CASRAI Dictionary

Tag: plagiarism

  • Avoiding Accidental Plagiarism: Paraphrasing, Quoting and Citing

    Paraphrasing is restating another author’s idea in your own words and sentence structure while crediting the original with a citation. It differs from quoting, which reproduces a source’s exact words inside quotation marks, and from summarising, which condenses a longer passage into a brief overview. All three require a citation; only paraphrasing and summarising also require genuinely new wording.

    Most plagiarism in student and even professional work is accidental — the result of sloppy note-taking or a misunderstanding of what paraphrasing actually demands, not deliberate theft. Knowing precisely how quoting, paraphrasing and summarising differ is the surest defence. For the full taxonomy of plagiarism, see our explainer on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

    Quoting, paraphrasing and summarising compared

    Technique What it does Needs quotation marks? Needs a citation?
    Quoting Reproduces the source’s exact words Yes Yes
    Paraphrasing Restates one passage in your own words and structure No Yes
    Summarising Condenses a longer work into its key points No Yes

    The single most important cell in that table is the citation column: every technique requires one. The most dangerous misconception is that putting an idea “in your own words” removes the obligation to credit its origin. It does not. Changed wording without a citation is still plagiarism, because you are passing off another person’s idea as your own.

    How to paraphrase properly

    A genuine paraphrase changes both the words and the sentence structure, not just a handful of synonyms. The reliable method is to read the passage, set the source aside, write the idea from memory in your own sentences, then compare against the original to confirm you have not echoed its phrasing or syntax — and finally add the citation.

    Consider an original sentence: “Open-access publishing has accelerated the dissemination of clinical findings across institutional boundaries.” A weak, plagiaristic paraphrase merely swaps words: “Open-access publishing has sped up the spread of clinical findings across institutional borders (Smith, 2021).” The structure and most of the wording survive untouched — this is “patchwriting”, and even with a citation it is too close to the source. A proper paraphrase rebuilds the sentence: “Smith (2021) found that when research is published openly, clinical results reach readers at other institutions far more quickly than under subscription models.” The idea is credited, the wording is genuinely new, and the structure is the writer’s own.

    When to quote instead

    Paraphrase by default; quote sparingly. Reserve direct quotation for cases where the exact wording matters — a precise legal or technical definition, a memorable phrasing you intend to analyse, or a contested claim you want to reproduce verbatim so readers can judge it. When you quote, enclose the words in quotation marks (or set a long quotation as an indented block) and give the page or paragraph locator. A quotation without quotation marks is plagiarism even when a citation is attached, because the citation alone does not signal that the wording is borrowed.

    Common accidental-plagiarism traps

    Several patterns catch out careful writers:

    • Patchwriting: changing a few words while keeping the source’s sentence shape. Rebuild the sentence from the idea, not from the original text.
    • Mosaic plagiarism: stitching together phrases from several sources into a paragraph that reads as your own. Cite each source and rewrite each borrowed idea.
    • Lost note-taking: copying a passage into your notes without marking it as a quote, then later mistaking it for your own writing. Always tag direct copies clearly while researching.
    • Citation without quotation: attaching a citation to copied wording but omitting the quotation marks. Both are required.
    • Self-plagiarism: reusing your own earlier work as if it were new, without disclosure. Integrity standards treat undisclosed reuse as a breach.

    These traps share a root cause: a gap between when you read a source and when you write from it. Disciplined note-taking — marking quotations, recording metadata, and separating your words from the source’s at the point of reading — closes that gap.

    An integrity-standards framing

    Avoiding accidental plagiarism is not only a stylistic matter; it is a research-integrity obligation. Bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) treat the honest attribution of ideas and wording as fundamental to trustworthy scholarship, and journals routinely run similarity checks before acceptance. Proper paraphrasing, accurate quoting and complete citation are how you uphold the integrity of the scholarly record and assign fair credit to the people whose work you build on. These same principles underpin CASRAI’s standards on authorship and contribution.

    When in doubt about how to handle an unusual source or a borderline case, CASRAI’s guidance for authors can help you decide whether to quote, paraphrase or summarise, and how to credit the result.

    Frequently asked questions

    Do I still need to cite if I paraphrase in my own words?

    Yes, always. Paraphrasing changes the wording but not the ownership of the idea. The citation credits whoever originated the idea; without it, you are claiming someone else’s thinking as your own, which is plagiarism.

    What is patchwriting, and is it plagiarism?

    Patchwriting is changing a few words of a source while keeping its sentence structure largely intact. Even with a citation, it is too close to the original and counts as a form of plagiarism. Rebuild the sentence from the idea rather than editing the source’s wording.

    How much do I need to change for a paraphrase to be acceptable?

    Both the words and the sentence structure must genuinely differ from the original. Swapping synonyms is not enough. The test is whether a reader comparing your sentence to the source would see your own framing and syntax, not the original’s with substitutions.

    Is reusing my own previous work plagiarism?

    Undisclosed reuse of your own published work — self-plagiarism — is treated as an integrity breach by most journals and institutions. If you draw on your earlier work, cite it and disclose the reuse as you would any other source.

  • What Is Plagiarism? Definition, Types and How to Avoid It

    Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s words, ideas, data or creative work as your own without proper attribution. It is a breach of research integrity because it misrepresents who is responsible for a contribution and removes the credit owed to the original author. Plagiarism can be deliberate or careless; both are taken seriously in scholarship.

    The defining feature is the missing or inadequate acknowledgement. Using another person’s work is normal and necessary in research; doing so without crediting them is what makes it plagiarism. The remedy is therefore straightforward in principle: accurate, complete citation.

    Why plagiarism breaches research integrity

    Research is cumulative. Each contribution is supposed to declare what it owes to prior work so that credit, accountability and verifiability remain intact. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) frames plagiarism as a serious form of publication misconduct precisely because it corrupts the record of who did what. When attribution fails, readers cannot trace a claim to its source, the original author is denied recognition of their authorship contribution, and trust in the literature erodes.

    The main types of plagiarism

    Plagiarism is not a single behaviour. Recognising its forms is the first step to avoiding them.

    Type Description
    Verbatim (direct) plagiarism Copying text word for word without quotation marks or a citation.
    Mosaic / patchwork plagiarism Interweaving copied phrases from one or more sources with your own words, without attribution.
    Paraphrasing without attribution Restating someone’s idea in your own words but omitting the citation, leaving the idea uncredited.
    Self-plagiarism / text recycling Reusing your own previously published work without disclosure (covered in depth separately).
    Contract cheating Submitting work produced by someone else — paid or unpaid — as your own.

    Verbatim and mosaic plagiarism

    Verbatim plagiarism is the most recognisable form: lifting sentences directly. Mosaic plagiarism is subtler and often unintentional — it happens when a writer stitches together fragments of source text with light edits, never quite quoting and never quite citing. Both are detectable and both are misconduct.

    Paraphrasing without attribution

    Changing the wording does not remove the obligation to cite. If the underlying idea, structure or finding came from a source, the source must be credited even when no words are copied. This is one of the most common honest mistakes among new researchers.

    Self-plagiarism and contract cheating

    Reusing one’s own prior text without disclosure — self-plagiarism — can mislead readers about what is new. Contract cheating, where work is outsourced and submitted as one’s own, is among the most serious breaches because it falsifies the entire basis of attribution.

    How proper citation prevents plagiarism

    Most plagiarism is prevented by the same disciplined habits that produce good research outputs:

    • Quote and cite direct text. Place copied wording in quotation marks and add an in-text citation pointing to a full reference entry.
    • Cite paraphrased ideas. Even fully reworded ideas need a citation if the substance came from a source.
    • Keep meticulous notes. Record where every fact, quotation and figure came from as you read, so attribution is never reconstructed from memory.
    • Disclose reuse of your own work. Cite your earlier publications just as you would another author’s.

    The mechanics of doing this well — pairing an in-text marker with a complete reference — are explained in what a citation is and our guide for authors.

    The role of similarity-detection tools

    Text-matching services such as Turnitin and iThenticate compare a submission against large corpora and report overlapping passages as a similarity score. These tools identify matching text; they do not, by themselves, determine intent or whether a match is properly attributed. A high similarity score may reflect correctly quoted and cited material, while genuine plagiarism of ideas can produce a low one. They are an aid to human judgement, not a verdict.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is paraphrasing plagiarism?

    Paraphrasing is not plagiarism when the source is cited. It becomes plagiarism when you restate someone’s idea in your own words but omit the citation, because the idea remains uncredited even though the wording has changed.

    Can you plagiarise your own work?

    Yes. Reusing your own previously published text, data or figures without disclosure is known as self-plagiarism or text recycling. It can mislead readers about what is original, which is why prior work should be cited and reuse disclosed.

    Does a low similarity score mean there is no plagiarism?

    No. Similarity-detection tools flag matching text, not stolen ideas. Plagiarism of concepts or findings can be paraphrased into a low score, while properly quoted and cited passages can raise a score legitimately. The tools support human judgement rather than replace it.

    What body sets standards on plagiarism in publishing?

    The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides widely adopted guidance on plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct for editors and publishers. For standardised definitions of related terms, see the CASRAI dictionary.