Mosaic and Accidental Plagiarism: What Are They? Why Should You Know About Them?

Plagiarism is a big concern in the world of writing. Sometimes this occurs knowing or even unknowingly. Moreover, the future of the writers depends on the level of originality. Plagiarism is big trouble for students. Their academic institutions or university can expel them owing to this reason.

Plagiarism is the usage of others’ work without paying any credit. The term signifies stealing or copying someone’s write-ups. It is an act of trickery, leading to jail as well.

Strikingly, there are many types of plagiarism. Those are the following: 

• Mosaic plagiarism: Well, detecting this kind of plagiarism is challenging. This kind of plagiarism occurs when the writer borrows some phrases and applies the same in their work. Most importantly, when the writer fails to use quotation marks as well.
• Complete plagiarism: This plagiarism occurs when someone passes out work by giving their name. People consider it intellectual theft.
• Self-plagiarism: Students often wonder if self-plagiarism is unlawful. So, taking help from your submitted assignment work won’t be recognized as plagiarism. But, it would be trouble for the student if they copy the entire write-up from the prior assignments.
• Accidental plagiarism: Students commit accidental plagiarism unknowingly or unintentionally. Sometimes, writers may use someone else’s thoughts and ideas of work by mistake. Moreover, this kind of plagiarism is pretty severe. So adding quotations or relevant attribution of the sources becomes very important.

What Is Mosaic Plagiarism?

This kind of plagiarism is also known as patchwork or incremental plagiarism. It is pretty well-known, and the students mostly commit this kind of plagiarism.

The student mainly borrows a phrase from an online source and fails to add quotation marks and citations. In other words, students avoid a proper reference to the source.

In some cases, writers utilize other’s work in their write-ups. With no correct paraphrasingor adding proper citation of a source, or any quotation mark, the writer encounters mosaic plagiarism.

In patchwork plagiarism, a whole patch of text is copied without acknowledging the source of content.

Moreover, the content may have a few changes or even rephrase of the passages as well. But most of the words are used from the original writing.

If a writer needs to ignore mosaic plagiarism, then they must add the quotation marks in the context while writing any copied or borrowed content.

Now comes the question, why is it also known as incremental plagiarism? In this plagiarism kind, the writer portrays unique and original work without any quotation marks or citations.

It states that the writer fails to give proper credit to the online source of the original work and proves themselves to be academically dishonest. They also compensate for the same.

Mainly two kinds of scenario occur in this kind of plagiarism:

• Duplication from one source: Mosaic plagiarism is determined when borrowing phrases from one source. Even the writer may copy several parts from the source without even providing any credit.
• Duplication from multiple sources: Well, this is a bit complicated which involves many sources. The writer may take information from several online sources and produce very complex data in their work without providing any credit to the original work holder.

Ways to Avoid Mosaic Plagiarism

Now the question arrives, how to avoid this kind of plagiarism?

• Application of proper citation of the source is immensely beneficial to avoid this kind of plagiarism.
• Or providing apt credit to the actual writing would also be helpful.
• Appropriate usage of quotation marks or footnotes would also help.
• Moreover, correct paraphrasingis always beneficial. It helps to avoid plagiarism.
• A proper checking for plagiarism before submitting the work may create a different phenomenon for the writer.

Examples of Mosaic Plagiarism:

Source: “Feminist literature de-emphasize the state and instead focuses on gender relations, specifically on the political and economic marginalization of women within states and in the world as a whole.”

[source: Allen Sens and Peter Stoett, Global Politics: Origins, Currents, Directions (Toronto, ON: Nelson Thompson, 2002), 109]

Mosaic plagiarism:

“Feminist literature carries out an emphasis on the state in order to focus on gender relations, distinctively on the political and economic marginalization of women within states and entirely within the world.”

Now, another question arises, what is accidental plagiarism?

How to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism?

Accidental plagiarism occurs mainly unintentionally or unknowingly. Students often forget to add a proper in-text citation of the source and Bibliography. Or they do not use quotation marks or even inappropriate paraphrasing by the usage of identical words. Moreover, apt attribution is absent at times. This kind of plagiarism may cause mistakenly but fetch enough trouble for the writer.

• With the usage of pen and paper, the writer should make a draft, jotting down a few points, which they may apply in their write-ups. It can decrease the chances of accidental plagiarism.
• The addition of quotation marks would be helpful to avoid plagiarism.
• Simple, close the book or website and write down the points and give it a thought. It is pretty beneficial for the students.
• Proper citation of the source is also essential to avoid plagiarism.
• The writer needs to be loyal to the words, intentions of the source.

Examples of Accidental Plagiarism:

• Copying of a large chunk of text without providing any proper citations.
• Usage of direct quotes with failure of adding quotation marks.
• With absolute zero original work, the writer can paraphrase the content from multiple sources.

To avoid plagiarism, the writer needs to follow the rule of adding quotation marks and an appropriate citation to the source. Mosaic plagiarism is a severe offense that can ruin a student’s career. Hence, they should avoid it at any cost to secure their future.