Types of plagiarism, and the best way to avoid these in your content writing

Jul 8, 2022

Just looking at the word plagiarism can be triggering.

In a flash, you're at school trying to convince your teacher what you're lacking in the citation you needed for an assertion that you've made in your research paper on The Great Gatsby and what is the significance of the green light. You feel guilty. It's a lesson learned and will never use someone else's work as your personal.

In the years since and as a creator of content, you are constantly writing about your field, blog posts and landing page copy ebooks, and more. Never in your lifetime could you deliberately duplicate the work of someone else and claim it as your own. However, how would you know if something happened by accident? Unintentional plagiarism is extremely prevalent in creative writing and online content.

Although plagiarism in its simplest form is the practice of claiming someone else's work as your own It can take various forms and shapes which you might not be aware of. This could cause you to commit the unthinkable: replicating and using someone else's work - even by accident.

The best way to avoid being accused of or accidentally committing plagiarism is to know the ins and outs of plagiarism and the procedures to properly acknowledge other creators' work. Before we get started, let's talk about the reasons why content creators should perform their homework in regards to plagiarism.

How can content writers be sure to avoid plagiarizing?

For many, plagiarism is an ethical matter which means it is against morality. Although ethics is an esoteric idea, plagiarism can be considered it is a type of theft. it's when you steal another's words. The same is than that for writers of content who may be able to receive financial compensation for their stolen work.

Aside from it being ethically illegal, plagiarism also has the potential of damaging an individual's integrity as well as that of their business. This can lead to lost brand partnerships, professional referrals as well as, perhaps most importantly clients. That's right - plagiarism has the power to ruin a business in a flash.

It is important to consider the legal implications which could arise from plagiarism. If you copy your work and take the credit or profits away from the creator of the original work You could end up facing legal action regardless of how you chose to plagiarize or by accident.

5 types of plagiarism to be conscious of

The most effective way to avoid plagiarism is to be knowledgeable regarding its different forms. Here are the top five types of plagiarism that you may encounter or may have committed against yourself:

  1.   Global plagiarism  

Also referred to as complete or direct plagiarism, it is what people usually consider as plagiarism; an act that copies a whole work in order to claim it as your personal work. However, global plagiarism isn't just the act of taking the work of someone else. In school, paying someone to write a paper for you and then giving it back as your own, is another form of plagiarism.

It raises the inquiry: is employing ghostwriters an act of plagiarism? Here is a fantastic article of Jonathan Bailey on that very issue. Bailey states, "Ethically, it is accepted for politicians to hire a speechwriter but doesn't attribute it. However, a student who uses an essay mill to complete an assignment is clearly a plagiarist." So depending on the contextual nature of ghostwriting whether it is or is not plagiarism is difficult.

  1.   Verbatim plagiarism  

Similar to global plagiarism, this kind of plagiarism can be described as the practice of passing off an author's work as your ownn. The main difference is how much material has been copied. Global plagiarism covers everything in the text Verbatim plagiarism can contain only a tiny amount of text like just a couple of sentences or paragraphs.

NOTE: It's considered verbatim plagiarism, even when you alter words or rearrange sentences, which brings us to our next form of plagiarism.

  1.   Paraphrasing plagiarism  

Paraphrasing plagiarism is one of the most popular forms of accidental plagiarism. It's as it sounds. it occurs when authors reword their work without giving credit to the author who wrote it. The practice of turning someone else's content into your own words is acceptable but doing it with no proper citations isn't.

  1.   Patchwork plagiarism  

Also known as"patchwork plagiarism," it refers to the act of "stitching together" various ideas, words or more lengthy versions of text from various sources to create new content. The type of plagiarism could coincide with paraphrasing and verbatim plagiarism.

For example, you pull the idea of an original source. Then, from another source, you "borrow" one sentence and another, a paragraph. You work all of these in your work to make your own patchwork work.

  1.   Self-plagiarism  

How to avoid plagiarism in your content writing

Let's discuss the real purpose behind this blog and how you can avoid plagiarizing within your writing. With these simple four steps (yes, just five! ) You can safeguard yourself and your business from the negative consequences of plagiarizing:

  1. Write down and refer to sources. When you present someone else's ideas or words in your text (even when they're paraphrased) make sure to cite your source. A citation added to your writing is an easy and simple way to make sure that you do not commit plagiarism. Depending on the style guide that you're following the citation must contain at least the complete title of the source, as well as the date that it was released. To make the process of citations even more simple for you, design a record-keeping process and record your sources while you type. It will be a blessing later on We'll promise it. TIP: Google Documents also includes an citation tool which makes it simple to reference your sources using the format you prefer (APA, MLA, or Chicago).
  1. Incorporate quotations. One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism is to incorporate another's words or ideas verbatim in your writing using quotation marks and the proper citation of course. Quotes are a great method of incorporating another's thoughts or words in your own work while helping you avoid the mental struggle that comes from paraphrasing. Perhaps you've noticed that the exact method we employed was in the context of plagiarism worldwide!
  1. Paraphrase. It's a simple idea however, paraphrasing can be a great way to avoid duplicated words from another person word-for-word. When paraphrasing, focus on putting the other author's words into your own voice. Look up synonyms, integrate to incorporate the concept into your own text, then reformulate your sentence (e.g. modify the sentence to change it between active and passive). If you're paraphrasing your blog, be sure to include a link external to the original material.
  2. Utilize a plagiarism-checker. Also called anti-plagiarism tools, these tools can quickly analyze your content against other websites and provide you with an analysis of plagiarism. You'll simply copy and paste the text into an online plagiarism checker, and many of them are available for free. Grammarly has a plagiarism checking tool and Small SEO Tools.

The most important thing is the bottom line

If you have your business and personal credibility at stake, plagiarism should be avoided in all circumstances. And, the best way to stay clear of plagiarism is to be well-informed understanding of it. Just by reading this blog and knowing the basics, you're preventing yourself from getting accused of making a mistake by using plagiarism. Job well done!

It's now time to go back to your writing! Write away with unbridled passion because you're sure within your soul that your writing is unique This is the reason that can make your work worth to read.

You've got questions. We've got the answers.

Here are a few of the most frequently asked concerns about plagiarism.

  • What is plagiarism? At its root it is the explicit act of attempting to pass off the work of someone else as your personal.
  • What is the distinction between plagiarism and paraphrasing? The line between plagiarism and paraphrasing is extremely thin. It all depends on if and how you refer to your sources. If your article is not properly reference, the paraphrasing process rapidly and quickly turns into plagiarism.
  • What are the common kinds of plagiarism that are commonly seen in content writing? There are many kinds of plagiarism. However, those most frequently seen in content writing include the global type of plagiarism, verbatim plagiarism as well as paraphrasing plagiarism. Patchwork plagiarism, and self-plagiarism.
  • What can I do to detect plagiarism? While prior to the Internet it was hard to check your or others' work for plagiarism, nowadays, you can check for plagiarism with the free and simple-to-use plagiarism checking software. An easy Google search will show various software choices.
  • Do you have the possibility of plagiarizing? Yes, you may accidentally steal. The most frequent types of plagiarism that is accidental is paraphrasing plagiarism, which is when you reword the work of someone else without providing credit or properly citing the original source.