There are several recognized types of plagiarism, each with distinct characteristics. The most common types include:
- Complete (Global) Plagiarism : Submitting an entire work created by someone else as your own, such as buying a paper or copying an entire essay without attribution. This is the most serious form of plagiarism
- Direct (Verbatim) Plagiarism : Copying text word-for-word from a source without quotation marks or proper citation
- Mosaic (Patchwork) Plagiarism : Borrowing phrases or ideas from multiple sources and stitching them together into a new text without proper citation or quotation marks. This includes changing some words but keeping the original structure and meaning
- Paraphrasing Plagiarism : Rephrasing someone else’s ideas without proper acknowledgment, presenting them as your own
- Self-Plagiarism : Reusing your own previously submitted or published work without permission or citation, such as submitting the same paper for different classes
- Source-based Plagiarism : Misrepresenting sources by citing incorrect references, citing secondary sources as primary, or fabricating sources
- Accidental Plagiarism : Occurs when a writer unintentionally fails to cite sources correctly, forgets citations, or does not use quotation marks around quoted material. Despite the lack of intent, it is still subject to consequences
Other forms mentioned include:
- Ghostwriting : Having someone else write your work.
- Collusion : Unauthorized collaboration between students.
- Contract Cheating : Paying someone to complete your work
These types cover a range of behaviors from deliberate theft of intellectual property to unintentional mistakes in citation and paraphrasing. Understanding these types helps in avoiding plagiarism and maintaining academic integrity.
