academic success. When you invent your statistics or study findings, it is misleading, inappropriate, and can badly impact the whole field of study.
Try to Avoid Plagiarism of Any Type
We are not going to speak here about deliberate plagiarism because it is always intended. All the other types of plagiarism which are described above can result from your lack of knowledge, understanding, academic experience, little time, and whatever. To avoid all these things, try to:
1. Make Correct Quotations
It will help you avoid verbatim plagiarism. Use quotation marks where you need them, and check whether you clearly attribute the provided quote to its author.
2. Provide the Proper Paraphrase
When you need to paraphrase something, change the text completely. Write everything in your words from scratch if you understand the thought properly.
Never try to change separate words with their synonyms because it does not work. Nevertheless, you should also cite the source of the idea to provide information to your readers on which ideas are uniquely yours and which are borrowed.
3. Correct Citation Also Matters
The most important key to avoiding plagiarism is citing everything that is not yours. Include the in-text citations and a full reference. A reference list at the end of your paper is a must that cannot be skipped.
Format your citations correctly according to the requirements of your academic institution and the chosen citation style.
4. Plagiarism Checker is a Great Tool
Our free plagiarism checker is an essential tool in your studies. You just need to upload your ready work to check and adjust your paper to eliminate copied phrases, ideas or sentences before submitting it.
Final Thoughts
Now, you know what types of plagiarism you may accidentally encounter in your academic writing and how to avoid them. Always make sure that you have observed all the requirements of your professor or academic institution and use a plagiarism checker to get peace of mind.
If you have any doubts about some parts of your paper, it is better to consult your supervisor. Peer proofreading and correction may also be helpful.
Remember that further success of your studies may depend on how seriously you take the problem of avoiding plagiarism in your writing and observe all the rules and recommendations accurately.