Types of plagiarism

Find out about the different types of plagiarism

There are many different forms of plagiarism. Here are the most common – some are obvious, others come as a surprise to many students!  Read on to see what they are…

  • Taking someone else’s words and making it look like they’re your own.
  • Taking someone else’s ideas and making it look like they’re your own.
  • Rewording an idea you found, without giving credit to the person whose idea it is.
  • Failing to put a quotation in “quotation marks” (so people can’t tell that someone else wrote it).
  • Copying substantial sections of someone’s words or ideas, even when you use quotations or give credit (because the work you’ve created is essentially their work – there’s little or no originality).
  • Giving the wrong information about the source of words or ideas.  This is often where the student or author adds many references that they found in the reference section of a single journal and have never actually read.  There is a correct way to deal with this though – you can write “Smith (1999) cited in….[The Journal you have]” and this is acceptable.
  • Changing the words of a source but copying the sentence structure without giving credit.  Examples of this might be replacing two or three words in the sentence with synonyms.

Self plagiarism is also a type of plagiarism – this refers to copying your previously submitted (or published) work without making it clear about the relationship between the old and the new paper.  In the context of a student, this is dishonest because your tutor sets work for you to research and complete – they don’t expect you to just hand in previous work as this defeats the object of the assignment.

Similar to plagiarism:

  • Plagiarism v détournement – A détournement, French for “rerouting” or “hijacking”, is a technique developed in the 1950s by the Letterist International, and later adapted by the Situationist International (SI).
  • Plagiarism v homage – Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic.
  • Plagiarism v parody – A parody or spoof is an imitative work created to imitate, or comment on and trivialize an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of satiric or ironic imitation.
  • Plagiarism v pastiche – A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, or music that imitates the style or character of the work. Unlike parody, pastiche celebrates, rather than mocks, the work it imitates.
  • Plagiarism v cryptomnesia – Cryptomnesia occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognised as such, and it is instead believed to be something new and original.
  • Plagiarism v swipe – Swipe is a comics term that refers to the intentional copying of a cover, panel, or page from an earlier comic book or graphic novel without crediting the original artist.

Plagiarism vs. détournement

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Ronald McDonald detournement

Find out about the difference between plagiarism and détournement The concept of détournement has been part of our culture for almost 100 years, having its roots in the Dada art movement of the 1920s. While most people are likely not familiar with the word détournement, almost anyone who has seen the cover of a punk … Read more

Plagiarism vs homage

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Homage concept

Find out about the differences between plagiarism and homage They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This then begs the question of when does flattery cross the line into outright theft? It’s the difference between paying homage to someone’s work and simply taking someone’s work. Is it the intention to acknowledge, even … Read more

Plagiarism vs. parody

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Gullivers travels parody

Find out the differences between plagiarism and parody The dangers of plagiarism are some of the most important lessons that media creators can ever learn. As defined by Merriam Webster, “plagiarism” is the act of stealing or appropriating another person’s work and labeling it as one’s own creation. This definition applies universally to songwriters, researchers, … Read more

Plagiarism vs. pastiche

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Westminster

Find out about the differences between plagiarism and pastiche Are you curious about the differences between plagiarism and pastiche? When you are preparing for coursework for a college class, one of the main points that the professor will drive home is that plagiarism is not allowed. Plagiarism means that you have copied someone else’s work … Read more

Paraphrasing vs plagiarism

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Student copying text in a library

The paraphrasing and plagiarism debate has been prevalent for the past few years. An increasing number of students at University are being accused of plagiarism, and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the honest students from the ones who have genuinely made a mistake. Researching and writing is a large part of University life, but … Read more

Plagiarism and swipe (comics)

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Examples of swipe (comics)

Comics are known for their creativity, originality, epic story lines, and superb graphics. These pieces of art are difficult to make 100% original from time to time. This is why some artists resort to a process of copying art such as a panel, cover, or entire page from an earlier piece that they themselves did … Read more

Plagiarism and cryptomnesia

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Lord Byron

Cryptomnesia (literally “hidden memory”) is a situation in which a latent memory is misidentified as one’s original idea. When that idea is used in an original work without attribution, the user has inadvertently committed plagiarism. Two forms of cryptomnesia have been recognized by researchers. These may be referred to as the forgotten thought and the … Read more