What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as your own without proper attribution. It is considered a serious form of academic misconduct at all educational institutions and can result in failing grades, suspension, or even expulsion.
Importantly, plagiarism can be unintentional. Many students plagiarise accidentally through poor note-taking, misunderstanding of citation requirements, or not knowing how to paraphrase correctly.
Types of Plagiarism
- Direct plagiarism: Copying text word-for-word without quotation marks or citation
- Mosaic plagiarism: Mixing copied phrases with your own words without citation
- Paraphrasing plagiarism: Restating someone's ideas in different words without citing the source
- Self-plagiarism: Submitting your own previous work without disclosure
- Accidental plagiarism: Forgetting to cite, or citing incorrectly
How to Paraphrase Correctly
Paraphrasing is not simply replacing words with synonyms. Effective paraphrasing means:
- Read the original passage until you fully understand it
- Close the source and write the idea in your own words from memory
- Compare your version with the original to ensure it is genuinely different
- Add a citation — paraphrased ideas still require attribution
Poor paraphrase (still plagiarism): "Students who do regular self-testing do much better in exams than those who just re-read passively."
Good paraphrase: "Active recall strategies, such as practice testing, have been shown to produce superior examination outcomes compared to passive study methods (Smith, 2021)."
When to Quote Directly
Use direct quotations sparingly — only when the exact wording is important, such as when analysing a specific text or when a definition is particularly precise. Always use quotation marks and include the page number in your citation.
"The best academic writing uses sources as evidence to support original analysis, not as a substitute for it."
Using Plagiarism Checkers
Run your work through a plagiarism checker before submission:
- Turnitin — most commonly used by universities
- Grammarly — includes a plagiarism checker in premium version
- Copyscape — good for checking web-based content
- Quetext — free option with detailed similarity reports
A similarity score above 15–20% warrants careful review, though the threshold varies by institution.
Self-Plagiarism
Submitting work you have previously submitted for another assignment — even your own work — is considered self-plagiarism. If you want to build on previous work, always disclose this to your tutor and get approval first.
Consequences and How to Stay Safe
The consequences of plagiarism range from a mark of zero on the assignment to permanent expulsion from your institution. To stay safe:
- Keep detailed notes of every source you consult, including page numbers
- Use a reference manager from day one
- When in doubt, cite — over-citing is far safer than under-citing
- Ask your tutor if you are unsure whether something needs a citation
