Types of Plagiarism

There are many different types of plagiarism. Just like with cars, you have saloons or sedans, SUV’s, Trucks, Vans and others, the same things go for plagiarism. Some types are more severe than others; ones occur more frequently than others and so on and so forth. In this article, we will seek to educate and help you understand the wide variety of plagiarism types. Now be aware that there are lots of various kinds which you need to be mindful of. If you are aware, you have high chances to protect your work from it. Let‘s begin!

Accidental or unintentional plagiarism

Not all things in this world happen because someone had the evil or good intentions to make it so. The same can be said about plagiarism. Far from every instance of it can be traced to the unfairness of a particular writer, researcher or another individual. Up to 10 per cent of plagiarism can be considered accidental or unintentional.

This type of plagiarism is not genuinely harmful if detected before publication. It can bring harm to the author or publisher because unlawful acts, even when done unknowingly, do not exempt you from responsibilities.

Accidental plagiarism can happen due to improper quotations, failed paraphrasing or other related errors. Usually, unforeseen instances could be avoided if you use a plagiarism checker to scan your documents. Oxsico outlines and shows, in detail, in actual percentages, how much plagiarism is found in your particular paper. Anything between 0 and 5% could be considered a technicality or unintentional plagiarism.

Too much paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is explaining something in different words. As an example, two scientists might research Global Warming. One, in the earlier published study, states that global warming is a grandiose issue that might swallow the Earth and end civilisation as we know it. The other just rephrased it as a big problem with a terrible potential of harming humans and the Earth.

Even though the words selected, are different, the meaning behind them stays the same. This is a prime example of paraphrasing. In the real world, however, paraphrasing can get a bit more sophisticated. A lot, and we mean a lot of students use paraphrasing. It can happen for a number of reasons:

• The author did not have enough unique ideas or angles, so they paraphrase others to fill the gaps
• The author had very little time to do research thus they chose to paraphrase
• The author is basing his work on a different study but overdid it.

When it comes down to it, paraphrasing is not all that bad. However, if Oxsico detects too much of it, if you get more than 5% paraphrasing score, you should worry and look over the document. Paraphrasing cannot be a large part of the paper, only a subtle addition.

Self-plagiarism or copying your own content

Even some of your own greatest hits could be subject to plagiarism. Self-plagiarism can happen both intentionally or unintentionally. However, it does not excuse one from handing in a non-polished document with traces of plagiarism.

This type of plagiarism happens when an author is cross-referencing their work, working on a similar topic etc. Preventing it is easy, however, with the help of plagiarism checker, like Oxsico.

Purposeful or direct plagiarism

This type is the worst of the lot. Not because it happens intentionally, but because it directly harms the author(s) of the original documents. Usually, direct plagiarism results from buying thesis or paper writing services, students lean towards plagiarism when it is the end of a deadline and within the borders of similar circumstances.

When buying content online, be extremely cautious and double-check the texts you receive. Plagiarism checking services, once again rise to the occasion and help you avoid unnecessary trouble.