Did you know that the word “plagiarism” originates from the Latin word plagiarius, which means “kidnapper”? This makes sense, as by committing plagiarism you are kidnapping words! One of the earliest mentions of this terms was in the first century from Roman poet Martial, who was tired of other poets stealing his verses.
From that time, plagiarism has been quite common. But doing so can land you in a lot of trouble. Apart from a loss of credibility, it can also lead to legal issues. As was found out by George Harrison who was sued for copying the Chiffons’ He’s So Fine for My Sweet Lord.
To ensure that you don’t find yourself in a situation similar to the Beatles star, it is a good idea to know about the different types of plagiarism and use a university level checker for this. Here are some of the common types of plagiarism to watch out for.
Complete Plagiarism
It is the most severe form of plagiarism. In complete plagiarism, a person takes an article or manuscript written by someone else and submits it under their own name. Such an act can have consequences equal to theft of intellectual property.
Self-Plagiarism
Many do not realize this, but it is also possible to plagiarize your own works. This happens when an author copies content from one of their previous work without citing it properly. It is a good idea to use a university plagiarism checker to avoid it.
Source-Based Plagiarism
This type occurs when someone does not cite correctly. In case you cite a source that does not exist, it could mean plagiarism. It is also plagiarism if you cite the primary information source but use a secondary source as well for your data. Another part of this kind of plagiarism is data falsification and fabrication. It means giving the wrong research findings, omitting certain data to give a wrong impression. The consequences of such plagiarism can be serious in certain fields like medical research.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism
It is one of the most common types of plagiarism. It occurs when you pass off someone else’s paper as your own while incorporating minor changes. Although some words may be different, most of the phrases and the theme of the paper remain the same. In paraphrasing, it is recommended to get a good understanding of the concept and writing it completely in your own words.
Mosaic Plagiarism
Also known as patchwork plagiarism, this form of plagiarism involves copying passages, ideas, and phrases from various sources and putting them together to create your own paper. The author may slightly paraphrase the text while keeping the structure and most of the words of the other articles.
Accidental Plagiarism
Plagiarism can also take place as a mistake, or due to carelessness. This is the most common form of this act and is committed extensively by students. A good way to avoid accidental plagiarism is to use a university level plagiarism checker.
Apart from these, inaccurate authorship and direct plagiarism are the other types of plagiarism that you should try to avoid.
