In the realm of academia, where honesty, intellectual, and academic integrity are highly regarded, there lies a menace that undermines academic excellence and jeopardizes the essence of scholarly pursuits and that is plagiarism.
Threat to academic integrity
Plagiarism is an act of stealing someone else’s work and presenting it as your original work. In the context of academic life, plagiarism involves using ideas, thoughts, words, and information without giving credit to the author or properly citing the sources.
Examples of plagiarism
These three common examples of plagiarism will help you know why this act is a problem and unacceptable in academia.
Examples
- Paraphrasing an idea without giving reference to the source. This is considered plagiarism because you restated the idea of someone else and presented it as your original thought.
- Adding a quote to your paper without citing the source. This is plagiarized content as it does not provide a reference to the source.
- Writing the text word by word in your paper. This is plagiarism because you are relying on the words of others disregarding the contribution of the writer in academia.
Historical background of plagiarism
The word plagiarism is derived from the Latin word “plagiarius” which means “abductor”. It originated in the Roman Empire and was used in literature to describe someone who stole the works of others.
In the late 16th century, Samuel Johnson’s dictionary used plagiarism and according to American pronunciation, it is pronounced as play-jr-i-zm. The first case of plagiarism emerged around 80 AD when the poet Martial convicted Fidentinus of stealing his work and taking credit for it. (Source: Turnitin)
From then the issue of plagiarism arose in academic and professional careers. But now in the contemporary era, access to the internet has made it easy to copy and use the work of others. Hence, plagiarism has emerged as the biggest challenge that occurs in various forms.
Types of plagiarism
The first step to maintaining academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism is to understand the different types of plagiarism. Plagiarism comes in various forms that are mentioned below:
Mosaic Plagiarism
Mosaic plagiarism is also known as patchwork plagiarism which means copying the thoughts, ideas, or clauses from someone else’s work and incorporating them into one’s own work presenting it as a unique, new, and original text without proper citations.
This type of plagiarism is a bit difficult to detect because it patches the same words and even slightly paraphrased sentences in one’s text.
You can avoid this plagiarism by simply adding the reference of the source to maintain academic integrity.
Example
Original Text: In the contemporary era, the impact of climate change on our ecosystem has alarmed the world as it raises questions about the survival of living organisms.
Mosaic Plagiarized Text: There is increasing worry about the impact of climate change on our ecosystem because it has become a challenging situation for survival.
Complete Plagiarism
Complete plagiarism is also known as global plagiarism, and it is an extreme form of plagiarism that challenges academic integrity. In this plagiarism, the writer either pays someone else to write a paper for them so they can publish it by their name, or one copies the entire work of someone else and submits it as their own.
This type of plagiarism has severe consequences, and it is never unintentional. You can avoid this plagiarism by writing essays yourself.
Example
Original Text: The advancement in technology helped people to connect regardless of their location.
Complete Plagiarized Text: The advancement in technology helped people to connect regardless of their location.
Direct Plagiarism
Also, known as verbatim plagiarism, this form allows the person to steal quotations or sentences directly from the source without proper citations. This form of plagiarism is easily detectable using various plagiarism tools.
This type of plagiarism also has severe repercussions, and it is never unintentional. You can avoid this plagiarism by citing the source and using quotation makes around direct quotes.
Example
Original Text: The final forming of the person lies in their own hands. (Anne Frank)
Complete Plagiarized Text: The final forming of the person lies in their own hands.
Self Plagiarism
Yes! You heard it right. You can plagiarize your work too.
Self-plagiarism is the type of plagiarism when students reuse their previous written work to get credit in another class by presenting it as a new work. This form of plagiarism is intentional and against academic integrity. So, the only way to avoid self- plagiarism is by citing the source properly or getting permission from your instructors to reuse your work.
Example
Original Text: The Influence of Politicians on the Behavior of Voters (Submitted by a student for a Psychology course)
Complete Plagiarized Text: The Influence of Politicians on the Behavior of Voters (Submitted by a student for a Political Science course)
Accidental Plagiarism
This type of plagiarism is the most common and happens when you submit someone else’s work without proper attribution. It is unintentional and occurs when you forget to cite or fail to put quotes around cited material.
Sometimes this occurs when you are writing on the same topic on which someone has written before, but obviously, the wording or sentence structure would not be the same. So, the only way to avoid accidental plagiarism is by citing the source properly.
Example
Original Text: The use of mobile phones has affected the physical health of kids.
Complete Plagiarized Text: The physical health of children is impacted by the excessive use of mobile phones.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism
As the name suggests, this form of plagiarism includes restating the work of others by writing in your own words without giving credit to the original person. It is a common type of plagiarism and is usually intentional. However, some universal laws or terminologies can never be considered plagiarism, but still, it is necessary to cite them.
The best way to avoid this plagiarism and maintain academic integrity is by giving the proper reference.
Example
Original Text: The essay delves into the importance of self-learning to enhance intellectual ability and creativity.
Complete Plagiarized Text: This essay addresses the role of self-learning in the building of creative and intellectual abilities.
Plagiarism is a serious and rising concern in academics. However, there are many ways to prevent plagiarism to ensure originality and academic integrity.
Ways to avoid plagiarism
The most common ways to avoid plagiarism and maintain academic integrity are by:
- Writing your own work.
- Conducting thorough research.
- Citing the sources properly.
- Paraphrasing and still adding references.
- Using quotation marks for direct sentences or terminologies.
- Adding in-text citations to give credit to the authors.
- Seeking constructive external feedback.
- Using plagiarism-checking tools.
But if plagiarism is a serious issue, then what allows people to commit this crime?
Why do people plagiarise?
Plagiarism is a problem that has severe consequences depending on the severity of the conduct. It is common among students and even professionals. There can be several reasons for committing plagiarism in writing and some of them could be accidental or unintentional. Here are some reasons why people engage in this crime:
- The pressure of submitting the work before the deadline
- Unawareness of the repercussions
- Lack of confidence in one’s own words and thoughts
- Unfamiliarity with the proper citation rules
- Ignorance of ethical and moral practices
How plagiarism can harm?
Apart from impacting academic integrity, plagiarism can not only harm the reputation of the one who committed the theft, but it also harms the original author. There are some ways in which plagiarism can harm on a broader level.
- Harms the reputation of the original author raising concerns about their credibility as people might not be aware of the real creator
- Hampers critical thinking as there isn’t anything new or valuable being added to the community
- Damages personal and professional reputation
- Undermines academic and professional integrity
- Provides unnecessary advantages to those who are involved in this act.
Potential Consequences of Plagiarism
Every crime comes with a penalty or consequences. So does plagiarism. There are many consequences of plagiarism some of them are:
What happens if you plagiarize in high school or university?
As plagiarism is considered a threat to academic integrity, students who are engaged in plagiarism often face consequences like
- Grade penalty
- Course failure
- Academic probation
- Academic Expulsion
What happens if you plagiarize as a professor or a researcher?
Professors who plagiarize their work can experience repercussions like
- Termination of employment
- Professional disqualification
- Limit opportunities for growth
- Legal consequences in cases involving copyright infringement
Researchers or writers who are found guilty of plagiarized content can encounter outcomes like
- Loss of credibility
- Expulsion from associated institutions
- Termination of contracts
- Legal action in cases involving copyright infringement
Why is it important to avoid plagiarism?
Academic integrity and ethical practices are valued not only in academics but also in professional life. Therefore, it is necessary to not plagiarize in order to:
- Prevent the breach of academic integrity.
- Maintain honesty and credibility in one’s field of work.
- Inspire and influence people with your new thoughts.
- Ensure fairness.
- Promote creativity and originality.
- Enhance professional growth.
- Develop research and writing skills.
- Elevate one’s self-respect.
There are several ways to detect plagiarism. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid it to maintain academic integrity and foster professional growth.
Is it possible to detect plagiarism?
There are many tools that can help you to write your entire essays but with this blessing, there comes advanced software programs that can detect your plagiarism by comparing your work with large databases.
One of the best plagiarism detection tools is Skyline Academic. It works by comparing your data with extensive published sources and generating a report by highlighting the copied work. At Skyline Academic, our tool can easily generate your most reliable and accurate plagiarism reports for a reasonable price.
So, what are you waiting for? Explore our tool now and get the results!
Common Questions about Plagiarism
Is it okay to use my own work for different projects?
No because reusing your work without citing it properly comes under the self-plagiarism that can harm your reputation.
Is plagiarism always intentional?
Plagiarism is mostly intentional, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be unintentional. In the accidental form of plagiarism, people might encounter unintentional problems that can be avoided by properly citing the sources.
What percentage of plagiarism is accepted?
It depends on the policies of different universities. Most universities have a “zero-tolerance” policy for plagiarism and there are some that can accept 1-10% of plagiarism. So, no one can give you the exact acceptable percentage apart from your institution or professor.