Four Types of Plagiarism

"Plagiarism is the appropriation by any means of another's work or words and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work or words in one's written work offered for credit (emphasis added). Some ideas have such wide currency that all may use them freely; some words-such as proverbs and cliches are public property. But when the writer borrows what belongs to another, the writer must indicate the source by way of an internal reference, and she/he must enclose any and all distinctive words of the source within quotation marks." (Community Code Book, p. 139)

In my mind, the most important phrases in the definition of plagiarism are that it is the "unacknowledged incorporation" of someone else's "work or words in one's written work offered for credit." This "unacknowledged incorporation" can come about in at least four possible ways, which are illustrated with reference to the passage below. The passage was excerpted from my "The Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Roots of Hindu Militancy," JAAR LXII/2: 587-602 (1992).

Despite its claim to be defending traditional Hinduism, the VHP's project is much more far-reaching--they are attempting to create a new Hindu identity, based not on underlying similarities, but on the obliteration of differences....Membership in this "new" Hinduism is ultimately based not on any sort of orthodox or scriptural criteria, since these would exclude certain groups, but more on a feeling of "Hindu-ness," a sense of cultural rootedness in India that could potentially include Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and even Muslims. Yet the fact that the VHP's most intense opponents are also people who are impeccably Hindu, but who despise the VHP for its rejection of pluralism and its attempt to polarize the nation, points to a fundamental division within the Hindu community itself. 

Problem #1: Using quotations without acknowledging the source, and without putting the quote in quotation marks. This is the simplest to avoid--if you take a block quote from anywhere, put it in quotation marks, and cite the source!

Wrong: Despite its claim to be defending traditional Hinduism, the VHP's project is much more far-reaching--they are attempting to create a new Hindu identity, based not on underlying similarities, but on the obliteration of differences.

Right: "Despite its claim to be defending traditional Hinduism, the VHP's project is much more far-reaching--they are attempting to create a new Hindu identity, based not on underlying similarities, but on the obliteration of differences (Lochtefeld 600)."

 Problem #2: Using any distinctive language (words and phrases) from a text without putting these words or phrases in quotation marks.

Wrong: In trying to redefine modern Hindu identity, the VHP is not appealing to orthodox or scriptural criteria, but to a more vague sense of Hinduness, a cultural rootedness in India that could potentially include many different groups living in modern India. (underlined words/phrases in the sentence should have been put in quotation marks, with a citation following the end of the sentence).

Problem #3: Paraphrasing a source (or taking an idea from a source), but not citing the source. The purpose of such citations is not only to support your points by giving evidence for them, but also to give credit to the source itself.

Wrong: The Visva Hindu Parisad is trying to redefine Hindu identity, in a way that could potentially include every group in India, including many that are not now considered to be Hindu. Yet since many of the VHP's fiercest opponents are themselves Hindus, their opposition points to a more fundamental division in the Hindu community about what constitutes Hindu identity. This is a fine paraphrase, but has no citation, although it is clearly drawing from the passage above. A simple citation (Lochtefeld 600) would fix this.

Problem #4: Paraphrasing a source, citing it, but neglecting to put the text in your own words. When paraphrasing a text, be careful not to follow the structure of the original text too closely (the best way is to put the text away, write your own thoughts down, and then check with the original text for factual accuracy).

Original Text:Yet the fact that the VHP's most intense opponents are also people who are impeccably Hindu, but who despise the VHP for its rejection of pluralism and its attempt to polarize the nation, points to a fundamental division within the Hindu community itself.

Careless Paraphrase: It is interesting that the VHP's strongest opponents are also themselves Hindu, yet these opponents despise the VHP for rejecting cultural pluralism, and the VHP's attempt to polarize the nation on religious grounds. This intra-Hindu conflict, points to a basic difference of opinion among Hindus themselves (Lochtefeld 600). This is cited, but basically reworks the original paragraph--when in doubt, use a quote instead!

See the examples at the following links if you have questions about the correct form for doing your textual citations and list of sources/bibliography.

Q: What will happen to me if I get caught violating this rule?

A: There are several possible penalties, administered "at the discretion of the faculty member." The governing factor in deciding on one penalty rather than another will be the degree of intentionality behind the infraction (with greater intentionality leading to more severe penalties).