Plagiarism – presenting others’ work as one’s own – is one of academia’s cardinal sins. Over the years, numerous high-profile figures across science, humanities, and politics have been caught in plagiarism scandals. These cases span different countries and disciplines, but all serve as cautionary tales about academic integrity. Below, we explore ten of the worst…
Mastering referencing and avoiding accidental plagiarism
You’ve submitted your assignment, feeling confident that you’ve cited all your sources correctly. A week later, your tutor emails you – your work has been flagged for plagiarism. Panic sets in. You double-check your references and realise the issue: missing citations, and paraphrased content without attribution. This happens a lot more often than you might…
Is a free online plagiarism check your best option?
With well over a million monthly searches for plagiarism checker related tools, it’s no wonder that so many sites are eager to capitalise on the demand for plagiarism scanning software. In fact, many of the top plagiarism checkers claim to be free – so why would students ever pay for such a service? In this…
The Honour Pledge and Reducing Academic Plagiarism
You may be reading this and asking yourself, what is the ‘honour pledge’ (or ‘honour codes’) system? Therefore, how will this so called ‘pledge’ help reduce plagiarism in schools and universities? Well, stick around – this blog post will explain the ins and outs of this system and how it is becoming more and more…
Being Accused Of Plagiarism: What do I do?
Being accused of plagiarism is one of the most stressful things that can happen to you during university. In this article, I’ll go over some of the basics behind being accused, including understanding the potential reasons and some handy tips to deal with the situation. Have you been Accused of Plagiarism? When starting university, the…
Definitions of Plagiarism: Getting Back to Basics
In order to fully understand the intricacies of plagiarism, one first must know the definitions of plagiarism. Then it is crucial to understand it and avoid it. Plagiarism is: the practice of taking somebody else’s work or ideas, and then passing it off as your own. This then, provides a working definition of plagiarism. While…
Plagiarism For Dummies: A Plagiarism 101 Crash Course
If you are a student, then it’s essential that you don’t plagiarise when completing your assignments. So, you’re about to get a Plagiarism for Dummies 101 crash course. If you don’t want to get caught for cheating, you must remember and implement the following EIGHT points. 1. Don’t steal anyone else’s work and lie about…
The Ethics of Plagiarism
Discussions about plagiarism are inevitably tied up in discussions about ethics. The overt use of other people’s work is nothing more than stealing. It is literary theft, and just like any form of theft, it is illegal. It deceives others by passing content off as your own. So, what are the ethics of plagiarism? Plagiarism…
The Evolution of Technology and Plagiarism: Analysing the Last 20 Years
Technology and Plagiarism has changed due to the rise of the Digital Age in the last twenty years. The Rise of the Internet Just two decades ago (yes, two!) the Internet was a relatively new phenomenon. Students in the 1990s, who used the Internet to conduct research, were seen as progressive. They would have of…
Top Tips for Writers to Avoid Plagiarism
Every writer needs help from time to time – even on how to avoid plagiarism. Stephen King, has an editor and his own team of draft readers ready to critique. Most novelists do, and these are professional writers. If you feel that you need help with your writing, you should not feel that this is…