Name: Nirali Dabhi
Roll number: 13
Enrollment Number: 4069206420220006
Sem: 4
Paper number: 209
Paper Code: 22416
Paper Name: Research Methodology
Topic: Forms of Plagiarism
Submitted to: Smt S.B. Gardi, Department of English, M.K.B.U
Email: niralidabhi95@gmail.com
Introduction
Plagiarism is a serious ethical and academic offense that involves presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as one's own without proper attribution. It undermines the integrity of academic and professional endeavors and can have severe consequences, including reputational damage, legal action, and academic penalties. There are various forms of plagiarism, including verbatim or direct plagiarism, mosaic plagiarism, self-plagiarism, source-based plagiarism, ghostwriting, accidental plagiarism, and global or complete plagiarism. Each form poses unique challenges and risks, highlighting the importance of understanding and avoiding plagiarism in all its manifestations.
Origin of the word Plagiarism
The term "plagiarism" originates from the Latin word "plagiarius," which initially referred to a kidnapper. This Latin term evolved from "plaga," meaning a net used by hunters, to capture people rather than prey. Over time, "plagiarius" extended to describe individuals who stole literary works or ideas from others. As it transitioned into English, the term appeared as "plagiary," indicating literary theft.
In contemporary usage, "plagiarism" denotes the act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as one's own without proper attribution. It has serious implications in academic and professional settings, including reputational damage and legal consequences.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism (“plagiary”) derives from the Latin word ‘‘Plagiarius’’which means a kidnapper and it was fi rst described in literature by the dramatist Ben Jonson in 1601 to describe someone guilty of literary theft.
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to "plagiarize" means:
to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
to use (another's production) without crediting the source
to commit literary theft
to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
In the 17th century, the term "plagiarism" began to be used in the context of literature and art, to refer to the act of copying or imitating someone else's work without permission or attribution. This usage of the term became more widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries, as literary and artistic works became more valued and copyright laws were established to protect intellectual property.
According to Scribbr, Plagiarism means using someone else’s work without giving them proper credit. In academic writing, plagiarizing involves using words, ideas, or information from a source without citing it correctly.
According to Oxford Dictionary plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.
MLA Handbook for writers of Research Papers noted that, Plagiarism involves two kinds of wrongs, using another person's ideas, information, or expressions without acknowledging that person's work constitutes intellectual theft. Passing off another person’s ideas, information, or expression as your own to get a better grade or gain some other advantage constitutes fraud.
Plagiarism is sometimes a moral and ethical offence rather than a legal one since some instances of plagiarism fall outside the scope of copyright infringement, a legal offense.
Forms of Plagiarism
Here are some forms of plagiarism given in MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Seventh Edition).
1) Repeating or Paraphrasing Wording: Repeating or paraphrasing wording involves using someone else's words or ideas without proper citation. This form of plagiarism can occur when a writer copies text verbatim, rephrases sentences or ideas without giving credit, or substitutes synonyms to mask the original source. For instance, if a student reproduces a passage from a book without quotation marks or citation, or if they reword the passage but retain the original meaning without acknowledging the source, it constitutes plagiarism.
Original Source: Someone is using information about Dickinson’s poems that appears on page 625 of an essay by Wendy Martin in the book Columbia Literary History of the United States.
Plagiarism: Emily Dickinson Firmly Believe that….
Without Plagiarism: As Wendy Martin has suggested, Emily Dickinson firmly believed that….
The example provided illustrates a form of plagiarism known as "repeating or paraphrasing wording." In this case, the writer has failed to properly cite Wendy Martin's essay as the source of information about Emily Dickinson's beliefs, presenting it instead as their own idea.
To avoid this type of plagiarism, it is crucial to cite all sources accurately and use one's own words to express ideas. Acknowledging the original source, as in "As Wendy Martin has suggested," demonstrates academic integrity and ensures that credit is given where it is due. When conducting research, it is essential to record the sources of all information and paraphrase it in one's own words while still providing proper attribution. In academic writing, using direct quotes or paraphrasing requires both quotation marks and a citation to the original source to avoid plagiarism.
2) Taking a particularly Apt Phrase: Taking a particularly apt phrase without proper attribution constitutes a form of plagiarism wherein a writer incorporates a phrase or concept coined or made famous by another individual without giving credit. This form of plagiarism can be insidious, as the writer may unwittingly utilize a well-known expression without acknowledging its origin. For instance,
Original Source: Everyone uses the word language and everybody these days talks about culture… “Languaculture” is a reminder….(Michael Agar, Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation[New York: Morrow, 1994;60])
Plagiarism: At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that we might call “Languaculture”.
Without Plagiarism: At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that Michael Agar has called “Languaculture”.
The writer has committed plagiarism by using the term "Languaculture" without acknowledging Michael Agar as its originator. Agar coined this term in his book "Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation," yet the writer fails to provide proper credit, presenting the term as their own creation. This misrepresentation of intellectual property undermines Agar's contribution to the field of language and culture studies.
To prevent plagiarism, it is crucial to cite all sources accurately and acknowledge the original creators of ideas or phrases. In this case, the writer could have avoided plagiarism by explicitly attributing the concept to Michael Agar and referencing his work.
3) Global or Complete Plagiarism: Global or complete plagiarism is a severe form of intellectual theft where an individual copies an entire work without acknowledging the original author. This unethical practice extends to various mediums such as books, articles, research papers, or websites. Essentially, it involves presenting someone else's intellectual property as one's own, devoid of any attribution or consent.
This type of plagiarism not only violates copyright laws but also undermines the integrity of academic and creative endeavors. Legal repercussions for engaging in global plagiarism can include fines, legal action, or even imprisonment, depending on the jurisdiction and severity of the offense. To prevent global plagiarism, it is imperative to give credit to the original authors by citing all sources accurately. This involves acknowledging their contributions to the field and providing proper attribution.
4) Accidental Plagiarism: Accidental plagiarism occurs when individuals inadvertently present someone else's work or ideas as their own due to oversight or carelessness in citation practices. This can happen when individuals fail to properly attribute sources through unintentional paraphrasing, omitting citations, or neglecting to use quotation marks for direct quotations.
While accidental plagiarism is typically viewed as less severe than intentional plagiarism, it can still have serious consequences, including damage to one's academic or professional reputation, loss of credibility, and potential legal repercussions. To avoid accidental plagiarism, individuals should prioritize thorough proofreading and review of their work to ensure that all borrowed material is appropriately cited and attributed. This includes double-checking for missing in-text citations, ensuring proper formatting of direct quotations with quotation marks, and verifying the accuracy of reference lists or bibliographies.
5) Ghostwriting: While ghostwriting involves hiring someone else to write, edit, or proofread work without receiving credit or acknowledgment, it's not necessarily a form of plagiarism. Plagiarism typically involves presenting someone else's work as your own without proper attribution. In ghostwriting, there's an understanding between the writer (the ghostwriter) and the client that the client will take authorship of the work, often for reasons like time constraints or lack of writing skill.
Ghostwriting becomes problematic when the client fails to acknowledge the ghostwriter's contribution, passing off the work entirely as their own. In such cases, it can indeed raise questions about the client's academic integrity or professional credibility.
There are instances where ghostwriting is ethically and professionally acceptable. For example, public figures or professionals may collaborate with ghostwriters to bring their ideas or expertise to a broader audience. In these cases, it's common practice for the ghostwriter's role to remain undisclosed, and the authorship is attributed solely to the client. Ghostwriting itself isn't plagiarism, failing to properly credit the ghostwriter can lead to ethical concerns and potential consequences.
6) Self-plagiarism: Self-plagiarism occurs when an author reuses their own previously published or submitted work without proper citation or attribution. While authors own the copyright to their work, they cannot simply republish it verbatim or reuse significant portions of it without acknowledging its prior publication.
This type of plagiarism can take various forms, such as submitting a previously published paper as new work, recycling sections of a previous manuscript without citation, or using the same data to support multiple publications without acknowledging the earlier work. The concern with self-plagiarism lies in its potential to misrepresent the author's original contribution to the field. To avoid self-plagiarism, authors should be vigilant in properly citing and attributing their own previous work. If they wish to reuse content from earlier publications, they should seek permission from the original publisher and clearly indicate the source of the material in the new work. By adhering to ethical standards and transparency, authors can maintain integrity in their scholarly endeavors.
7) Source-based Plagiarism: Source-based plagiarism occurs when an individual attempts to deceive or obscure the true origin of their work by directly copying or closely mimicking content from a source without appropriate acknowledgment.
This form of plagiarism encompasses various behaviors, including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without proper attribution, and incorrect citation practices. Improper citation involves citing a source but not following the correct citation format or omitting essential details, such as page numbers or publication dates, which hinders readers from verifying the information. Source-based plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity and ethics, leading to potential consequences such as academic penalties, reputational harm, and legal repercussions.
8) Verbatim or Direct Plagiarism: Verbatim or direct plagiarism is the act of copying a portion of someone else's work word-for-word without providing adequate credit or attribution. In essence, it involves reproducing an exact sentence or passage from an original source without acknowledging the original author or putting the content in quotation marks.
This type of plagiarism can occur intentionally or unintentionally but is nonetheless a serious offense with potential legal and reputational repercussions. In academic and research writing, where authenticity and honesty are paramount, verbatim plagiarism is particularly concerning.
To avoid committing verbatim plagiarism, it is crucial to use proper citation and attribution practices. Whenever incorporating someone else's words or ideas into your own work, it is essential to enclose the copied text in quotation marks and provide a clear citation indicating the author's name, the title of the source work, and the page number.
Conclusion
Plagiarism is a serious offense in academic and professional settings. It can take various forms, such as verbatim plagiarism, mosaic plagiarism, self-plagiarism, source-based plagiarism, ghostwriting, and accidental plagiarism. Each form of plagiarism poses a threat to the originality and integrity of one's work and can result in severe consequences, including loss of credibility, legal action, and academic or professional penalties. Therefore, it is essential to understand and avoid all forms of plagiarism by properly citing and acknowledging sources, utilizing effective research and writing strategies, and utilizing plagiarism detection tools when necessary.
Work Cited
Deeptanshu D, and Dogra Shubham. “What Is Plagiarism? - The Complete Guide [Ebook]” SciSpace, SciSpace Resources, 18 Oct. 2022,https://typeset.io/resources/the-only-plagiarism-guide-you-will-need/.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Seventh ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2015.
Hornby, Albert Sydney. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English / [by] A.S. Hornby; Editor Jonathan Crowther. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1995.
“Plagiarism Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, 17 February 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism?src=search-dict-box#little-gems.
"Plagiarism." University of Oxford, 2023, https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism.
Scribbr. “What Is Plagiarism? | Definition and Examples.” Scribbr, www.scribbr.com/category/plagiarism.
“What is Plagiarism?” Plagiarism.org, 18 May 2017, https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism.
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