5 Common Types of Plagiarism in Research

Did you know there are different types of plagiarism in research you need to check for? Plagiarism is not a new concept. It has been the bane of publishers and editors since the 18th century, resulting in the need for in-depth manuscript plagiarism checks. So widespread was the practice, with so many types of plagiarism in research, that by 1755 eminent writer Samuel Johnson had added the word ‘plagiarism’ in his Dictionary of the English Language.¹

Today, all types of plagiarism in research are viewed as serious academic infractions that could attract severe penalties and leave an indelible scar on your academic or professional reputation. In its simplest form, plagiarism means using someone else’s work, words, or ideas as is without acknowledging or properly crediting the source. However, there is more to plagiarism than most people realize.

Avoiding the different types of plagiarism in research can be complicated for those who are new to academic writing, and sometimes even for authors who have written a few papers. It’s not always easy to understand what types of plagiarism exist, what constitutes plagiarism, or to which extent authors can ‘refer’ to another’s work, which makes the use of manuscript plagiarism correction tools an essential step before submission. 

Types of plagiarism in research  

Plagiarism is considered one of the most common ethical offences in academia. If a manuscript plagiarism checker finds any issues, your published work may be retracted, you may lose tenure or funding, and even worse, you will likely lose credibility as a researcher. One would think open online access would make it easier to do a plagiarism check online, but that’s not always true. According to Wendy Sutherland-Smith, an expert in different types of plagiarism in research from Deakin University, “Correct attribution practices can also be more difficult to understand, particularly when seemingly free, widely available online information still requires referencing.”² Hence, it’s important to know what constitutes plagiarism, so you can avoid it when writing your manuscript. Here are the most common types of plagiarism in research. 

1. Deliberate plagiarism: High competition among researchers caused by a pressure to publish multiple papers every year may tempt authors to replicate large chunks of previously published work. Another form of deliberate plagiarism is when authors pass off other’s ideas or techniques as their own instead of doing the required research. Having manuscript plagiarism checkers proves very useful in pointing out if a piece of work is plagiarised or original. This intentional or deliberate type of plagiarism in research is considered extremely unethical and if caught can lead to major repercussions for the author/s. 
2. Accidental plagiarism: This type of plagiarism in research if often unintentional and can occur due to author neglect or if manuscripts are submitted in haste. Not mentioning that text used is directly quoted from another paper or forgetting to use quotation marks when using a passage from another paper or source is a serious ethical infraction. Hence, authors must check for accidental plagiarism and avoid it with a pre-submission manuscript assessment! 
3. Paraphrasing unethically: While researchers should change or rewrite text completely when referring to previously published work, it is imperative to cite the source to avoid any type of plagiarism in research. This is essential because, even if the words differ, the original idea belongs to another. Paraphrasing but not citing the original text is considered intellectual theft and a serious case of ethical misconduct. 
4. Self-plagiarism: Not many know about this type of plagiarism in research, making it rather common. Self-plagiarism occurs when authors use portions from their own previously published work, without the requisite permissions so be sure to conduct a research paper plagiarism check to find and fix this issue. 
5. Incorrect citation or invalid sources: Citing a source that is incorrect or doesn’t exist can be misleading and is considered dishonest. Another example of this is when a researcher uses a secondary source of data, but only cites the primary source. Both ways of citing sources inaccurately may simply be attempts to increase the number of citation references. However, these are likely to be considered as types of plagiarism in research and may result in disciplinary action. 

Given that there are so many different types of plagiarism in research manuscripts, many students, young researchers, and early career academics may find it difficult to identify or avoid plagiarism in their work. Fortunately, the abundance of manuscript plagiarism checkers available online for journal articles today has made the process of avoiding plagiarism much simpler. From websites to check for the different types of plagiarism in research, to new manuscript plagiarism correction tools that also offer language and technical checks, evolving technologies have made it easier for research authors to identify plagiarism and avoid lapses before they lead to manuscript retractions or rejections.

Rejections can be extremely discouraging for scholars who spend long hours and days laboring over their research. Among the 3-4 million research papers submitted for publication every year, 60–70% are rejected at the first screening stage,³ many due to a lack of relevant citations and declarations, poor language, or for some type of plagiarism in research papers. To ensure the best chance of acceptance, research authors should follow some basic guidelines to ensure their study is original, ensure enough time for research and analysis, keep detailed notes, and use professional AI-backed solutions like those provided by Researcher.Life to write better, optimize their manuscript and avoid plagiarism.

You don’t want to undergo the disappointment of having your manuscripts rejected because you didn’t check for different types of plagiarism in research, do you? This is why comprehensive manuscript submission checks, including research paper plagiarism checks, are becoming increasingly vital as they help avoid desk rejection. And we hope that this article about the types of plagiarism in research gives you the right knowledge and guidance to write your next paper plagiarism free.  

If you want to take the first step to optimize your manuscript and speed up the submission process – sign up for Researcher.Life now! 

References 

1. 1. Bartley G.B., Albert D.M., Liesegang T.J. Choosing Our Words Carefully: Plagiarism in the Internet Age. American Academy of Ophthalmology, April 2014. Accessible on https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(13)01249-9/fulltext#%20
   2. Young-Powell, A. How serious is essay plagiarism? The Guardian, December 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/dec/30/is-plagiarism-really-a-growing-problem-in-universities
   3. Post Submission Actions: Editorial Decision and Peer Review Process. Scholar Hangout, July 2016. https://www.manuscriptedit.com/scholar-hangout/post-submission-actions-editorial-decision-peer-review-process/