Types of Plagiarism Explained with Clear Visual Examples

Plagiarism isn’t just copying — it comes in many shapes and shades. Some forms are intentional, others accidental, but all of them can impact your academic integrity. This guide breaks down each type with easy explanations, real-life examples, and infographic-style visuals to help you spot plagiarism instantly.

Six Types of Plagiarism

Below is a quick summary of the six most common types of plagiarism every student and writer should understand before diving into deeper explanations.

Complete Plagiarism

Entire work copied outright

Direct Plagiarism

Word-for-word without credit

Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Rewritten too closely without citation

Accidental Plagiarism

Unintentional misuse or missing citations

Self-Plagiarism

Reusing your own old work

Duplicate Publication

Submitting identical work to multiple journals

Complete Plagiarism

Complete Plagiarism

Complete plagiarism occurs when a person submits an entire piece of work created by someone else. This is the most serious form of plagiarism because nothing in the submission is original. This type of plagiarism is always intentional and treated as major academic misconduct.

Examples of complete plagiarism

  • Submitting an essay downloaded from the internet as your own
  • Paying someone to write your assignment and submitting it
  • Using a classmate’s old project and replacing their name with yours

Direct Plagiarism

Direct Plagiarism

Direct plagiarism occurs when someone copies text word-for-word from a source without using quotation marks or giving credit. Because the wording matches the original exactly, this type of plagiarism is easy to spot and considered a serious academic offence. Even short copied phrases count, making proper citation essential for all writers.

Examples of direct plagiarism

  • Copy-pasting paragraphs from a website without citation
  • Copying definitions directly from a textbook
  • Using an author’s exact sentence without quotation marks

Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism happens when a writer rewrites someone else’s ideas but keeps the structure, meaning, or key phrases too close to the original without giving credit. Even if the words are changed, the idea still belongs to the original author. This makes paraphrasing plagiarism a common mistake for students who rewrite text without proper citation or enough originality.

Examples of paraphrasing plagiarism

  • Rewriting a paragraph by changing only a few words
  • Keeping the same sentence structure as the original author
  • Restating an online article too closely without a citation

Original (Jones, 1995)

Online learning gives students more flexibility, but it also requires strong self-discipline to stay motivated and organized. Without clear routines, many students struggle to balance coursework with other responsibilities.

Incorrect (Minimal changes, no citation)

Online learning gives scholars more flexibility, but it also needs strong self-discipline to stay focused and organized. Without well-defined routines, numerous students struggle to balance coursework with other responsibilities.

Correct (Rewritten with proper citation)

Online learning provides greater flexibility, but it demands that students manage their motivation and organization carefully. Without good routines, it becomes harder to keep up with academic and personal commitments (Jones, 1995).

Accidental Plagiarism

Accidental Plagiarism

Accidental plagiarism occurs when a writer unintentionally uses someone else’s words or ideas without proper credit. This often happens through forgotten citations, missing quotation marks, poor note-taking, or misunderstanding what needs to be referenced. Even though it’s unintentional, accidental plagiarism is still treated seriously, making careful referencing and citation essential for all academic writing.

Examples of accidental plagiarism

  • Forgetting to cite a source after taking notes
  • Not using quotation marks for phrases that aren’t your own
  • Citing the wrong source or incomplete information
  • Thinking something is “common knowledge” when it isn’t

Self-Plagiarism

Self Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism happens when a writer reuses their own previously submitted or published work without permission or proper citation. Although the content is originally yours, submitting it again as new misleads teachers, publishers, or readers. This includes reusing essays, research sections, or data. Most institutions treat self-plagiarism as academic misconduct, making transparency essential.

Examples of self plagiarism

  • Reusing your old assignment for a new class
  • Submitting a published paper again without disclosure
  • Using paragraphs from your previous work in a new essay
  • Copying your own research methods or findings without citation

Multiple Submission Plagiarism

Multiple submission plagiarism

Multiple submission plagiarism occurs when a writer submits the same work to more than one journal, class, or publication without disclosure. Even though the content is original, presenting it as new in multiple places is considered dishonest. This practice can mislead reviewers, waste academic resources, and violate publication policies, making it a serious form of academic misconduct.

Examples of duplicate submission plagiarism

  • Submitting the same manuscript to two journals at once
  • Sending identical conference papers to multiple events
  • Reusing the same research article for different publications without disclosure

Plagiarism can be confusing because the rules aren’t always obvious, and many students have questions about what needs to be cited, what counts as original, and how tools like AI fit into academic work. These frequently asked questions clear up the most common doubts so you can write confidently and avoid unintentional mistakes.

Common Questions About Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism is often the most common because students unintentionally copy the structure or wording of the original source without proper citation.

Yes. Even if unintentional, failing to cite sources properly or paraphrasing too closely is still treated as plagiarism in academic settings.

Mosaic plagiarism mixes copied phrases with your own writing, often without quotation marks. Even if some parts are original, it still counts as plagiarism.

This happens when the same paper is submitted to multiple courses, journals, or institutions without approval. It is considered academic misconduct.

Tools like Turnitin and FinalScanPro detect most forms, especially direct and paraphrasing plagiarism. But understanding the types yourself is essential for avoiding them.

Direct plagiarism copies specific sentences or passages word-for-word.
Complete plagiarism involves submitting an entire work written by someone else.

Self-plagiarism occurs when you reuse your own previous work without permission or without acknowledging that it was submitted elsewhere.

No. Simply swapping words with synonyms is still plagiarism. True paraphrasing requires rewriting the idea in your own words and citing the source.

Review the similarities: Did you copy text directly? Paraphrase too closely? Reuse your own work? Each behaviour aligns with a specific type

Cite every source, paraphrase properly, take good notes, use plagiarism checkers, and always write in your own words.

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