Plagiarism is using someone else’s work or ideas without properly acknowledging the source. It is a form of academic dishonesty and intellectual theft that can have serious consequences, including failing grades, disciplinary action, and damage to one’s reputation.
Plagiarism can take many forms, such as:
- Verbatim plagiarism: Copying someone else’s work word-for-word without providing proper attribution or using quotation marks.
- Mosaic plagiarism (patchwriting): Borrowing phrases or ideas from a source and integrating them into your own work without properly paraphrasing or citing the original.
- Self-plagiarism: Reusing your previously submitted work without disclosing that it was previously used or obtaining permission from the instructor.
- Accidental plagiarism: Unintentionally failing to cite a source or improperly paraphrasing due to carelessness or lack of understanding of citation practices.
Here’s a table with examples of plagiarism and explanations of why each is wrong:
| Examples of plagiarism | Why it’s wrong |
| 1. Copying text verbatim without quotation marks | It fails to acknowledge the original author and presents their work as your own. It misleads the reader into believing the copied text is your original work. |
| 2. Paraphrasing without citing the source | It inadequately acknowledges the original source and fails to give credit to the author for their ideas. Even if you change some words or structure, the ideas belong to the original author and must be properly cited. |
| 3. Providing incorrect sources of information | It misleads readers and fails to provide accurate attribution, making it difficult or impossible to locate the original source. Inaccurate citations undermine the credibility of your work and the original author’s contributions. |
| 4. Reusing your own work without disclosure | It misleads the instructor and fails to demonstrate new learning or original work for the current assignment. Each assignment should represent fresh efforts and learning unless otherwise specified by the instructor. |
| 5. Submitting a text entirely written by someone else | It represents a complete lack of original work and a deliberate attempt to deceive the instructor and readers. It is a severe violation of academic integrity and can result in serious consequences. |
| 6. Quoting excessively from a source | It fails to demonstrate original thought or analysis and relies too heavily on the work of others, even if properly cited. Your work should build upon the ideas of others while contributing your own insights and interpretations. |
Common questions about plagiarism
The following section aims to clarify common questions and misconceptions that students may have regarding plagiarism.
I need to quote and paraphrase a lot. Won’t my paper be full of distracting citations?
While it’s true that papers with numerous quotes and paraphrases can appear cluttered with citations, there are several strategies you can employ to streamline your citations and maintain clear, readable text:
- Combine multiple citations into a parenthetical reference, separating each source with a semicolon. This reduces the number of parentheses in your text.
- You can use a shortened citation form (e.g., just the page number) after the initial full citation to avoid repetition when citing the same source multiple times in a row.
- Some citation styles, such as Chicago, allow the use of “ibid.” to indicate that the citation is identical to the one immediately preceding it, reducing repetition.
- Information considered common knowledge in your field does not require a citation, which can help decrease the number of citations needed.
Remember, while citing your sources correctly is essential, balancing cited material and your original ideas and analysis is equally important. Aim to use quotes and paraphrases strategically to support your arguments rather than relying on them too heavily.
Do I need to cite a certain number of sources? Can citing too much be a bad thing?
There is no fixed rule for the number of sources you should cite in a paper. The appropriate number of citations depends on factors such as your paper’s length, the nature of your research question, and your discipline or assignment expectations.
However, it is possible to cite too much. If your paper consists mainly of quoted or paraphrased material, with little original analysis or interpretation, it may signal your reader that you have yet to fully synthesize the sources or develop your own arguments.
Moreover, over-citing can make your paper easier to read and disrupt the flow of your writing. Strive to balance providing evidence supporting your points and allowing your voice and ideas to shine through.
Instead of citing a specific number of sources, select high-quality, relevant sources that directly support your research question and arguments. Engage with these sources critically, and use them to inform and strengthen your own ideas rather than simply repeating what others have said.
If you cite excessively, review your paper and consider whether each citation is necessary to support your points or whether some could be omitted or replaced with your own analysis.
Is it better to avoid using sources so I don’t risk accidental plagiarism?
No, using sources is a fundamental aspect of academic writing. Engaging with sources allows you to participate in the ongoing scholarly conversation and is essential for producing high-quality academic work. Positioning your own ideas in relation to the work of others is a key part of the research process, not an optional extra.
However, it’s natural to be concerned about the possibility of accidentally plagiarizing. To mitigate this risk, you should:
- Ensure that you’re quoting and paraphrasing sources correctly, following the guidelines of your chosen citation style
- Use a citation management tool to organize your sources and automatically generate accurate citations
- Run your work through a plagiarism checker before submitting it to identify any potential issues that need to be addressed
Is paraphrasing a kind of plagiarism?
No, paraphrasing itself is not a form of plagiarism. Paraphrasing is a legitimate and necessary skill in academic writing. When paraphrasing, you restate someone else’s ideas in your own words, demonstrating your understanding of the original source and integrating it into your argument.
However, paraphrasing can be considered plagiarism if done improperly. To avoid plagiarism when paraphrasing, you must:
- Significantly change the wording and sentence structure of the original text, not just swap out a few words for synonyms.
- Accurately convey the meaning of the original source without misrepresenting or distorting the author’s ideas.
- Cite the original source, crediting the author for their ideas even though you’ve put them in your own words.
A common type of plagiarism related to paraphrasing is “patchwriting,” where a writer stitches phrases and sentences from a source, making only minor changes. This is unacceptable, as it relies too heavily on the original author’s language and fails to demonstrate your understanding and synthesis of the material.