What Plagiarism Is
Passing off another person's work, wording, ideas, data or structure as yours is plagiarism. Intent is not needed: copying without credit counts whether it was done on purpose or not. When you are unsure whether something needs a citation, add one.
Attribution is the principle at the heart of it. Scholarship builds on earlier work, so the record is only useful when readers can tell what a paper adds and what it takes from others.
Forms of Plagiarism
- Verbatim copying — passages reproduced with neither quotation marks nor a citation
- Mosaic — snippets taken from various sources and joined by linking words
- Inadequate paraphrase — only some words changed, with the original sentence frame left intact
- Idea plagiarism — borrowing another person's argument, framework or hypothesis with no acknowledgement
- Data plagiarism — taking over someone else's data and not crediting them
- Figure plagiarism — copying or redrawing figures without naming the source or getting permission
- Code plagiarism — including code with no attribution or adherence to its licence
Self-Plagiarism
Recycling text you have already published, without a citation, still duplicates the published record. Readers expect fresh material, and databases end up counting the same content two times. Treat your earlier papers like any other source.
A degree of reuse cannot be avoided and is fine: a methods section describing an identical protocol may legitimately look like your earlier paper. Cite that paper and state that the method follows the earlier description. Passing off the same findings as new, however, is not acceptable.
The Mechanics of Similarity Checking
A similarity tool sets your manuscript beside a collection of published articles, web pages and, sometimes, student work submitted before. It lists the strings that match and gives an overall similarity index.
What it detects, importantly, is textual similarity and not plagiarism itself. A passage that is quoted and cited correctly looks the same to it as a stolen one, and an idea lifted and put into new words slips past. People must judge in both directions.
Why a Percentage Cannot Deliver a Verdict
A high score may be perfectly harmless: stock methodological wording, instrument names, familiar technical definitions and a long reference list all produce matches. Equally, a low score does not excuse a manuscript that has taken someone's argument wholesale. Context always matters more than the headline figure.
For this reason editors study the match report instead of the headline figure, noting where the matches sit and how long each one runs. A single unattributed paragraph holding ten per cent of the matches is graver than thirty per cent scattered over references and standard phrases.
Many journals state a limit beyond which a manuscript goes back to the author. Look up the figure the journal gives, and whether references and quotations are left out of it — see the plagiarism policy.
Quoting and Paraphrasing
Quote whenever the precise wording counts, such as a definition, a disputed claim or a striking formulation. Enclose the words in quotation marks and give the source with its page number.
Paraphrase everything else, but do it properly. Read the passage, put the source away, and express the idea in your own words based on what you understood. Replacing words with synonyms while the sentence structure stays is not paraphrasing; it is simply copying in disguise.
In both cases a citation is mandatory. Paraphrasing means you can drop the quotation marks, but you still must credit the source.
How to Read a Similarity Score
There is no single “acceptable” percentage that applies everywhere: software locates matching text, and an editor decides if it has been quoted and cited properly. JMVRA accepts similarity below 15%, with screening by Turnitin / iThenticate before review.
Citing Properly
- Give a source for each idea, figure, dataset, instrument and quotation that did not originate with you
- Reference the original source you really read rather than a second-hand summary
- Provide full details, with the DOI whenever there is one
- Stick to a single citation style from start to finish
- Avoid inflating the reference list with works you never used
AI-Generated Text
Passing off text from a generative AI tool as your own writing creates the same attribution problem, plus an extra danger: these tools regularly invent citations that look believable but do not exist.
State clearly when you used AI tools, naming the tool and its purpose. AI cannot be an author, and you stay fully responsible for each sentence, citation and analysis in the manuscript. Verify every reference a tool gives you against the real source.
Consequences
- Prior to review — the manuscript is sent back or rejected
- During review — rejection
- Once published — a correction or retraction follows, the notice stays attached for good, and the authors' institution may be told
Retractions remain in the scholarly record for good. Careful citation costs very little next to that.
Checklist
- All quotations placed in quotation marks and given a page reference
- Each paraphrase composed from what you understood, not while looking at the source
- Credit given for every idea, figure, dataset and instrument
- Citations to your previous work wherever you reuse it
- Permission secured for any figures and tables you reproduce
- All AI assistance declared
- A similarity check done before submitting, with the whole report read and not merely the figure
At-a-Glance Checklist
- Quotes flaggedVerbatim wording in quotation marks plus a citation
- Paraphrase for realRebuild the sentence rather than swap words
- Cite your own workPrevious papers, theses and preprints
- Below 15%The JMVRA limit, verified ahead of review
A Worked Example of Paraphrasing
| Version | Text |
|---|---|
| Original | “Mobile banking adoption in rural areas is limited mainly by low trust and poor connectivity.” |
| Too close | “Mobile banking adoption in rural regions is limited mostly by low trust and weak connectivity.” |
| Acceptable | Distrust and unreliable network access are the main reasons rural customers avoid mobile banking (Author, 2024). |
A Writing Routine That Avoids Plagiarism
- Write notes in your own words — and record where each came from
- Make quotations obvious — within your notes
- Cite while writing — not afterwards
- Do a similarity check — then go through the matches
Everyday Practices That Keep Your Writing Original
Originality is built during research and drafting, not rescued at the end. These practical routines help writers handle sources with integrity from the first note onward.
- Mark borrowed words immediately. When copying a sentence into notes, place it in quotation marks with the source. This habit prevents you from mistaking copied wording for your own later.
- Close the source before paraphrasing. Read a passage, set it aside and explain the idea from memory. Then compare with the original to confirm accuracy and to add the citation.
- Credit ideas as well as sentences. A borrowed argument, method or structure needs acknowledgement even when the wording is yours. Cite whoever first developed the idea.
- Disclose your own earlier work. If you reuse material from a thesis or earlier paper, say so and cite it. Open disclosure keeps editors informed and avoids accusations of duplication.
- Be transparent about tool use. If you used any writing assistance, follow the journal's rules on disclosure and check every statement yourself. You remain responsible for accuracy and originality.
Cite as you go and keep honest records of your sources, so that originality is never in doubt when you submit.
Questions Researchers Often Ask
Which similarity percentage is acceptable to JMVRA?
Under 15%. All manuscripts go through Turnitin / iThenticate screening before review, and authors can get the report if they ask.
Does self-plagiarism genuinely count as plagiarism?
Repeating your published text with no citation duplicates the record, which is why it gets the same treatment. Always cite your earlier work.
Is a similarity score proof of plagiarism?
No. The score tallies matching text, correctly quoted and cited passages included. Before any decision, an editor examines the matches.
Does altering a handful of words avoid plagiarism?
No. Restate the idea with your own structure and wording, and add a citation.
What level of similarity is accepted by JMVRA?
The overall similarity at JMVRA must stay below 15%.
More Researcher Resources
Included in the JMVRA Researcher Resources library, this guide is meant to be verifiable, practical help for authors and researchers, with no promotional content.
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