The 5 Types of Plagiarism

As a student, it’s crucial to understand the different forms of plagiarism and how to avoid them. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can have severe consequences, from failing assignments to expulsion from your program. Let’s explore the five main types of plagiarism and provide clear examples to help you avoid these pitfalls.

1. Global Plagiarism

Global plagiarism is the most extraordinary form, which involves reproducing an entire text authored by someone else and presenting it as your original work. This could include having another person write an assignment or essay for you or locating a pre-written piece online and submitting it as if you were the author. 

Global plagiarism entails deliberately misrepresenting the true source of the content, making it considered the most serious type of academic dishonesty. The consequences for this violation can be severe, ranging from a failing grade to expulsion from your program.

Fortunately, avoiding global plagiarism is relatively straightforward – simply write your own original work. Do not attempt to pass off content created by others as your own, no matter how tempting it may seem. Maintaining academic integrity requires time and effort to research, analyze, and compose your assignments independently.

2. Verbatim Plagiarism

Another form of plagiarism is verbatim copying, which involves reproducing someone else’s words verbatim, or word-for-word, within your own work without proper attribution. This violation can occur even if you make minor alterations to the original text as long as the core structure and majority of the language remain the same. 

Utilizing the exact phrasing from a source without enclosing it in quotation marks and providing a corresponding in-text citation constitutes verbatim plagiarism. This is the case regardless of whether the copied content is identical to the original or has been slightly modified.

In academic writing, it is acceptable and often necessary to reference the words of others. To avoid committing verbatim plagiarism, properly quote any directly reproduced text by enclosing it in quotation marks and including an in-text citation that directs the reader to the entire source details in your reference list.

Example of verbatim plagiarism

Here’s an example of verbatim plagiarism:

Original text: Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can have severe consequences, from failing assignments to expulsion from your program. Verbatim plagiarism occurs when you copy text passages word-for-word from a source without enclosing them in quotation marks and providing a citation.

Plagiarized version: Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can have severe consequences, from failing assignments to expulsion from your program. Verbatim plagiarism means copying words directly from a source without using quotation marks or providing a citation.

3. Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism happens when you rephrase ideas from a source without properly citing the original author. While you may have put the content in your own words, if you’ve closely followed the structure and core ideas of the original, it’s still considered plagiarism.

Example of  Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Here is an example of paraphrasing plagiarism:

Original text: Giraffes are the world’s tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe’s legs alone are taller than many humans—about 6 feet. These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances and cruise comfortably at 10 miles an hour over longer distances. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

Plagiarized version: Giraffes are the tallest mammals on Earth due to their incredibly long legs and necks. Their legs are often taller than a human’s, measuring around 6 feet. These impressive legs enable giraffes to reach running speeds of up to 35 mph in brief bursts and comfortably maintain a speed of 10 mph for longer periods.

This is considered paraphrasing plagiarism because while the wording has been changed, the writer has closely followed the structure and ideas of the original passage without properly crediting the original source. 

To avoid plagiarism, the writer should have included an in-text citation after the paraphrased text, like this:

Correct paraphrasing: Giraffes are the tallest mammals on Earth due to their incredibly long legs and necks. Their legs are often taller than a human, measuring around 6 feet. These impressive legs enable giraffes to reach running speeds of up to 35 mph in brief bursts and comfortably maintain a speed of 10 mph for longer periods (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance).

The full citation for the source should then be included in the references or works cited page at the end of the document.

4. Patchwork Plagiarism

Patchwork plagiarism is when you stitch together content from multiple sources, make minor modifications, and present it as your own original work. This can involve copying and pasting sections from different websites, books, or articles and trying to pass them off as a cohesive piece of writing.

Example of patchwork plagiarism

Here’s an example of patchwork plagiarism:

Original text: Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgment. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed, or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional, reckless, or unintentional. (University of Oxford)

Plagiarized version: Plagiarism is appropriating another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. This includes the copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing (explicitly or implicitly) the work to one’s own efforts. Plagiarism means using another’s work without attribution, whether or not the original work has been previously published. (Roig, 2015)

This is patchwork plagiarism because it combines copied phrases from the original sources without using quotation marks or providing proper citations.

5. Self-Plagiarism

The final type of plagiarism is self-plagiarism, which occurs when you reuse your previously published work, either in whole or in part, without properly citing yourself. Even if you’ve written the content before, you must acknowledge using your material again.

For example, submitting a paper you wrote for a previous class as a new assignment without disclosing its recycled work would be considered self-plagiarism.

Avoiding plagiarism is essential for maintaining academic integrity and demonstrating your own original thinking. By understanding these five types of plagiarism and properly citing your sources, you can ensure your work meets the high standards expected of students. If you’re ever unsure, be sure to consult with your professor or a writing center for guidance.