History of

plagiarism
Diana Maliarchuk
1
Meaning of plagiarism
2 5 Historical Moments that
Shaped Plagiarism
3
Plagiarism- history, detection and preventio
MEANING OF PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the representation of
another author's language, thoughts,
ideas, or expressions as one's
own original work.
In educational contexts, there are
differing definitions of plagiarism
depending on the institution.
 Prominent scholars of plagiarism
include Rebecca Moore Howard,
Susan Blum, Tracey Bretag, and Sarah
Elaine Eaton, among others
8 Most Common Types of
Plagiarism
1. Complete
Plagiarism
2. Source-based
Plagiarism
3. Direct Plagiarism
4. Self or Auto
Plagiarism
5. Paraphrasing
plagiarism
Complete Plagiarism

Complete plagiarism is the most

severe form of plagiarism where
a researcher takes a manuscript
or study that someone else
created, and submits it under his
or her name. It is tantamount
to intellectual theft and stealing.
Source-based Plagiarism

Plagiarism may occur because of the

different types of sources. For example,
when a researcher references a source that is
incorrect or does not exist, it is a misleading
citation. Plagiarism also occurs when a
researcher uses a secondary source of data
or information, but only cites the primary
source of information. Both these types lead
to an increase in the number of references
sources. This, in turn, increases the citation
number of the references.
Direct Plagiarism

Direct or verbatim plagiarism occurs when

an author copies the text of another author,
word for word, without the use of
quotation marks or attribution, thus passing
it as his or her own. In that way, it is like
complete plagiarism, but it refers to
sections (rather than all) of another paper.
This type of plagiarism is considered
dishonest and it calls for academic
disciplinary actions. It is not as common,
but it is a serious infraction of academic
rules and ethics.
Self or Auto Plagiarism

Auto-plagiarism, also known as self-plagiarism or

duplication, happens when an author reuses significant
portions of his or her previously published work without
attribution. Thus, this type of plagiarism is most likely to
involve published researchers, rather than university
students. The severity of this kind of infraction is under
debate, depending on the copied content. Many
academic journals, however, have strict criteria on the
percentage of author’s work that is reusable.
Many journals run manuscripts through a plagiarism-
detection software before considering them for review.
Paraphrasing plagiarism

This is, as published on Wiley, the most

common type of plagiarism. It involves the
use of someone else’s writing with some
minor changes in the sentences and using it
as one’s own. Even if the words differ, the
original idea remains the same and plagiarism
occurs. Because students often do not have a
clear understanding of what constitutes
plagiarism, there are recommendations for
research and writing available to reduce the
risk of paraphrasing plagiarism.
Inaccurate Authorship
Inaccurate authorship or misleading
attribution can happen in two ways:
In one form, when an individual contributes to a
manuscript but does not get credit for it. The
second form is the opposite: when an individual
gets credit without contributing to the work.
This type of plagiarism, whichever way it occurs,
is a violation of the code of conduct in research.
It is also possible to commit this form of
plagiarism when someone else edits a
manuscript, leading to substantive changes. In
this case, the recommendation is to
acknowledge the contributors at the time of
publication, even if they are not listed as
authors.
Mosaic Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism may be more

difficult to detect because it interlays
someone else’s phrases or text within
its own research. It is also known as
patchwork plagiarism and it is
intentional and dishonest.
Accidental Plagiarism

Whether intended or unintended,

there is no excuse for plagiarism
and the consequences are often the
same. However, plagiarism may be
accidental if it occurred because of
neglect, mistake, or unintentional
paraphrasing. Students are likely to
commit accidental plagiarism, so
universities should stress on the
importance of education about this
form of plagiarism.
The First “Plagiarism” Case
The etymology of the word plagiarism is from the word
“plagiarius” meaning “kidnapper, seducer, plunderer..”
However, the first time it was used in the context of
literature was sometime around 80 AD by the Roman poet
Martial. At that time, poets were expected to be able to recite
key works by other authors. However, when Martial learned that
another poet, Fidentinus, was reciting his works and taking credit
for them, Martial chose to respond.
But Martial didn’t have the option of going to the courts.
Modern copyright law wouldn’t exist for another 1600 years and
there was no legal remedy available. Instead, Martial wrote a
series of verses about Fidentinus, essentially creating a diss track
about him.
In one of those verses, Martial referred to Fidentinus as a
“plagiarus,” essentially calling him a kidnapper.
Interestingly though, Martial wasn’t concerned
about the use of his work without attribution.
Instead, he was more concerned about the lack of
payment, essentially saying in one verse,
“If you’re willing that they be called mine, I’ll send
you the poems for free.
If you want them to be called yours, buy this one,
so that they won’t be mine.”
This isn’t a surprise considering that ghostwriting
was a common way for Roman poets to earn a
living. It would be quite some time before the
focus on plagiarism turned to authorship and
originality.
From “Plagiarus” to “Plagiarism”
Though it’s unclear when the word
“plagiarism” made it into the English language,
it’s widely believed to have happened in 1601,
when author and satirist Ben Jonson used the
word “plagiary” to describe literary theft.
In 1755, the word “plagiarism” was included in
Samuel Johnson’s dictionary and was defined
as: “A thief in literature; one who steals the
thoughts or writings of another.” The
heightened interest in plagiarism can be tied to
the Age of Enlightenment, which is considered
to be between 1685 and 1815.
 What The Future Holds
Currently, plagiarism is a rapidly-developing topic of discussion, both from a technological
standpoint and from an ethical one. As new technologies create new forms of expression,
we are going to see increasing tensions about what the rules around attribution should be.
However, in academia one of the major changes has been a shift away from internet and
copy/paste plagiarism to essay mills and plagiarism for hire. It’s even been the subject of
legislation in various countries, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
This is largely owed to the prevalence and power of plagiarism detection tools, which have
made copy and paste plagiarism much riskier.
But, in a strange way, this brings the conversation back to 80 AD and Martial. After all,
Martial’s concern wasn’t the plagiarism, but the lack of payment. In an era where one of
the biggest issues is people willing to be plagiarized for money, it’s important to remember
that such an arrangement is exactly how the plagiarism conversation got started, nearly
2000 years ago...