Skip to Main Content

Plagiarism

Scroll through for Plagiarism Examples

Column 1: Original text - “Zooplankton may respond very differently to nutrient enrichment depending on whether zebra mussels are present or absent.” Dzialowski, A. R. (2013). Invasive zebra mussels alter zooplankton responses to nutrient enrichment. Freshwater Science, 32(2), 462–470. Column 2: Plagiarised example – It’s difficult to predict with certainty how the zebra mussels impact zooplankton in their environment. [highlighted to indicate plagiarized portion] Zooplankton may respond very differently to nutrient enrichment depending on whether zebra mussels are present or absent. Column 3: Correctly cited: While studying the impact of zebra mussels on zooplankton, Dzialowski (2013) notes, “Zooplankton may respond very differently to nutrient enrichment depending on whether zebra mussels are present or absent.”
Title: Paraphrasing. Column 1: Original text - “Rather than claim that Dickinson is strictly secular or that she is fully embracing Christianity, her poems on religious subjects can be understood as projects in critical thought.” Duncan, Emma M. “Defamiliarizing Faith: Emily Dickinson’s Use of Hymns, Scripture, and Prayer.” Women’s Studies, vol. 50, no. 2, Mar. 2021, pp. 157–74. Column 2: Plagiarized example with all words duplicated from the original highlighted : Instead of claiming that Dickinson is areligious or that she supports Christianity, her poems on religion can be understood as projects in critical thought (Duncan 157). Column 3: Correctly cited: Dickinson’s poetry is neither clearly religious nor heretical, but instead offers a space to explore and probe religious topics (Duncan 157). Note: even if you cite the author at the end of a paraphrase, the assumption is that you wrote that sentence yourself; it’s only the idea that comes from the author you’re citing. If you want to use the same words & structure as the original, a quote may be better.
Title: More Paraphrasing. Column 1: Original text - “Menstrual irregularity represents an early warning as it usually temporally precedes the onset of full MD.” Amoruso, I., Fonzo, M., Barro, A., Scardina, C., Titton, F., Bertoncello, C., & Baldovin, T. (2024). Determinants of menstrual dysfunction in the female athlete triad: A cross-sectional study in Italian athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 73, 102653. Column 2: plagiarized example with all words duplicated from the original highlighted: Menstrual irregularity is regarded as an early warning as it usually precedes the onset of full menstrual dysfunction (Amoruso et al., 2024). Column 3: Correctly cited: Because full menstrual dysfunction often occurs later in life for women who had irregular menstrual cycles as young adults, experts recommend closely monitoring menstrual irregularity in young female athletes (Amoruso et al., 2024). Note: The better you understand the content, the  better you’ll be able to paraphrase it. If you’re struggling to paraphrase an idea, it may mean you don’t understand it very well and need to do some more background reading.
Title: Broader Concepts. Column 1: Original text – “The prevalence of eating disorders was higher in sports emphasizing leanness or a specific weight than in sports where these are less important.” Sundgot-Borgen, J. (1994). Risk and trigger factors for the development of eating disorders in female elite athletes. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 26(4), 414-419. Second piece of original text: “Athletes appeared to be somewhat more at risk for eating problems than non-athletes. This was especially true of dancers…Elite athletes, especially those in sports emphasizing thinness, were at risk.” Smolak, L., & Murnen, S. K. (2000). Female Athletes and Eating Problems: A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27(4), 371–380. Column 2: Plagiarism - Eating disorders often occur in athletes who participate in sports that emphasize thinness, such as dancing. Column 3: Correctly Cited -  Eating disorders often occur in athletes who participate in sports that emphasize thinness, such as dancing (Sundgot-Borgen, 1994; Smolak & Murnen, 2000). Note: Yes, you can cite multiple papers for one concept! If several studies have proved a similar point, cite all of them in the order they were published.
Title: Figures/illustrations/tables you didn’t create . Column 1: Original text – shows scatterplot with caption Fig. 1. Bivariate scatter plots of P. monophylla tree age as a function of selected predictor variables, (A) diameter at breast height (DBH).  Weisberg, P. J., & Ko, D. W. (2012). Old tree morphology in singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla). Forest Ecology & Management, 263, 67–73. Column 2: Plagiarism – Shows same scatterplot with caption Fig. 1. Bivariate scatter plots of P. monophylla tree age as a function of selected predictor variables, (A) diameter at breast height (DBH). Column 3 – correctly cited: same scatterplot with caption Fig. 1: A 2012 study tracking P. monophylla tree height and age, from “Old tree morphology in singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla).” by P.J. Weisberg and D.W. Ko, 2012,  Forest Ecology & Management, 263, 67–73. Note: When citing someone else’s figure, you must provide a citation in the caption AND the reference page, just like a text citation.
Title: Data and Statistics. Column 1: Original text -  “Particularly striking is that among those students who reported a previous mental health diagnosis, only ∼50% of Varsity Athletes also reported having sought treatment, compared to ∼75% of Non-Athletes, and ∼65% of Club/Intramural Athletes.” Edwards, B., & Froehle, A. (2023). Examining the incidence of reporting mental health diagnosis between college student athletes and non-athlete students and the impact on academic performance. Journal of American College Health, 71(1), 69–75. Column 2: Plagiarism - Mental health is a significant issue for college athletes, as varsity athletes are 25% less likely to get mental health treatment compared to non-athletes or intramural athletes. This may be due to the stigma around mental health support. Column 3: Correctly cited - Mental health is a significant issue for college athletes; Edwards and Foehle (2023) found in a study of students at a large NCAA Division I school in the midwest that 75% of non-athletes had sought out mental health treatment at some point in their lives compared to only 50% of varsity athletes.