Lesson Introduction

This page provides the lesson called Types of Plagiarism & How to Correct / Avoid Them.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Recognize instances of plagiarism
Correct or prevent plagiarism in your projects

You can choose from 3 options to learn this lesson.
Please note: You do not have to watch and read everything to understand the main points, though you are welcome to do so.

Option 1: Watch Video
Option 2: Read PowerPoint
Option 3: Read Text

Option 1: Watch the video

Types of Plagiarism and How to Correct or Avoid Them Video (4min: 27sec)

Option 2: Read the PowerPoint

Scroll up and down to view the PowerPoint slides.

Or download the Types of Plagiarism How to Correct Avoid Them PowerPoint

Option 3: Read the following text

Here are 10 types of plagiarism that range in severity; listed here from most severe to least severe. For each type of plagiarism listed below, there is a description of the issue and recommendations for how to fix or prevent it.

The information below, is also available in a colorful chart pdf format to download.

Clone
- Issue: Submitting another's work, word-for-word as your own.
- Fix it: Just don't do it.
- This is stealing and cheating.
CTRL-C
- Issue: Contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations.
- Fix it: Work on original ideas supported by research, plus quote, paraphrase, and cite your sources.
- Get research help from a librarian, and writing help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.
Find - Replace
- Issue: Changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source.
- Fix it: Work on paraphrasing and citing your sources.
- Get help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.
Remix
- Issue: Paraphrases from multiple sources, made to fit together.
- Fix it: Work on original ideas, research as support to original ideas, and cite your sources.
- Get research help from a librarian.
Recycle
- Issue: Borrows generously from the writer's previous work without citation.
- Fix it: Recognize that this is self-plagiarism and don't do it.
- Issue: Submitting the same project you created in one class as a new project in a different class.
- Fix it: Ask your instructor if you can build on the previous project or use the same theme.
Hybrid
- Issue: Combines perfectly cited sources with copied passages without citation.
- Fix it: Recognize the importance of citing all sources, and work on citing.
- Get help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.
Mashup
- Issue: Mixes copied material from multiple sources.
- Fix it: Recognize the importance of citing sources individually, and work on citing.
- Get help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.
404 Error
- Issue: Includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about sources.
- Fix it: Recognize the importance of accurately citing all sources, and work on citing.
- Get help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.
Aggregator
- Issue: Includes proper citation to sources but the paper contains almost no original work.
- Fix it: Work on original ideas supported by research, not regurgitating quotes.
- Get research help from a librarian. Get brainstorming and writing help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.
Re-Tweet
- Issue: Includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text's original wording and/or structure.
- Fix it: Work on paraphrasing.
- Get help from your teacher or the writing center at your school.

See Plagiarism Examples

Go to TurnItIn Infographic (link opens in new tab) and see 10 examples of the different types of plagiarism.

Next Steps:

Select the "Next" button at the bottom right-side of the screen to move to the next item in this module.

References

Adapted from TurnItIn. (n.d.). The plagiarism spectrum. Retrieved on March 19, 2019 from Plagiarism Infographic.