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Incremental plagiarism is a sneaky type of plagiarism that can be hard to detect compared to complete plagiarism.
If you don’t know what incremental plagiarism is and how to avoid it, you can end up doing it unknowingly.
But don’t worry, because in this article, we will explain what incremental plagiarism is and simple ways to avoid it.
What Is Incremental Plagiarism?
Incremental plagiarism is a kind of plagiarism that involves including small bits and pieces of someone’s work into your own work without proper attribution.
This type of plagiarism can be hard to detect for humans, and even for plagiarism detectors.
How Incremental Plagiarism is Done
Incremental plagiarism goes beyond just simple copy-pasting.
It may involve direct plagiarism, in which text is copied verbatim or with close-to-the-original wording; and may also involve paraphrasing the ideas close to the original text.
Incremental plagiarism can include:
Full or incomplete sentences
Small paragraphs
Paraphrased version of original ideas
However, not all incremental plagiarism is intentional. One of the reasons students fall prey to this plagiarism is not actively citing their sources, which can happen due to sluggish note-taking.
Do I Need to Avoid Incremental Plagiarism?
While it seems minor, incremental plagiarism can still damage a student's or researcher's reputation and academic standing.
Unlike complete plagiarism, in which a person copy-pastes entire documents — making the theft significant — incremental plagiarism includes taking small bits and pieces, which makes the theft seem insignificant.
However, copy-pasting even very small portions of someone’s work into your own is a form of plagiarism, no matter how insignificant.
Most institutes rely on advanced and sophisticated plagiarism checkers that can detect incremental plagiarism and generate a similarity score, which can flag your work as potentially plagiarized and suggest further examination.
So, even if you’re careful, committing incremental plagiarism is risky.
And while it may not be a problem for independent writers, such as freelancers, students who commit incremental plagiarism can land themselves in hot water if it is confirmed.
It is because students’ work is academic, and plagiarism is considered an offense in academic settings.
So, yes. Incremental plagiarism, though seemingly insignificant, should be avoided, especially by students whose work is academic.
Four Simple Ways to Prevent Incremental Plagiarism
Here are four simple yet effective ways you can prevent incremental plagiarism from affecting your work.
1. Record All Sources During Research
The first step to ensure zero plagiarism needs to be taken when you start your research.
It doesn’t matter how small or extensive your research is, as long as you’re looking up third-party sources and consulting them, note down their details for citation purposes.
You need to keep detailed notes of where you found each piece of information, including page numbers and website URLs.
You don’t just need to cite the text included as direct quotes, but also the ones you paraphrase and base your arguments on.
Essentially, cite any idea that you use.
Tools For Tracking Citations
One way to note down and track all the citations is using a real notebook.
But things can get messy that way, so you can also rely on note-editing apps or software, such as MS Word or Google Docs.
These offer flexible formatting options, such as numbered lists and bullet points, that can help you sort and track citations.
Some citation management tools and software like Zotero and Mendeley are also available. These provide extensive capabilities to note-down and track citations with more flexibility.
2. Paraphrase Effectively
Paraphrasing means rewriting a piece of text in your own words, especially someone else’s. This is done for various reasons, including achieving greater clarity in text or preventing plagiarism.
Paraphrasing helps you change the overall shape of a source text, effectively allowing you to minimize the chances of plagiarizing the original source text.
However, paraphrasing must be done thoroughly. Shallow or poor paraphrasing can do little to nothing to prevent plagiarism.
How to Paraphrase:
Here’s how you can paraphrase effectively:
Understand the source: Make sure you fully understand the original material before attempting to paraphrase it. This is important, or it can lead to poor paraphrasing or other issues, like misinterpreting the original text, which can pose concerns regarding your credibility as a writer or student.
Use your own words: Rewrite the information in your own style and sentence structure. Use your vocabulary and unique voice — but don’t change the text’s tone, or it can lead to misinterpretations.
Don't just change a few words: Ensure your paraphrased version of the text is significantly different from the original one. Sluggish paraphrasing can resemble the original text and can still be detected by plagiarism detectors.
3. Cite Your Sources
Citing your sources, especially in academic writing, is a must. Even if you’re paraphrasing your source texts thoroughly, you must cite the source you’re taking it from. This is essential because we paraphrase text not to deceive others but to eliminate unnecessary potential plagiarism.
Another important aspect of citing the sources is ensuring proper citations. Improper citations can invalide them.
How to Ensure Proper Citations
Follow these essential points to ensure proper citations:
Follow the required style: To cite properly, familiarize yourself with the citation style — MLA, APA, or CMoS — whichever is required by your institution or professor. Ensure all citations are in the required citation style, (as well as the paper’s formatting). Inconsistency can make your work seem unprofessional.
Cite everything: Cite sources for direct quotes, paraphrased information, and even ideas. Don’t leave out any ideas. Uncited but referenced ideas should be included in a bibliography section.
Include a reference list: Ensure all cited sources are also included in a complete bibliography or reference list for reader’s accessibility.
4. Use Plagiarism Detection Tools:
Before you submit your work, ensure your text is free of plagiarism. Use a reliable plagiarism detection tool beforehand to ensure the similarity score is low.
Review any part of the text if it gets flagged for plagiarism. Ensure the citation is proper and the text is adequately paraphrased.
If you struggle to paraphrase properly and the text continues to get flagged, you can use PlagiarismRemover.co to paraphrase your text and remove the plagiarism easily.
Plagiarism remover online uses paraphrasing techniques — such as sentence restructuring and synonymizing — and rewrite your text effectively to reduce its plagiarism.
This can help you quickly fix any remaining text that continues to get flagged by the plagiarism checker.
Run your text through the plagiarism checker a final time to ensure it meets your requirements.
Conclusion
Incremental plagiarism means taking small bits and pieces of text from someone else’s work and adding them into your work. This type of plagiarism is hard to detect because the stolen text is not obvious, but advanced plagiarism checkers can still detect it. This article provides you with four simple yet actionable steps that can help you effectively prevent incremental plagiarism and avoid committing an academic offense.
