Is it plagiarism if…

Written by Annette Elton

In the ever evolving world of Internet marketing, transparency and accountability are beyond catch phrases, they are an essential ingredient in your overall business philosophy.

Why?

Because consumers are holding businesses to a higher standard, because integrity matters for lasting success, and because other Internet marketers aren’t shy about calling people out.

As a writer the piece of this that resonates for me is plagiarism and copyright infringement. In an effort to help fellow marketers achieve the credibility and success they desire, I’ve posed a few situations where writers and business owners may have questions.

These are based on questions that have come up and scenarios I’ve witnessed.

Is it plagiarism if – “I find a great article online and use some of it in an expanded article?”

It depends. If you use the content verbatim from the article without crediting the author or source of the content, then yes. However, if you say “Jane Doe blogged about such and such the other day in which she said….” And then go on to copy what she said and expand in it in your own words then you’re in the clear.

Is it plagiarism if – “I summarize or rephrase content found online or in printed form?”

Generally, no. However take great care to make sure you’re really writing the ideas in your own words and if you’re able to pull concepts and ideas from several sources then you’re certainly safe. However, if the content you’re adapting for your own needs isn’t what is considered “General knowledge” tread lightly.

According to documentation on Purdue University’s plagiarism policy, “Generally speaking, you can regard something as common knowledge if you find the same information undocumented in at least five credible sources.

Additionally, it might be common knowledge if you think the information you’re presenting is something your readers will already know, or something that a person could easily find in general reference sources.”

Is it plagiarism if – “I have a conversation with someone and use what they said in a piece of content?”

If you don’t give them credit for the content, yes.

My general rule of thumb is, “If you can source the content, by all means do so.” Sourcing your content and giving credit where credit is due is a great way to boost the validity and credibility of your content. There’s no reason not to!

Final note – If you have a question, Purdue lists the following list of what needs to be credited or documented:

Words or ideas presented in a magazine, book, newspaper, song, TV program, movie, Web page, computer program, letter, advertisement, or any other medium
Information you gain through interviewing or conversing with another person, face to face, over the phone, or in writing
When you copy the exact words or a unique phrase
When you reprint any diagrams, illustrations, charts, pictures, or other visual materials
When you reuse or re-post any electronically-available media, including images, audio, video, or other media

When in doubt, give credit!

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