There is no doubt that finding information on any topic under the sun has never been as easy as it is now. This has negative impact too when it comes to copying the content of others.
In the first century, Roman poet Martial, used the word plagiarius (which is a Latin word meaning “kidnapper”) to accuse a poet of “kidnapping his verses”. Later in the 17th century the word Plagiary, which is a derivative of the Latin word plagiarius was introduced in English to identify someone accused of literary theft.
Since then the act of plagiarism is considered to be a serious offense and is not just restricted to “borrowing” or “copying” other content.
So, what is plagiarism all about and how to overcome such unethical acts?
With the help of proper guidance and advanced technology can we avoid it?
The University of North Carolina defines plagiarism as, “deliberate or reckless representation of another's words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own without attribution in connection with the submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise” (Instrument of Student Judicial Governance, Section II.B.1.).
In simple terms, it is the act of stealing the ideas or information of another person. Plagiarism is the act of claiming content as your own with or without the consent of the other person. It also involves using content in your own work and not crediting the original author.
All material, whether published or unpublished, in manuscript, printed or in electronic form is covered under the definition of plagiarism.
Just like stealing, the act of plagiarism is considered to be a serious crime. It has severe penal implications like suspension, heavy penalties, or even expulsion from work or school.
Can images, music, and videos be plagiarized?
The first thought that comes to the mind when reading about plagiarism is that it is associated with copied content. But the word “content” entails a larger meaning than in the general sense. It includes images, videos or any work of music.
This means that if any image, video, or music that has been produced by a person and is used without permission or citation is an act of plagiarism.
Most people unknowingly use content in this manner which leads to plagiarism issues. The following acts are considered to be plagiarism –
Copying media from other sources to use it in your own website, especially images.
Taking footage from other videos that are copyright protected to make your own video, especially music or soundtrack.
Playing the music of another person that is copyrighted.
Some of these copyright issues can be challenging to prove whether actually the copyright provisions have been violated, or not. For example,
Recording audio or video where there is copyrighted content present in the background.
Recreating visual work in the same or different medium (such as photograph with the same subject matter or composition, creating a painting work that resembles that of another painter).
Altering or remixing copyrighted video, audio or images without proper permission of the original developer.
While the legal implications depend on the context and integrity with which they are used, it is better to avoid facing such situations altogether.
What are the various forms of plagiarism?
The one thing in common with all types of plagiarism is that the writer does not cite the original source correctly. They claim the entire content to be their own work. However, the act of plagiarism can be grouped into various forms. The most common ones among them are –
A) Verbatim quotation without proper acknowledgment
Whenever a quotation is used in a text it should be done within an indentation or quotation marks, and with full reference to the source cited.
A reader should be able to make out which parts are the independent work of the author and which parts are borrowed.
B) Paraphrasing
This is the act of rephrasing the text of another person in your own words. It is the most common type of plagiarism in academic research papers and journalism. However, the tag of plagiarism can be avoided if the source is properly cited for.
Paraphrasing becomes an act of plagiarism when key points from different sources are collected and rewritten in your own words as if they were your own thoughts and ideas.
If you want to take ideas from various sources and use it in your own work then you need to abide by the rules of paraphrasing.
C) Direct Plagiarism
When you copy text from a source and paste it into your own essay or academic paper without providing any quotation or citation for such information.
If the majority of the text is the same it is also considered plagiarism even if you change certain words and phrases of the text.
D) Incorrect Citation
Citing a source from where information has been collected is not enough unless it has been properly cited.
You can either quote, summarize or paraphrase the original source.
So, whether you are using the Chicago style or APA style or any other citation style, make sure that you follow all the guidelines properly.
E) Citing a source that is non-existent
You might find it difficult to find an appropriate source to back up your research paper or essay but never make up a non-existent source or include inaccurate information.
This will result in misleading the readers who will think that your research or theory is backed by a source.
F) Mosaic Plagiarism
Also sometimes referred to as incremental plagiarism or patchwork plagiarism, is known to have similarities with paraphrasing.
It is when pieces of information from different sources are cut and pasted together to create new content.
This includes rewording different sources of information while keeping the structure of the original content intact.
This type of plagiarism is more harmful than simple paraphrasing and requires more effort to avoid detection.
G) Self-Plagiarism
This occurs when the author republishes any of his previous work, either partially or entirely, and passes it as new without providing a reference to earlier work.
Self-plagiarism is also referred to as ‘duplication’, ‘multiple submissions’, ‘auto-plagiarism’, and ‘recycling’ without disclosure.
Self-plagiarism among students involve submitting the same assignment without prior approval of the professor about that work.
Students must be given proper training from the very beginning about plagiarism and how to use citations to remove the tag of “plagiarism”.
Well, the first thing that comes to the mind is “how similar is too similar” to constitute plagiarism? Unfortunately, there is no specific answer to this question.
Developing unique content and avoiding plagiarism is all about learning how to use citation.
This is where the question of paraphrasing comes to the forefront. Paraphrasing refers to taking the idea of another person and presenting the same in your own words.
In fact, paraphrasing is an effective way of putting forward your own thoughts and opinions while supporting the argument of the actual author. You need to make sure that you cite the sources properly and credit the author for his ideas while doing so.
To effectively paraphrase any content –
Take notes after reading a passage or an entire paragraph to make sure that you use your own words.
Check your content with the instructor to ensure that it does not closely resemble the original content.
Make sure you cite the sources properly from where you have collected the information.
Now that you know about the various types of plagiarism you should be aware while developing your own content or refer to someone who can guide you on custom essay writing. Otherwise, you are liable to face severe consequences.
The exact consequences depends on the severity of the case in which such actions are committed.
Below, you will get to know the consequences of plagiarism for different categories of writers –
I. Consequences for students
Student life is the learning phase where you will get to learn from the research of other people. At the same time, you are also expected to present your ideas and opinions about a specific subject matter by producing original research work.
But, whatever study material you use for your research you need to cite those sources properly.
Unintentional plagiarism: If you have been caught plagiarizing content unintentionally for the first time and you have no past track-record of such infraction, you might be given lower grades or failed grade in your course.
You might even be asked to attend a workshop where you will be taught about the ways to prevent plagiarism.
Some educational institutions might also keep you on disciplinary probation.
The consequences of such an unethical act depend on the code of conduct of your institution.
Intentional plagiarism: If you are caught committing intentional plagiarism by paraphrasing or copy-pasting text from other sources, you will fail the assignment or for the entire course. You might also be subjected to disciplinary actions which ultimately lead to a suspension.
If your educational institution finds you have intentionally plagiarized, then you might be expelled from your institution. Direct plagiarism is the severest form of plagiarism.
Some institutions might revoke your degree, even if your thesis or research paper is found to be plagiarized years after the completion of your course.
Example: A survey of 43000 high school students by The Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics revealed that:
One out of three students admitted that they used the Internet to plagiarize their assignment.
In journalism and academia, reputation is everything. Once you get a black mark of stealing other people’s content your career is ruined.
If you are into academics or research work and has been accused of plagiarism you will find it difficult to find a good position for yourself. Moreover, no journals will agree to publish your work or investors willing to fund your research.
Therefore, you need to be very careful.
Example: Some Chinese researchers submitted plagiarized content to the Journal of Korean Medical Science (JKMS) were banned from submitting content to the journal for 5 years (Hong, 2017).
III. Consequences for professionals
If you are a professional, associated with any reputed organization and caught plagiarizing content, you will either be fired or asked to resign.
It might be the end of your career as your reputation gets ruined with reduced job prospects.
However, the consequences are totally dependent on the company you are working for, the industry you are associated with and the level of infraction.
While professional writers and public figures face the most severe actions, others face strict consequences as well.
Example: Fareed Zakaria, a foreign policy specialist, suffered a blow to his image because of plagiarism.
Is plagiarism illegal?
Most people who are associated with academics and journalism are aware that plagiarism is unethical. It is an act of professional misconduct. It is a violation of the code of honor at educational institutions and the workplace.
But is the act of plagiarism illegal?
Can a plagiarist be accused of criminal acts?
Well, that depends on the nature of plagiarism. An act of plagiarism is sure to become a legal issue if it is a case of copyright infringement. Although, plagiarism and copyright infringement are considered to overlap each other, all types of plagiarism do not lead to copyright infringement.
For example, copying content from sources which are not copyright protected still constitutes plagiarism.
This is because copyright is the exclusive right given to the creator of original content so that others cannot use their work without permission. Copying the work without proper permission and distributing it is plagiarism.
The basic difference is that while copyright infringement is governed by Copyright Law and is adjudicated by courts, plagiarism is defined by institutions and is punishable by professional associations, commercial entities like publishing companies and educational institutions.
However, copyright infringement is not the only factor to be considered for plagiarism. There are contracts outside the classroom where the author might be required to submit documents and research articles which are plagiarism free in original form to their clients. Breach of such a contract can end up in a lawsuit.
Author Kaavya Viswanathan, had to return the advance she was given for her book to avoid a breach of contract with her publisher which could have resulted in a lawsuit.
While some cases of plagiarism might lead to a civil lawsuit being filed in court, criminal cases are quite rare. In the US, researcher Craig Grimes was accused of criminal fraud for accepting duplicate grants that he received for a proposal.
While writing a research paper you must have referred to several sources and formed your own opinion about the topic.
But how can you specifically distinguish between your own ideas and the ones borrowed from other sources?
How do you cite those sources properly?
If you change some portions of the feedback of the author, do you still need to cite the source?
Well, there is a long list of questions that will come to your mind when you think of avoiding plagiarism in your write up. This video will clarify your stance.
You can avoid plagiarism in your content if you diligently follow the checklist below –
Consult your Instructor
If you have several questions relating to plagiarism and you are unable to find answers to all of them, ask your instructor.
While online guides and honor codes can help you avoid plagiarism, your instructor is the best person to consult with. An instructor here may be teacher, professor or mentor.
You may think that the teacher is there only to catch you with plagiarized content and punish you. Actually, they are present to guide students onto the right track and help them learn about attribution, citation and other ways to avoid plagiarism.
To make the conversation with your teacher more effective and fruitful you need to do the following -
Ask a specific question to your instructor so that he can have something to focus on.
Phrase a positive question. Ask how to cite sources and references correctly instead of asking how not to plagiarize.
Try to find an appropriate time to approach your instructor. Do not burden them with your queries when they are already busy with their own work.
Improve your note-taking skills
One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism while writing is by taking down thorough notes from the sources referred to help organize your content before preparing the draft.
Otherwise, it may lead to misquotations and improper citations, both of which are considered as acts of plagiarism.
To avoid any confusion, use different colored inks for each one to clearly distinguish one source from the other.
Also, mark the page numbers for every source that you refer to. Also, record the bibliographic information while collecting information so that you can include them later after you complete writing your essay or article.
Cite your sources and references properly
Every writer wants credit for their own ideas and writing but it should be clear from your paper which information is your own idea and which ones have been taken from other sources.
For this, you should cite your sources properly. It will help to highlight the following:
You are not just collecting ideas from others, but also processing and adding your own ideas and opinion.
You are taking a research work forward by contributing to the existing research of another person.
The originality of your ideas by making a clear distinction between your ideas and the ideas of others.
Learn the art of paraphrasing
Changing a few words in a sentence won’t rid you of plagiarism. You must change the entire sentence structure to present your own opinion while maintaining the true essence of the idea.
There is a common misconception among writers, especially students that you need to hide the fact that you have taken the help for writing essays from some external sources.
It is actually an advantage to highlight that your own ideas are supported by some other writer as well.
Learning the skill of paraphrasing enables you to include relevant information from any source about your topic of discussion while removing the feel of plagiarism altogether.
While the concept of plagiarism checker is a bit new in the market it has created a marked impact in reducing plagiarism.
A dishwasher washes dishes and a music player plays music, but a plagiarism tool does not actually detect plagiarism. It identifies portions of identical text that has similarity with the ones that is indexed in its database.
Most of these anti-plagiarism tools work on the same principle as Google or any other search engine. They detect matching words and phrases found in other sources.
It provides its results in percentage form. It is almost impossible to check for plagiarism manually and this is what makes such development remarkably useful.
The common phrases are marked in red. The complete sentences that are not original are matched with the source from where it has been copied from the World Wide Web and the entire report is presented.
Final Word of Advice
Plagiarism is considered to be a breach of academic integrity which must be opposed by every member of the academic community.
Passing off the efforts of another person as your own simply shows that you have been incompetent to complete the learning process successfully.
For those who indulge in such unethical activity should be severely penalized. Those who want to avoid it can take the help of various anti-plagiarism tools and professionals to progress in their academic field.
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