On Plagiarism and How to Avoid It
2024-10-07
How do I accurately restate the ideas of others and properly give credit where credit is due? When do I plagiarize another writer’s work, and is it possible that I may do so without even being aware of it? Where and how can I check whether my text contains sentences or sections that might be construed as plagiarism? Students have been worried about (unintentionally) committing plagiarism for ages, but the availability of plagiarism detection software and recent legal and administrative changes allowing for the use of this kind of software at many German universities have increased the level of anxiety students may feel when they turn in their papers.
Addressing these changes and their effect on students and their writing, we aim to put the introduction of plagiarism software into perspective. To be clear: In line with the principles of academic integrity and good scientific practice, you must be transparent about your sources and how you used them in your work. You are responsible for the work you turn in as a student (and, later on, as a researcher), always. That said, it is understood that novice academic writers still have to learn how to integrate outside sources in their texts and how to cite correctly, in line with the conventions in their field. Seen in this light, there is a considerable difference between a student who has yet to master citation and reference skills and one who seeks to pass off another writer’s ideas or words as his or her own. To err is human, to deceive unethical and unacceptable.
How, then, can you make sure that you do not commit plagiarism? Engage in active reading, and be careful when taking notes. Distinguish between the ideas you encounter and your own, and in the former case, always write down where you found the idea (full bibliographic information). Keep in mind that this can be, at times, easier said than done because paraphrasing, that is, restating another person’s ideas in one’s own words, is a complex skill and requires considerable effort. In order to master this skill, you need to practice, regardless of whether you are writing in a language that you feel comfortable using or one that may be required in your degree program but one you would rather not use to discuss complex ideas.
Especially in the latter case, writing a paper can be very challenging. Even if you feel uncomfortable and are concerned about plagiarism, you need to come to terms with any anxiety you may feel. Fortunately, there are few strategies that might help. As opposed to merely copying-and-pasting the words of others in one of your files, you will want to paraphrase. As noted above, doing so is not easy, but the benefits ultimately outweigh the costs. AI-powered writing tools promise to get this job done for you, but it might be best not to become too reliant on these tools, also because these tools cannot think for you and you continue to be responsible for work that has been generated in this manner. While using generative AI along those lines does not necessarily constitute plagiarism, the actual output may contain errors or echo ideas and words in sources that have been used to train the model powering the AI tool. You have to fact-check the output and evaluate the ideas and writing generated by the tool. If you lack the proper means to do so, it might be best not to use these tools for paraphrasing or drafting text.
If you want to know more about these and related issues, register for our workshops (in German or in English) on reading or on citation and reference. If you are not sure whether you have correctly quoted from or paraphrased a text, feel free to stop by during our drop-in sessions. (In this case, you will want to bring the text that you have written and the sources that you have used.) We will analyze your text and answer any questions you may have.
Academic writers are made, not born. You, too, can learn how to cite and paraphrase correctly and convincingly. We are very much looking forward to working with you on your writing.