To avoid plagiarism, make sure every idea, phrase and piece of data you take from another source is credited, and that the rest of your work is genuinely your own thinking in your own words. Most cases start as habits, not intent.
Universities usually treat accidental and deliberate plagiarism seriously, so it pays to know the forms it takes. This page explains each type, shows the difference between patchwriting and paraphrase, and ends with a practical prevention plan.
Five Habits That Keep Your Work Original
- Keep copied text and your own notes clearly separate from the first day.
- Paraphrase from understanding, with the source closed.
- Cite as you write, never "later".
- Ask before reusing any of your own earlier work.
- Check your course's rules on group work and AI tools before you start.
The Main Types of Plagiarism
| Type | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Direct copying | Text copied word for word without quotation marks or citation |
| Patchwriting | A source's sentences reworded lightly, keeping its structure |
| Mosaic plagiarism | Phrases from several sources stitched together with a few words of your own |
| Missing attribution | Someone's idea, argument or data used without a citation |
| Self-plagiarism | Reusing your own earlier assessed work without permission |
| Collusion | Working with others on work that was meant to be individual |
| Contract cheating | Submitting work produced by someone else as your own |
Each of these presents someone else's work, or your own old work, as new and original. Intent can affect the penalty, but not whether it counts.
Patchwriting Versus True Paraphrase
Patchwriting is the most common accidental form. It looks like a paraphrase but still follows the original too closely.
Original: "Urban green spaces lower local temperatures, reduce stress and encourage residents to spend more time outdoors." (Mwangi, 2022, p. 18)
Patchwriting: City green areas reduce nearby temperatures, lower stress and motivate residents to spend more time outside (Mwangi, 2022).
Paraphrase: Mwangi (2022) argues that parks and other green areas make cities cooler and calmer, and draw people outdoors more often.
The patchwritten version swaps synonyms into the same sentence shape. The paraphrase restructures the idea in a new way and still cites the source. The example source is invented.
A reliable test: read the passage, close it, explain it aloud, then write. If you need to look back while writing, you are likely to patchwrite.
Self-Plagiarism and Collusion
Self-Plagiarism
Submitting work you have already handed in for another assignment, whole or in part, without permission usually counts as misconduct. Each assessment is meant to show new work.
- Usually not allowed: resubmitting paragraphs or sections from an earlier essay.
- Usually fine: building on ideas you developed earlier, in new writing, citing your earlier work if your institution allows.
- When unsure: ask your tutor before you submit.
Collusion
Discussing ideas with classmates is often encouraged. Writing answers together, sharing drafts or copying each other's structure for individual work is not. Keep your writing your own, even when the thinking was shared.
AI Tools and Academic Integrity
Rules on AI tools vary widely, from banned outright to allowed with disclosure. Check your course and institution policy before using any tool for brainstorming, drafting, paraphrasing or editing.
- If AI use is allowed, follow the disclosure rules exactly.
- APA and MLA both publish guidance on citing generative AI.
- Check any facts or sources an AI tool gives you; they can be invented.
- Paraphrasing tools that reword sources can produce patchwriting, so they do not make borrowed text your own.
How Similarity Reports Work
Many institutions run submissions through similarity software that compares your text with websites, publications and earlier submissions. The report highlights matching passages and gives a percentage.
A similarity score is not a plagiarism verdict. Correctly quoted passages, reference lists and common phrases all match. Your marker reads the highlighted passages in context and makes the judgment.
If you can see a report before final submission, use it to find unmarked quotations and close paraphrases, not to chase a particular number.
A Prevention Plan, Stage by Stage
| Stage | Habit |
|---|---|
| Reading | Record full source details with every note |
| Note-taking | Put copied text in quotation marks and a different color |
| Planning | Write your own argument before rereading sources |
| Drafting | Paraphrase with the source closed and cite immediately |
| Editing | Match every citation to a reference entry and back |
| Submitting | Keep your notes and drafts as a record of your process |
Saved drafts and notes are useful if a question is ever raised about your work. They show how your ideas developed.
Final Originality Checklist
- Every quotation has quotation marks and a citation with a page number.
- Every paraphrase and summary has a citation.
- No paragraph follows a source's sentence structure.
- No material is reused from your earlier work without permission.
- Any AI use follows your course policy.
- Your reference list includes every source cited.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Institutions may treat it more leniently than deliberate copying, but it still counts.
Yes. A paraphrase uses someone else's idea, so it needs a citation.
Usually not without permission. Ask your tutor first and cite your earlier work if allowed.
There is no universal figure. Markers look at what matches and why, not just the percentage.
No. They often produce patchwriting, and the idea still needs a citation. Some courses ban them.
Discussing ideas is often fine. Writing individual work together, or sharing drafts, can count as collusion.
First check that your course allows it. If it does, follow your style guide's published guidance and any disclosure rules.
No, but specific figures, dates and findings rarely count as common knowledge. Cite when in doubt.