What Is Plagiarism? Meaning, Types & Examples

• May 27, 2024
• 8 min read

• Tags: Academic Writing, Language, Plagiarism

You may have heard of the term plagiarism but do you know what it involves? In this article, learn everything, from the plagiarism definition to the types of plagiarism. With this, we’ve included useful examples of plagiarism. 

We’ve also answered many questions such as: How to check for plagiarism? How to avoid plagiarism? So without further delay, let’s begin! 

What is plagiarism? 

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without giving them credit. It is considered a serious offense in academic and professional settings, as it violates ethical standards. The consequences of plagiarism can range from failing a course to legal action, depending on the incident’s severity.

After understanding what plagiarism is,  let’s learn more about the different types of plagiarism. For those wondering about how many types of plagiarism are there, the answer is 7. Explore all types with practical plagiarism examples! 

What are the different types of plagiarism? 

1. Direct plagiarism 

Direct plagiarism involves reusing and copying someone’s exact words without giving them credit. Not including quotation marks for the text copied also indicates direct plagiarism. 

Also, if you’re translating someone else’s work and not acknowledging the original author, it is considered direct plagiarism. 

Let’s see an example of direct plagiarism! 

Plagiarized text: What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.

The above lines are from J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. However, the fact that they’re used without quotation marks and the author or his work isn’t mentioned indicates direct plagiarism. 

2. Mosaic plagiarism 

Mosaic plagiarism involves taking text, ideas, or concepts from multiple sources and combining them to create a “new” work. Rearranging the sentences from another source, and mixing exactly directly copied and paraphrased text is also mosaic plagiarism. 

Now, let’s browse through an example of mosaic plagiarism! 

Plagiarized text: Life is a journey filled with choices and aspirations. When you truly desire something, the entire universe aligns itself to assist you in attaining it. At times, we encounter two paths diverging in the forest of life, and the decision to take the less-trodden route can make all the difference.

Original quotes

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” (The Alchemist by Paul Coelho)

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.” (The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost) 

3. Self-plagiarism

Self-plagiarism means reusing one’s previous work without giving credit to the original source. This includes: 

• Publishing the same content in multiple outlets without disclosure. For example, submitting a research article to two different journals simultaneously without informing the editors or publishers.
• Reusing data or results from a previous study without proper context in a research paper. 
• Duplicating one’s own published text without quotation marks or citations
• Reusing portions of one’s own published tables, figures, or images. 

Here is an example of self-plagiarism: 

Suppose a researcher named Dr. John Smith conducted a study on the effects of a new drug on blood pressure and published the results in a journal article titled “The Efficacy of Drug X in Lowering Blood Pressure” in 2018. A year later, Dr. Smith is working on a new paper about the long-term effects of the same drug.

Original text from the 2018 paper:

“The results of this study demonstrate that Drug X significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The mean reduction in systolic blood pressure was 15 mmHg (p < 0.001), and the mean reduction in diastolic blood pressure was 10 mmHg (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that Drug X is an effective treatment option for individuals with high blood pressure.”

Self-plagiarized version in the new paper:

“Drug X is effective in reducing blood pressure in patients with hypertension. In a previous study, the mean reduction in systolic blood pressure was 15 mmHg (p < 0.001), and the mean reduction in diastolic blood pressure was 10 mmHg (p < 0.001). These results indicate that Drug X is a viable treatment option for managing high blood pressure.”

4. Accidental Plagiarism 

Accidental plagiarism is when you unintentionally and accidentally copy someone else’s work or ideas without giving them credit. It occurs when you fail to cite sources or properly credit original authors due to negligence or lack of understanding. 

Following are some instances that are considered accidental plagiarism: 

• Forgetting to include citations for paraphrased or summarized information
• Improperly paraphrasing or closely mirroring the original source’s language
• Failing to use quotation marks for direct quotes
• Reusing one’s own previously published work without self-citation

Following is an example of accidental plagiarism: 

Scenario:

A student named Lina is writing a research paper on the effects of social media on mental health. While writing her paper, she comes across an idea that she believes is her own but is actually a paraphrased version of a sentence she read in one of her sources.

Original text from the source:

“Excessive use of social media has been linked to increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, particularly among young adults who spend a significant amount of time on these platforms (Johnson et al., 2019).”

Accidentally plagiarized version in Lina’s paper:

“Studies have shown that spending too much time on social media can lead to increased loneliness, anxiety, and depression, especially in young adults.”

In this example, Lina unintentionally paraphrased the original text without providing a proper citation. Although she may have believed that the idea was her own, the similarity to the original source constitutes accidental plagiarism.

5. Complete plagiarism 

Complete plagiarism means copying someone’s entire work and passing it off as your own. It involves submitting or presenting a full work such as a book, article, research paper, or creative piece done by others. 

It is considered intellectual property theft and can damage one’s reputation and credibility. 

Let’s see a very brief example of this! 

Plagiarized version:

An old silent pond…

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.

Original haiku by Matsuo Bashō

“An old silent pond…

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.”

6. Source-based plagiarism 

Source-based plagiarism is providing inaccurate and misleading information about the source. Some instances of source-based plagiarism include: 

• Improperly citing a source and making it difficult to locate the original material. 
• Citing a secondary source without acknowledging the primary source. 
• Paraphrasing the source incorrectly by only rearranging the words. 
• Failing to cite a source while using its unique structure, research methodology, or approach
• Removing quotation marks while directly quoting a source. 

Browse through the following example to understand better! 

Original text from a source:

“Climate change is a pressing global issue. Rising temperatures, caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, lead to melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events (Johnson, 2021).”

Plagiarized version:

Climate change is an urgent worldwide problem. Increasing temperatures, resulting from higher greenhouse gas emissions, cause melting polar ice caps, increasing sea levels, and a higher frequency of extreme weather events.

7. Paraphrasing plagiarism 

Paraphrasing plagiarism occurs when a writer rephrases a source’s content without giving credit or significantly alters the original text’s structure and meaning. This type of plagiarism may be unintentional, resulting from poor paraphrasing skills, or due to a misunderstanding of citation requirements.

Following is an example of paraphrasing plagiarism: 

Plagiarized version:

Climate change is an urgent worldwide problem. Increasing temperatures, resulting from higher greenhouse gas emissions, cause melting polar ice caps, increasing sea levels, and a higher frequency of extreme weather events.

Original text from a source:

“Climate change is a pressing global issue. Rising temperatures, caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, lead to melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events (Johnson, 2021).”

In this example, although some words have been changed (e.g., “pressing” to “urgent,” “global” to “worldwide”), the overall content and ideas are very similar to the original text. 

After understanding the common types of plagiarism, let us see the repercussions of plagiarizing sources 

The damaging effects of plagiarism 

The following are the major consequences of copying sources without giving the original author credit: 

1. Academic penalties: This includes failing grades on assignments/courses, academic probation, suspension, and revoking degrees or academic credentials. 
2. Legal repercussions: Depending on the seriousness, effects can be copyright infringement lawsuits, and monetary fines and settlements. 
3. Professional impact: The consequences can be termination of employment, ineligibility for grants, funding, professional membership, and blacklisting within the industry or professional community. 

Now let’s understand how to check the text for plagiarism. 

How to check for plagiarism? 

Following are some methods using which you can check plagiarism for your document: 

1. Use plagiarism checkers

You can use free plagiarism checkers like Duplichecker, Search Engine Reports, Copyleaks, and Small SEO tools. These tools will analyze your text and provide a percentage of plagiarized content. 

2. Conduct a thorough internet search 

To do this, copy and paste key phrases and sections from your text on the Internet. Observe if there are similarities with existing online content like websites, articles, or published materials. 

3. Compare your work with authoritative sources 

Analyze credible and authoritative sources related to your topic, such as academic journals, books, or reputable websites. Look for similarities in language, sentence structure, or ideas that may indicate plagiarism.

4. Ask feedback 

You can ask your colleagues or other experts in the same field to review your work for plagiarism. Fresh eyes can catch any similarities that you may have missed. 

5. Use text-matching tools/document-comparison software 

These tools detect plagiarism by analyzing and comparing two or more documents. You can use tools like WCopyfind, DocFetcher, Copyleaks, and GoTranscript to check your document for plagiarism. 

These tools can also be useful for identifying instances of self-plagiarism or accidental reuse of your previous work.

Now, let us understand how to ensure the text doesn’t contain plagiarized content. 

How to avoid plagiarism? 

Following are the ways to avoid plagiarism: 

1. Cite all sources accurately

Understand all the citation style guidelines for your field or profession (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc). Include all sources in the reference page and include in-text citations for the sources. 

 2. Paraphrase and summarize

Instead of copy-pasting the exact sentences, write the sentences in your own words and capture their meaning. Use synonyms, and change the sentence structure, and voice. You can also break down the text into small points or ideas to paraphrase the text. You can use AI paraphrasing tools like QuillBot, Paraphrase.io, and WordAI to paraphrase your work. 

If you’re still unsure about how to avoid plagiarism, you can consult experts in your field and other colleagues. 

Now that you know the plagiarism types and how to check for plagiarism, you can avoid plagiarism. You can bookmark this article to revisit the types and examples of plagiarism. 

Once you remove any instances of plagiarism, the next step is to edit your work. As trusted experts in editing and proofreading services, we’d love to elevate your text! 

Here are some other useful resources for you: 

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Priya

Priya has a talent for academic research and enjoys simplifying complex topics. When she's not helping students improve their writing, she can be seen reading poetry, playing the harmonium, or learning classical dance.