A Comprehensive Guide on the Types of Plagiarism

Every person who has studied at a school, college, or university has likely had to deal with the plagiarism issue. Do you still worry about plagiarism even when you do your best to write your own work without copying someone else’s? In this case, you should dig a bit deeper into the types of plagiarism. Understanding the types of plagiarism can help you avoid unintentional plagiarism and keep your text original, not to mention that it promotes ethical writing practices. This guide will equip you with the necessary knowledge about plagiarism to help you recognize and avoid the potential pitfalls. Keep reading it if you are wondering what types of plagiarism exist and how to avoid them.

What Are the Types of Plagiarism, and Why Is Understanding Them So Important?

There’s no need to explain the importance of ensuring your paper is original and plagiarism-free. Plagiarizing someone’s work means committing intellectual theft, which is unethical and can undermine your academic reputation. Copying someone’s ideas without crediting them can also lead to penalties and even legal consequences. To avoid them, you need to consider the different types of plagiarism. Do you want to find out what types of plagiarism exist? Let’s delve into what plagiarism means and the different types you should be aware of:

• Global plagiarism means that someone takes the entire work of another person and presents it as their own.
• Verbatim plagiarism occurs when someone directly lifts text from another work, word for word, without citing the source.
• Paraphrasing plagiarism involves rephrasing passages from someone else’s work while maintaining its original ideas without giving credit to the source.
• Patchwork plagiarism means combining pieces of text from different sources together without properly citing them to create a seemingly new and original work.
• Self-plagiarism occurs when someone copies their own work and reuses the ideas from it without providing a citation.

Main Threats to Originality: What Are the Top Three Types of Plagiarism?

Now that you know what are the different types of plagiarism, it will be easier for you to recognize them. However, not all of them are equally evident. You don’t need to worry about global plagiarism because you cannot unintentionally copy someone’s entire work, but other types of plagiarism can be accidental. That’s why three types of plagiarism are more dangerous than others: you might be completely unaware of them being present in your text! When it comes to accidental plagiarism, what are the top three types of plagiarism? Here are the top 3 types of plagiarism that can be completely unintentional:

1. Verbatim plagiarism. Although verbatim plagiarism involves copying pieces of text word for word, it still can be unintentional. You might copy some phrase and simply forget to cite it or mistakenly believe that the sentence is common knowledge. Verbatim plagiarism is not the most common type of unintentional plagiarism, but you should pay close attention to it since this type can be easily detected.
2. Patchwork plagiarism. For some papers, you need to work with various sources, using them to support your ideas. Nonetheless, simply blending pieces of text from different works together cannot be considered an original work. When using multiple sources, don’t forget to cite them to avoid patchwork plagiarism. Remember that other sources must support your original ideas, not substitute them!
3. Paraphrasing plagiarism. This type is the most common one when it comes to unintentional plagiarism. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with paraphrasing passages from other sources, but only as long as you cite them. That is why paraphrasing plagiarism is so dangerous: you might alter the text without changing its original meaning, thinking that rephrasing makes it original. If your sentence conveys the same idea as the original work, cite the source to avoid paraphrasing plagiarism.

Now that you know what are the types of plagiarism that can be accidental, you can recognize them with ease. Nonetheless, you should exercise caution, carefully use your sources, and ensure that you choose the correct words to convey your ideas and prevent plagiarism.

Tips on How to Avoid Different Types of Plagiarism

Writing is not an easy task, and the possibility of plagiarism only makes it more challenging. Students might have a hard time avoiding plagiarism even when they strive to make their papers original and present fresh ideas. The problem is that students must create their own work using outside sources to support their points. How do you craft an effective paper supported by evidence and free from plagiarism at the same time? Here are some tips on how to prevent different types of plagiarism.

Avoiding verbatim plagiarism

• Add direct citations to avoid verbatim plagiarism. If you copy someone else’s text, you should directly cite it using the quotation mark
• Rephrase properly to prevent verbatim plagiarism. Make sure that you use your own words yet maintain the original meaning. Nonetheless, while this advice helps prevent plagiarism of this type, you should consider the possibility of paraphrasing plagiarism.

Avoiding patchwork and paraphrasing plagiarism

• Develop new ideas to prevent patchwork plagiarism. When you use multiple sources, make sure your text properly analyzes each work and presents original viewpoints.
• Add your own thoughts to prevent paraphrasing plagiarism. The purpose of your paper is to demonstrate original ideas and thoughts. Try to develop the ideas presented in the source and offer a new perspective to make your own paper more original.

Universal tips to avoid all plagiarism types

• Cite immediately to prevent all types of plagiarism. Being accused of plagiarism because you forgot to cite the source is really frustrating! That’s why you should cite your sources as soon as you use them in the text to prevent plagiarism.
• Use a plagiarism checker. To be 100% sure that your text is completely free from plagiarism, use a plagiarism checker. One of the most popular tools for plagiarism check is Scribbr. This plagiarism checker is a highly reliable and comprehensive tool. However, not every student can afford Scribbr since this checker is pricey. But no worries, there are plenty of free plagiarism checker tools!

Jacob Lee Top-10 Writer at CustomWritings.com

I usually avoid plagiarism by checking my work a few times before submitting it. Also, I take some breaks between revisions to keep the clear focus.

Five free alternatives to scribbr

1. Grammarly. This multipurpose tool doesn’t only check for plagiarism – it assists you with grammar and spelling by checking all words in your text.
2. Turnitin. Similar to Scribbr, this tool checks your text against a large database of academic papers. However, it doesn’t offer citation checking.
3. Copyscape. This tool is specifically designed to detect plagiarism using a vast database and identify potential similarities.
4. PlagiarismCheck.org. Aside from plagiarism detection, this plagiarism checker offers citation analysis and multilingual support.
5. Essay writing toolkit by CustomWritings. Last but not least, don’t forget about the wide range of tools offered by CustomWritings! You can use its plagiarism checker to ensure your text is 100% original.

That’s all you need to know about what are different types of plagiarism, the most common means of unintentional plagiarism, and how to avoid plagiarizing and ensure your text is 100% plagiarism-free. With these tips in your back pocket, you’ll be able to rock your paper and show off your own unique ideas and insights. Remember to cite the sources and make sure that you convey your thoughts, not theirs. Keep your texts original!

About authors

James Snyder A Top-10 writer at CustomWritings.com

James is one of the most prominent authors on our team with more than 7 years of experience. He specializes in writing essays and coursework. James loves to work from home with a cup of hot chocolate and his cat Archibald.

Kate Roth A Top-10 writer at CustomWritings.com

Kate likes to read long stories and write essays. She’s experienced in both academic writing and marketing activities, so she can tell everything about a writer’s job in a few simple words. You can use our website to request the help of our experts anytime.