Common Plagiarism Types Flowchart(Accessible version)

Plagiarism Definitions1. Copy and paste plagiarism - Seven or more words in a row lifted from source without quotation

marks, parenthetical citation, or signal phrase.2. Word switch plagiarism - Rearranging or replacing words to make the material “different;” not

successfully summarizing or synthesizing in your own words. Even with a citation, this is still plagiarism.

3. No citation – Source material is paraphrased correctly, but lacks an in-text citation.4. Signal phrase – A signal phrase introduces your source and is integrated into the sentence, including

the same information as a parenthetical citation. Example: According to Jones and Smith (2010) mice and humans share many similar genes (p. 12).

3 Ways to Cite1. Direct quote + parenthetical citation or signal phrase2. Paraphrase + parenthetical citation or signal phrase3. Summary + parenthetical citation or signal phrase

Flowchart: Are the ideas completely your own? If yes, Great, no need to cite your own ideas, unless borrowing from a previously published paper, interview, or personal communication! If no, there are three possible types of plagiarism: Copy-and-paste plagiarism, Word-switch plagiarism and No Citation. Copy-and-paste plagiarismIs there a direct quote of seven or more words in a row taken from the source material? If yes, Uh-oh, this could be copy-and-paste plagiarism. Make sure there are quotation marks around the source material. If no, Good. Check the next section to be sure you’ve paraphrased and summarized correctly. Is there a signal phrase or parenthetical citation including authors' last name(s), year of publication, and page number? If yes, Awesome! You’ve used a direct quote correctly. If no, you guessed it…copy-and-paste plagiarism.

Word-switch plagiarismAre words moved around or synonyms used to disguise source material? If yes, Careful! This could be word-switch plagiarism. Re-write in your own words. If no, Excellent, proper paraphrasing should use your own words and sentence structure to describe the source idea. Keep reading to make sure you have included correct in-text citations. Is there a signal phrase or parenthetical citation including authors' last name(s), year of publication, and page number? If yes, Way to go! You've paraphrased and cited correctly. If no, look out! Citation and proper paraphrase required.

No CitationAre you summarizing the author's ideas in your own words (this is paraphrasing)? If yes, Great! Summaries take a large chunk of material and briefly explain it in your own words. Keep reading to make sure you have included correct in-text citations. If no, Careful, if you're using the author's exact words, use quotation marks. Keep reading to make sure you have included correct in-text citations. Is there a signal phrase or parenthetical citation including authors' last name(s), and year of publication? If yes, well done! You've summarized and cited correctly. If no, think again, my friend. Citation needed here, too!