Plagiarism: Definition, Types, and Consequences (PDF)

PLAGIARISM (Definition, Types, Consequences and Ways to Avoid Plagiarism) UNDERSTANDING PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is the representation of another’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work. As defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Pla...

PLAGIARISM (Definition, Types, Consequences and Ways to Avoid Plagiarism) UNDERSTANDING PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is the representation of another’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work. As defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Plagiarism is the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person : the act of plagiarizing something. Etymology In the 1st century, the use of the Latin word "plagiarius" (literally "kidnapper") to denote stealing someone else's work was pioneered by the Roman poet Martial, who complained that another poet had "kidnapped his verses". Plagiary, a derivative of plagiarus, was introduced into English in 1601 by dramatist Ben Johnson during the Jacobean Era to describe someone guilty of literary theft. The derived form plagiarism was introduced into English around 1620.The Latin plagiārius, "kidnapper", and plagium, "kidnapping", have the root plaga ("snare", "net"), based on the Indo-European root *-plak, "to weave" (seen for instance in Greek plekein, Bulgarian "плета" pleta, and Latin plectere, all meaning "to weave"). COMMON REASONS WHY STUDENTS COMMIT PLAGIARISM There are many reasons students choose to plagiarize or cheat. Reasons range from the more genuine lack of knowledge to outright dishonorable intentions. Collectively, the most frequently stated reasons students choose to plagiarize or cheat include:  Desire to get a good grade  Fear of failing  Procrastination or poor time management  Disinterest in the assignment  Belief they will not get caught  Confusion about what constitutes plagiarism or current university policies FORMS/TYPES OF PLAGIARISM 1. Complete/Global plagiarism is the most severe form of plagiarism where a researcher takes a manuscript or study that someone else created, and submits it under his or her name. It is tantamount to intellectual theft and stealing. 2. Source-Based plagiarism may occur because of the different types of sources. For example, when a researcher references a source that is incorrect or does not exist, it is a misleading citation. Plagiarism also occurs when a researcher uses a secondary source of data or information, but only cites the primary source of information. 3. Direct or verbatim plagiarism occurs when an author copies the text of another author, word for word, without the use of quotation marks or attribution, thus passing it as his or her own. 4. Auto-plagiarism, also known as self-plagiarism or duplication, happens when an author reuses significant portions of his or her previously published work without attribution. 5. Paraphrasing/incremental plagiarism -It involves the use of someone else’s writing with some minor changes in the sentences and using it as one’s own. Even if the words differ, the original idea remains the same and plagiarism occurs. 6. Inaccurate authorship or misleading attribution can happen in two ways: In one form, when an individual contributes to a manuscript but does not get credit for it. The second form is the opposite: when an individual gets credit without contributing to the work. It is also possible to commit this form of plagiarism when someone else edits a manuscript, leading to substantive changes. In this case, the recommendation is to acknowledge the contributors at the time of publication, even if they are not listed as authors. 7. Mosaic plagiarism may be more difficult to detect because it interlays someone else’s phrases or text within its own research. It is also known as patchwork plagiarism and it is intentional and dishonest. 8. Accidental Plagiarism - plagiarism may be accidental if it occurred because of neglect, mistake, or unintentional paraphrasing WHY DOES PLAGIARISM MATTER? a. It is a breach of academic integrity. b. It is a principle of intellectual honesty that all members of the academic community should acknowledge their debt to the originators of the ideas, words, and data which form the basis for their own work. c. Passing off another’s work as your own is not only poor scholarship, but also means that you have failed to complete the learning process. d. Plagiarism is unethical and can have serious consequences for your future career. e. It also undermines the standards of your institution and of the degrees it issues. WHY SHOULD YOU AVOID PLAGIARISM? a. You have come to university to learn to know and speak your own mind, not merely to reproduce the opinions of others - at least not without attribution. b. Avoid plagiarism because you aspire to produce work of the highest quality. c. It is important to appreciate that mastery of the techniques of academic writing is not merely a practical skill, but one that lends both credibility and authority to your work, and demonstrates your commitment to the principle of intellectual honesty in scholarship. CONSEQUENCES OF PLAGIARISM Republic Act No. 8293 - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES a. IMPRISONMENT – first offense 1-3 years; second offense 3-6 years; 3rd offense 6 to 9 years b. HEFTY FINES – first offense 50,000 to 150,000 ; second offense 150, 000 to 500, 000; third offense 500,00 – 1.5 million pesos c. DESTROYED STUDENT/PROFESSION REPUTATION d. LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS e. MONETARY REPERCUSSIONS HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM? A. PARAPHRASE - read it and put it into your own words. Make sure that you do not copy verbatim more than two words in a row from the text you have found. If you do use more than two words together, you will have to use quotation marks. B. CITE - Citing is one of the effective ways to avoid plagiarism. Follow the document formatting guidelines (i.e. APA, MLA) used by educational institution that issued the  research request. This usually entails the addition of the author(s) and the date of the publication or similar information. C. QUOTING - When quoting a source, use the quote exactly the way it appears. D. CITING QUOTES - Citing a quote can be different than citing paraphrased material. This practice usually involves the addition of a page number, or a paragraph number in the case of web content. E. CITING YOUR OWN MATERIAL - If some of the material you are using for your research paper was used by you in your current class, a previous one, or anywhere else you must cite yourself. Treat the text the same as you would if someone else wrote it. F. REFERENCING - One of the most important ways to avoid plagiarism is including a reference page or page of works cited at the end of your research paper. Again, this page must meet the document formatting guidelines used by your educational institution. Works Cited: Academy, Enago. “8 Most Common Types of Plagiarism to Stay Away From!” Enago Academy, 25 Mar. 2018, https://www.enago.com/academy/fraud-research-many-types-plagiarism/. Plagiarism | University of Oxford. https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism. Accessed 5 Sept. 2023. “What Is Plagiarism & How to Detect It.” Copyleaks, https://copyleaks.com/plagiarism- resources/what-is-plagiarism. Accessed 5 Sept. 2023.