To avoid plagiarism, credit every source of words, ideas, data and figures you use, paraphrase in genuinely your own words and structure, and keep careful notes so you always know what came from where. At graduate level, this extends to your own earlier work.
This guide explains the main types of plagiarism, how to paraphrase and quote correctly, what counts as common knowledge, how text recycling applies to theses and journal articles, and what similarity reports can and cannot tell you.
Five Habits That Prevent Plagiarism
- Record the full reference and page number as you take every note.
- Mark copied wording in your notes with quotation marks, every time.
- Paraphrase from memory, then check against the source.
- Cite ideas and data, not just quotations.
- Disclose any reuse of your own earlier work, as your institution or journal requires.
Types of Plagiarism
| Type | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Verbatim copying | Exact words with no quotation marks or citation |
| Patchwriting | Synonyms swapped into the original sentence structure |
| Uncredited ideas | Another author's argument, model or framework presented as your own, even in new words |
| Uncredited data or figures | Statistics, tables or images used without a source |
| Self-plagiarism or text recycling | Reusing your own submitted or published work without disclosure |
| Contract cheating | Submitting work someone else wrote as your own |
Most university policies treat careless plagiarism seriously even when it was not intended. Understanding attribution is regarded as a core scholarly skill.
Paraphrasing Versus Patchwriting
A real paraphrase restates an idea in your own words and your own sentence structure, with a citation. Patchwriting keeps the original's skeleton and swaps a few words, which still counts as plagiarism.
Original. "Interruptions during medication administration are associated with an increased risk of procedural failures and clinical errors."
Patchwriting. Interruptions while giving medication are linked to a higher risk of procedure failures and clinical mistakes (Author, 2020).
Paraphrase. Nurses who are interrupted while giving medicines make more mistakes, both in following procedures and in the clinical decisions themselves (Author, 2020).
A useful test: close the source and write the idea from memory. If you cannot, you have not yet understood it well enough to paraphrase. The quoted sentence above is an illustration, not a real source.
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
| Quote when | Paraphrase when |
|---|---|
| The exact wording matters, as in a definition, law or policy | The idea matters more than the phrasing |
| You are analyzing the language itself | You are synthesizing several sources |
| The phrasing is unusually precise or memorable | The original is technical and you can say it more clearly |
In most social science and health disciplines, writers paraphrase far more than they quote. A page full of quotations suggests sources are carrying the argument instead of you. In APA 7, direct quotations need a page or paragraph number in the citation.
Common Knowledge
Facts that are widely known, undisputed and easily found in many general sources do not need a citation, such as the year a well-known event happened. The bar is higher than many students assume.
If a fact comes from a specific study, would surprise a non-specialist, is a precise statistic or is contested, cite it. What counts as common knowledge also depends on your audience and discipline. When unsure, cite.
Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling in Graduate Work
Reusing your own work is not automatically wrong, but it must be transparent and allowed. The rules differ by context.
| Situation | Usual expectation |
|---|---|
| Reusing a module essay in another module | Generally not allowed without permission |
| Building your thesis from your own approved proposal | Commonly allowed; follow your program's guidance |
| Including your published articles in a thesis | Often allowed, with disclosure and permission from the publisher where needed |
| Publishing a journal article from your thesis | Usually acceptable; many journals ask you to cite or declare the thesis |
| Reusing methods text across your own papers | Limited reuse is tolerated by some journals; check policy and cite earlier work |
Policies vary by university and publisher, so check before reusing anything, and ask your supervisor or the journal editor if in doubt.
What Similarity Reports Show
Tools such as Turnitin and iThenticate compare your text against web pages, publications and earlier submissions, then report the percentage of matching text. That percentage is a similarity score, not a plagiarism verdict.
- A high score can come from correctly quoted material, a reference list or standard phrases.
- A low score does not prove originality; uncredited ideas in new words will not be flagged.
- There is no universal acceptable percentage. Markers read the matches, not just the number.
AI Tools and Integrity
Rules on AI writing tools vary by institution, module and journal. Where use is allowed, disclosure is often required. Submitting AI-generated text as your own without permission is treated as misconduct in many policies.
AI tools can also produce references that do not exist. Verify every reference against the actual source before citing it; you remain responsible for every claim and citation in your work.
Checklist Before You Submit
- Every quotation has marks and a full citation, with a page number where required.
- Paraphrases differ in wording and structure from the source.
- Ideas, data, figures and images are credited.
- Every in-text citation appears in the reference list, and the reverse.
- Any reuse of your earlier work is permitted and disclosed.
- Every reference has been checked against the original.
How IvyDrafts Helps You Avoid Plagiarism
Send your draft, your citation style and edition and, if you have one, your similarity report. An editor checks attribution, paraphrasing and the match between citations and references, and comments where you need to revise. All custom work we write is produced from scratch and plagiarism-checked.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Using someone else's words, ideas, data or work without proper credit, or presenting work written by someone else as your own.
Yes. A paraphrase changes the words, not the ownership of the idea, so it still needs a citation.
Rewording a passage by swapping synonyms while keeping its original structure. It is a common form of unintentional plagiarism.
Only where your institution or journal allows it, and with disclosure. Rules differ for module essays, theses and publications.
There is no universal threshold. Markers look at what matches, such as quotations and references, rather than the number alone.
No, but the bar is high. If a fact is specific, surprising, statistical or contested, cite it.
Yes. Undisclosed use may breach policy, and AI tools can invent references. Verify every source and follow your institution's rules.