Understanding Plagiarism

The charge of plagiarism can blindside authors and ruin careers. We view plagiarism not as evidence of moral turpitude but in most cases the tragic result of limited understanding. We present information about types of plagiarism, trends, and methods of detection with a sharp focus on paraphrasing plagiarism (least understood and most murky). We summarize editors’ alarm and offer general advice for ensuring novice writers and experienced (published) authors do not unwittingly face charges of plagiarism.