Research Integrity: Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit (CSHL Research Misconduct Policy, p. 2). It can include copying phrases to copying an entire text without proper attribution. 

Scientific research builds on the ideas and work of previous researchers, making proper citation and credit foundational to the process of conducting research. Plagiarism undermines the integrity of scientific research because it misrepresents whom deserves credit for specific scientific work. Furthermore, if a researcher is found to have plagiarized, it degrades their credibility as a scholar and researcher.

CSHL PIs have access to the iThenticate Tool to check their publications for text plagiarism before submission.   

Quick Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

• Schedule adequate time for researching and writing. Plagiarism can often occur when writers are in a rush because they need to meet a deadline, forgetting to city properly in the process. 
• Decoupling the research and writing processes. This practice reduces the chances that you will directly copy or inadequately paraphrase from a source as you are writing. 
• Cultivating excellent note taking skills.  This allows for you to properly paraphrase or summarize your sources. If you plan on using a direct quotation, be sure to place it in quotes with the page number in your notes to indicate that is directly taken from a source. 
• Use a reference manager. Tools like EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley allow for you to input a citation as you write. This can help ensure that give proper credit to a source as you are writing.   

Additional Guidance:

• Purdue's Best Practices for Avoiding Plagiarism
• Harvard University's Guide to Using Sources: How to Avoid Plagiarism
• Northern Illinois University's Tips on Avoiding Plagiarism
• UCLA Library's Best Practices for Avoiding Plagiarism

The Office of Research Integrity with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services defines self plagiarism as:

• This can also be referred to as text recycling. 
• Depending on the publication status of the work from which text is being copied, this can also bring up issues of copyright infringement. 

It is important to note that self-plagiarism is not considered research misconduct by the Federal Government (42 CFR Part 93). Many journals, publishers, and institutions have specific policies on reusing previously-written text by one or multiple authors. It is best to consult the specific policy with regards to self-plagiarism/text recycling. 

Additional Guidance:

• When is 'Self-Plagiarism' Ok? New Guidelines Offer Researchers Rules for Recycling Text
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Text Recycling Guidelines
• The Text Recycling Research Project's Best Practices for Researchers