What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the appropriation, translation and distribution of the result of another person’s intellectual work, text, idea, concept, visual/audio material and any other kind of data without indicating the rightful author.
Instances of plagiarism:
- Self-plagiarism is the use of one’s own work in the context of a new piece of work without indicating the original source;
- Falsification is the fabrication and distortion of data, information or quotations in an academic work;
- Obtaining, appropriating, distributing the result of another person’s intellectual work in an unfair way using various methods while having author’s consent or without his/her agreement;
- Using others’ words or ideas without indicating source;
- Not using quotation marks where necessary;
- Indicating incorrect information during quotation
How to avoid plagiarism?
An author has to make it clear what part of work belongs to him/her and which segment is taken from another person’s work. While employing other authors’ work, one has to always indicate the relevant sources so that a reader is able to look for them. It is better to transcribe the original work in your own words when using others’ texts. When you are taking a concrete quotation from another author’s work the text has to be set apart with quotation marks.
In any case, it is important to always indicate the source as all scientific works ought to be based on the results of preceding researches.
Indication of a source gives an opportunity to a new work to be presented in a broader context and audience can starkly see its connection to other researches.
Source indication is also used for the purpose of determining methods and notions. Majority cases of plagiarism can be avoided by indicating sources. Just acknowledging the fact that certain material was taken from another source and providing audience/readers with information in order to search for the source is often enough to avert plagiarism.