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Academic plagiarism

Nowadays it is very easy to copy a text from the internet and paste it into your academic work without citing the sources consulted. This practice is called plagiarism. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to plagiarise is to «take the work or an idea (thoughts, writings, inventions) of someone else and pass it off as one's own». From a legal standpoint plagiarism is a violation of copyright.

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What is it?

To learn more about plagiarism, the UOC Library has prepared this dossier that provides resources and tools to avoid and detect plagiarism, guidelines to protect intellectual property, and additional reading on the subject.

Wikipedia - Plagiarism link opens in a new window

The Wikipedia entry for plagiarism. It contains abundant information and interesting bibliographic references on the subject.

Lucha contra el plagio desde las bibliotecas universitarias link opens in a new window

The internet has become the main source where information can be located, which has facilitated certain university student practices, plagiarism and cyber-plagiarism in particular. Academic plagiarism and related dishonest practices result in the incorporation, although unevenly, of legal, educational, and anti-plagiarism software, etc., on websites in an increasing number of Spanish university libraries.

_{DOMÍNGUEZ AROCA, María Isabel. Lucha contra el plagio desde las bibliotecas universitarias. In: El profesional de la información. 2012. Vol.21, núm. 5, pp. 498-503. ISSN 1386-6710 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://revista.profesionaldelainformacion.com/index.php/EPI/article/view/epi.2012.sep.08/17888}

Understanding Plagiarism

A video explaining what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, from the standpoint of both teaching staff and students.

Is it plagiarism? Quiz - Cardiff University Library Service link opens in a new window

An online 8-question situational test on situations in which one might commit plagiarism involuntarily.

How to avoid plagiarism

A collection of practical resources for use in your work.

_{FOLTÝNEKS, Tomas. How to avoid plagiarism: student handbook [online]. Praga: Karolinum Press, 2020. ISBN 9788024648163 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000710900306712}

People working in groups in person with a computer

How to cite

It is obligatory to cite sources correctly in a project, plus it is an indicator of the quality of your work. It also means you are using the information you have found ethically, respecting the copyright and avoiding plagiarism.

Plagiarism: what it is and how to avoid it link opens in a new window

An information capsule produced by the UPC (Technical University of Catalonia) Library on the proper use of information. Plagiarism, what it is and how to avoid it -- update your knowledge on the subject in less than 5 minutes.

What is plagiarism and how can we avoid it? link opens in a new window

A document from the University of Valencia Library with a number of resources to detect and avoid plagiarism.

Avoid plagiarism link opens in a new window

A page created by the UPC (Technical University of Catalonia) Library with various resources to detect and avoid plagiarism.

Plagiarism link opens in a new window

A page created by the University of Alicante Library with various resources to detect and avoid plagiarism.

Avoid plagiarism and other academic fraud link opens in a new window

A page created by the University of Ottawa Library with various resources to detect and avoid plagiarism.

Academic good practice - a practical guide (University of Oxford) link opens in a new window

A practical guide to developing good academic practices and avoiding plagiarism. It includes a section on types of plagiarism and why it must be avoided.

Avoiding Plagiarism: Writing With Integrity

A presentation with tips on how to organize resources and integrate them into academic works without plagiarizing. Includes advice on citation and summaries.

The Art of Paraphrasing: Avoiding Plagiarism

A presentation on how to paraphrase works by other authors without plagiarizing them.

Practical resources

Online Writing Lab link opens in a new window

A resource from Purdue University that, in addition to strategies for detecting plagiarism, provides tools and resources for writing texts without committing academic plagiarism.

Plagiarism.org link opens in a new window

The aim of this website is to avoid digital plagiarism using practical tools and resources.

Citation Machine - Resources and Guides link opens in a new window

This page provides citation generators, in APA, MLA and Chicago styles, amongst others. It also explains how to correctly cite each resource and includes other tools on research, writing and plagiarism.

UOC - How to cite link opens in a new window

This page provides access to the Mendeley and Zotero automatic citation tools, as well as their training manuals. It also offers access to GBAT, a tool for citation with the gender perspective.

UOC - How to cite in your assignments (interactive infographic) link opens in a new window

A UOC infographic explaining how to cite each resource in your academic assignments, with examples. Includes the ISO 690, APA and Vancouver citation types.

How to detect plagiarism

A selection of tools to detect plagiarism in works.

Wikipedia - Content similarity detection link opens in a new window

The Wikipedia entry for content similarity detection. It contains abundant information and interesting bibliographic references on the subject.

Detecting plagiarism link opens in a new window

A collection of programs to detect plagiarism produced by the University of Seville.

Tools

Crot Software link opens in a new window

Software developed by Siberia Soft (now Crot Software) that includes a set of tools designed to expose plagiarism in academic papers.

Plagiarism Detector link opens in a new window

An online service to detect plagiarism in documents or web pages. To check texts greater than 1000 words, free registration is required.

Plagium link opens in a new window

A free tool to search for and track plagiarism. To check texts greater than 1000 characters, free registration is required.

Plagiarisma link opens in a new window

A free tool that detects plagiarism online.

How to protect my work

Ways to protect your work and claim authorship.

Protect authoring of publications link opens in a new window

A page created by the UPC (Technical University of Catalonia) Library that explains how to avoid plagiarism of your work.

Wikipedia - Copyleft link opens in a new window

The Wikipedia entry for copyleft. It contains abundant information and interesting bibliographic references on the subject.

Creative Commons link opens in a new window

A non-profit organisation that develops plans to help reduce legal barriers to creativity through new legislation and new technologies. It develops the Creative Commons (CC) licences.

What do I do if my work has been plagiarized? link opens in a new window

A blog post with information on how to prevent your own work from being plagiarized by others. Covers both preventive and reactive measures.

Practical information on what copyright is and what rights it gives someone holding it.

The punishable perils of plagiarism - Melissa Huseman D'Annunzio

A video explaining different types of plagiarism and the different techniques used when uploading someone else's content to the web.

Intellectual property

Wikipedia - Copyright link opens in a new window

The Wikipedia entry for copyright. It contains abundant information and interesting bibliographic references on the subject.

Intellectual Property - Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports link opens in a new window

Access to all the information on intellectual property law: the content, the agents and the process.

The academic plagiarism at the UOC

Access to the UOC’s regulations on plagiarism and guidelines for students.

UOC Academic Regulations link opens in a new window

Article 113, of Chapter III Marks, lists the types of misconduct during assessment at the UOC; these include copying or plagiarising in any academic activity.

What is plagiarism? link opens in a new window

This website covers plagiarism and academic integrity at the UOC, providing information and advice on how to avoid this form of misconduct.

eBooks

How to Avoid Plagiarism: Student Handbook (2020) link opens in a new window

A manual for students covering what plagiarism is and what it is not, including real-life cases of plagiarism and its consequences.

How to Prevent Plagiarism in Student Work: a Handbook for Academic Staff (2020) link opens in a new window

A handbook for teaching staff on how to prevent plagiarism in student assignments.

_{FOLTÝNEKS, Tomas. How to prevent plagiarism in student work a handbook for academic staff [online]. Praga: Karolinum Press, 2020. ISBN 9788024648170 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000710900506712}

Why do We Quote? (2011) link opens in a new window

In this book, the author analyses the tradition of the literal quote over the centuries and how we use it today. She also looks at how the concept of "quoting" has ended up tainted with negative connotations.

_{FINNEGAN, Ruth. Why do we quote? [en línia]. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 2011. ISBN 9781906924355 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_oapen_doabooks_29762}

Who owns this text? Plagiarism, authorship, and disciplinary cultures (2009) link opens in a new window

In this book, the authors analyse the interdisciplinary nature of authorship and plagiarism across different academic fields.

_{HAVILAND, Carol Peterson & MULLIN, Joan. Who owns this text? Plagiarism, autorship, and disciplinary cultures [online]. Utah: Utah State University Press, 2009. ISBN 0874217288 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000705202506712}

Research ethics for students in the social sciences (2020) link opens in a new window

A practical guide for students on ethics in research around social sciences. It contains sections on plagiarism, falsification and confidentiality.

_{BOS, Jaap. Research ethics for students in the social sciences [online]. Switzerland: Springer Nature, 2020. ISBN 9783030484149 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000707439206712}

Plagiarism education and prevention: a subject-driven case-based approach (2011) link opens in a new window

An article dealing with plagiarism and the problems of research, aimed at teaching staff who wish to help students. The author analyses plagiarism education in different student communities and provides examples for fostering discussion and debate.

_{LACY, Meagan. Plagiarism education and prevention: a subject-driven case-based approach. In: Reference & Users Services Quarterly [online]. 2011. Vol. 51, núm. 2, pp. 207. ISSN 1094-9054 [accessed: 20 april, 2023]. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_proquest_journals_912813378}