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Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [plagiarism]

Plagiarism is the use of the ideas and words of another passed off as one's own. Issues here include similarity of work, theme, and characters. Plagiarism is not always a crime, but in academia and industry it is seen as a serious ethical offence. Cases of plagiarism can also constitute copyright infringement.

No universally adopted definition of academic plagiarism exists, making it quite hard to pin down. However, plagiarism is the use of the ideas and words of another passed off as one's own. Issues here include similarity of work, theme, and characters. Plagiarism is not always a crime, but in academia and industry it is seen as a serious ethical offence. Cases of plagiarism can also constitute copyright infringement.

Within academia, plagiarism (by students, by professors, or by researchers) is considered "academic dishonesty" (or in some cases "academic fraud"). Offenders are usually subject to academic censure, which may include expulsion.

Plagiarism is not the same as copyright infringement. While both terms may apply to a particular act, they are different concepts, and false claims of authorship may constitute plagiarism regardless of whether the material is protected by copyright.

According to U.S. law, the expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws.

According to Bela Gipp, academic plagiarism encompasses:

"The use of ideas, concepts, words, or structures without appropriately acknowledging the source to benefit in a setting where originality is expected."

— Citation-based Plagiarism Detection: Detecting Disguised and Cross-language Plagiarism using Citation Pattern Analysis.1

According to Wikiepdia, Teddi Fishman's definition of plagiarism abridges Gipp's and defines five elements characteristic of plagiarism. By this definition, plagiarism occurs when someone:

  1. Uses words, ideas, or work products
  2. Attributable to another identifiable person or source
  3. Without attributing the work to the source from which it was obtained
  4. In a situation in which there is a legitimate expectation of original authorship
  5. In order to obtain some benefit, credit, or gain which need not be monetary

Further reading

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How can you prevent your work from getting stolen?

I have written a book recently, and I want to share it so it can be reviewed, but I am worried over that it might get stolen if I do so. So is there a way, like a watermark or signature, to protect it, showing that the work belongs to me?
SirDancealot
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How much is considered plagiarism?

I'm aware that some fictional work is loosely based on others, consciously or not. For instance, Lord of the Rings has some common elements with the Saga of Nibelung from the old Norse traditions. Well, I'm writing my own story that has some common…
Chaotic
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How to assemble recipes without plagiarism?

How does one collect and compile recipes for publication in an ethical way? Some cohorts want me to help build a website of culinary recipes, and their plan for content is to rely entirely (initially at least) on data scraped from a competitor…
Jellicle
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Best practice for stories based on other writers' stories

I want to rewrite someone else's novel in a different way. Just to show the other side of his characters. My story will be based on these characters, but they will have more "realistic" sides. What should I do in this situation? (I will study his…
gaussblurinc
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What is the smallest amount of text that can be plagiarized?

Can the following be considered plagiarized? I am interested in finding out the limit of words one is allowed to use. Java is a programming platform that's used for developing computer applications. .NET is a programming platform that's used for…
Noah
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What exactly is the "five (consecutive) word" plagiarism rule?

My understanding is that the toughest standard regarding plagiarism is the "five (consecutive) word" rule, which holds that, if there are five consecutive words identical to someone else's writing, then you are guilty of plagiarism. This does not…
Tom Au
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How to avoid plagiarism in a fictional work that draws on academic ideas

I am writing a short story which I plan to post on my blog, my motivation being partly literary and partly to illustrate some economic ideas within a plausibly realistic setting (ie not a fantasy world). (NB I am not asking whether this is a good…
Adam Bailey
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Can I use the first or last line of someone's novel in my own novel?

I am writing a novel and in it, the characters are using a book cipher based on a collection of classic novels. In this draft, the main characters are given the first, or last, line of the book in order to find the right book. When they find the…
Trevor LaRene
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How to navigate potential self-plagiarism when using different online and professional personas?

I have a decently big online following (~40,000). This includes a blog, YouTube channel, Etsy, and other social media. My biggest thing is writing articles and blog posts, among some other content such as videos and graphic design work, specifically…
q-compute
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How likely is the "five consecutive word rule" to detect "random," as opposed to intentional plagiarism?

I refer to the old fable that if you set enough monkeys at enough keyboards for a long enough period of time, they will (through random typing), reproduce the "Complete Works of Shakespeare," or any other tome. Is it likely that someone will "copy"…
Tom Au
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Publishing old school assignments - self-plagarism?

I wrote a short story as an English major work whilst at high school, one that was part of my final testing for graduating so it was submitted to the Government of Education. If I wanted to rework this and publish it as a short novel, would I have…
Lauren Hutchins
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What is the best way to avoid plagiarism when importing information from a source?

I have been a habitual writer since my childhood but recently planned to move on to the next level and use my skills professionally. From last 7-8 months I am trying for small internships (paid /non paid) for developing my skills. As a background…
Demietra95
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Is it plagiarism if you use the same, or similar expression with different meanings or contexts?

Some years ago, I wrote "alternative lyrics to the song, "Laura." It basically diverged from the original except for the third and fourth lines: (Original lyrics) A laugh, that floats on a summer night, That I could never quite recall. (My…
Tom Au
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