Plagiarism: How to Spot it. How to Avoid It.
First of 7 Deadly Copywriter Sins
Admit it. You've been tempted. The call of plagiarism can be sweet and alluring, like a siren singing you to your death.
You could save time. You could sound better. You could do a little bit and no one would notice.
Oh, the temptation is strong.
Perhaps you've already dipped your toes in those sinful waters of "borrowing" someone else’s words. "I just needed inspiration," you said, as their words dripped verbatim across your page.
Oops. You just committed the first type of plagiarism.
"Well, maybe if I just borrow this phrase here and that sentence there, no one will know. I’ll stitch them together in a neat patchwork of words that will look like my own. They come from different sources anyway; who would notice?"
Oops, you did it again. {Brittney sings into your ear.}
"Ok, I’m not going to copy their work. I’m just going to paraphrase it. Surely that’s ok?"
Nope. That counts too.
"Jeez, this is harder to avoid than I thought."
Just you wait. It gets slipperier.
[To: name@email.com
Subject: Just try it! Jake's Oat Bars]
That last email subject line you wrote, the one that sounds like a Nike slogan with one word changed. "Yea?" Well, that’s a form of plagiarism too.
"Oh, no! I just thought it was a cute spin-off. That’s plagiarism?"
Yep. And remember that catchy tagline on your Instagram post, the one that got over 5,000 likes? "Yea?" Well, it’s from Pepsi.
"NO! That was mine, I swear! I thought about that post for days before that line just popped into my head!"
Sorry, that was from the ’80s. It was just lodged so deeply in your brain that you thought it was your own.
"Uggh! Ok, but what about that article I wrote last week for my local county magazine? I know that one was good. I even cited my sources!"
Yes, well...you cited them incorrectly, so that’s plagiarism too.
"You’ve got to be kidding me!"
Nope. I'm not. And I've got bad news about that report you gave your new client. You know the one where you lifted entire paragraphs from the old report and passed them off as original work to your new client? Yeah...that's a form of plagiarism too.
“I’m going up in flames, aren’t I?”
Yes, sorry.
See… plagiarism is tempting, insidious, and often incognito.
So, what can you do to avoid it?
First, name them and know them.
Like GI JOE said, “Knowing is half the battle.”
1. Global or Verbatim (whole or in part, word for word)
2. Patchwork or Mosaic (pieces from different sources, stitched together)
3. Paraphrasing (without citing sources)
4. Idea or Image (1-2 small changes to an idea or image, but basically still the same as the original)
5. Accidental (you thought it was original, but it was not)
6. Source-Based (incorrectly cited)
7. Self-Plagiarism (copying your own work for a different project)
Now that you know what they are, how can you avoid them?
Easy. Do your own work.
“But,” you interject, “You said plagiarism can be sneaky and show up when you least expect it. How do I make sure I don’t accidentally plagiarise?”
Ahh, the student is becoming the master.
{Plato whispers in the wind.}
Here’s what you can do:
Intricate Research
Innovative Content
Heavily Alter Style & Format
Plagiarism Checkers
Proper Citation
Meticulous Records
Will it take more time to do it right? Yes, it will. But on the bright side, not only will you avoid those pesky flames of sin, you'll also avoid losing your clients and landing in legal hot water. {Ouch!}
So, the next time that seductive siren of Plagiarism calls your name, you know what to do. Put in earplugs and walk away.
But keep your eyes open, or you might run right into "Shady Copy Techniques."
This character is one devious dude. He's known for tricking people in the nastiest of ways. No one wants to get tangled up with him.
Stay tuned next week to find out how to avoid him and all his evil tricks.
In the meantime, let me know if I can help you with any of your copywriting needs. I promise not to commit ANY of the 7 Deadly Sins. {Scout's honor!}
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I offer copywriting services for websites, digital marketing, print media, content marketing, and editing.
I'd love to hear how I can help build your
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