Originality is crucial in academic research. The initial approval process to conduct research relies on the originality of the idea and the new contribution the paper would make to the area of study. Academic research papers should be varied but rather drive the development of an idea or concept. This acceleration of new knowledge is hindered when plagiarism takes place.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the practice of presenting another person’s work or idea as your own. In the world of academia, this is a serious offense that can negatively impact a researcher’s career as their papers are usually retracted and they lose their credibility. Educational institutions like universities and colleges can expel and bar students from being admitted to other institutions as this ethical offense is reflected on their record.
Common types of plagiarism
| Type | Definition | How to avoid |
| Direct Plagiarism | Word-for-word duplication of somebody else’s content | – Acknowledge and cite the source. – Paraphrase the content by changing sentence voice (active to passive or vice versa) – Include quotation marks in direct qoutes. |
| Paraphrasing Plagiarism | Original author’s work is restructured very similarly without citing them and their research. | – Use synonyms for non-generic words. – Paraphrase by changing sentence voice and change clauses to phrases. |
| Mosaic Plagiarism | Occurs when phrases are taken from the original author without quotation marks and citations. | – Appropriately cite sources using quotation marks and footnotes. |
| Self-plagiarism | Utilising your own sentence structures and ideas from previously submitted work without citing the source. | – Ensure there is sufficient material to justify the new paper. – Appropriately cite the original source. |
| Patchwork Plagiarism | Occurs when material is copied from several sources and rearranged to create their own flow on a new paper without crediting any new sources. | – Paraphrase material into your own words. – Enclose verbatim content in quotation marks and cite. |
| Accidental Plagiarism | Occurs when the author inaccurately cites sources, misquotes information or unintentionally paraphrases too similarly without the intent to present ideas as their own. | – Proofread research paper multiple times before submitting. – Cite everything that was not discovered by you, including widely-known information. |
How to avoid plagiarism
When working on a research paper, you can try and apply the following strategies to avoid committing plagiarism:
- Cite your sources
When stating an idea or presenting information that you have found through a different source, add the proper in-text citation to indicate that this material is “borrowed”.
- Include quotation marks
When quoting a source verbatim, using quotation marks helps avoid plagiarism and indicates that these words are relevant but not yours. The quote should also include it’s source.
- Paraphrase
Paraphrasing can be tricky as it is a thin line between itself and plagiarism, it involves restructuring ideas into your own words without changing their meaning and intent. This also needs to be appropriately cited.
- Present your ideas
Your research paper should constructively explain your perspective on the information that is cited. Touch on how this is relevant to your findings or argument.
- Use plagiarism tracker
Utilising plagiarism detection tools can help avoid accidental plagiarism. These tools highlight plagiarised content and provide an overall percentage to help users understand their paper’s problem areas.
Ethical writing practices
In academic writing, ethical guidelines demand authors to avoid weaknesses of bias and exclusive language, while encouraging authors to write on a range of perspectives that are relevant to the area of study and clearly indicate through citations where external material has been incorporated into the paper. The infographic below describes 3 strategies to make sure your academic writing skills are in line with ethical guidelines.
Plagiarism detection tools
These detection tools ensure that academic research papers are original. They compare the material to a vast database of existing information and highlight any duplicated material, this helps maintain the author’s credibility and authenticity while avoiding certain legal issues.
Here are a few detectors that Zendy recommends:
In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious academic offense that taints a researcher or student’s career by taking away their credibility and authenticity. Which is why the approval process of academic research is a rigorous one, to ensure the author and researchers have sufficient new contributions and perspectives within a specific area of study. Furthermore, establishing a practice of scanning lengthy research papers against recommended detection tools benefits researchers in citing all content appropriately and even avoids accidental plagiarism.