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Summary
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What is plagiarism?
Here are some examples of what plagiarism is (click on the links to see these examples in context below):
- Passing off someone else’s words as your own.
- Passing off someone else’s ideas as your own.
- Rewording a source but retaining the original ideas it contains, without giving due credit.
- Failing to put a quote in quotation marks.
- Copying large sections of someone else’s words or ideas, even if credit is given or quotation marks are used.
- Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation – for example, citing a source that the real author has found and used, that you do not have a copy of.
- Changing the words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
These are just examples and are not exhaustive.
Every university has a different definition of plagiarism but we are confident that most universities would agree with this list.
Whilst some universities do not like students using our service, it is not plagiarism to use our service if it is used in accordance with this fair use policy.
If I hand in the work without changing it, will I get caught?
Our work is 100% original, written to your specification, so if it were handed in to a university then the university would not know from using a plagiarism scanner alone that you had used our services, because the work we supply will never be uploaded to the web.
However, this is not to say that your tutor would not recognise the fact that you had handed in work that was in a different writing style to your own, or that you used sources you would not normally have access to. Further, the tutor may ask you to explain the work to them, which may be difficult if you haven’t done the research yourself.
Handing in our researcher’s work without changing it is plagiarism because you are ‘passing off someone else’s words as your own’. Even ‘changing it around a bit’ would be plagiarism, in accordance with the definition we gave you above. The custom research we provide will be of far greater benefit to you if you use it in accordance with our fair use policy. You’ll improve your grade, learn how to write a great essay and feel a great sense of satisfaction for having done a good job, on your own merit.
Examples of Plagiarism
Here is a passage from K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101), with its footnotes:
The present system of registration of title in England and Wales dates from the commencement of the Land Registration Act 2002(1) and is administered by the Land Registry in conformity with the rules prescribed pursuant to this enactment(2). This new and significantly rationalised legislative scheme replaces the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997(3) and marks an important advance towards the long-awaited goal of universal registration of electronically transactable titles in land. By contrast, the principles of unregistered land have a somewhat older origin in the common law and currencly lie scattered, in a less organised fashion, across the property legislation of 1925 and throughout its accompanying case law.
(1) Most of this legislative scheme came into effect on 13 October 2003 (see Land Registration Act 2002 (Commencement No 4) Order 2003 (SI 2003/1725)
(2) See principally Land Registration Rules 2003 (SI 2003/1417)
(3) The Land Registration Act 1925 always stood somewhat apart from the remainder of the 1925 Legislation, both in style and (more obviously) in content. The registration statute of 1925 never enjoyed “a good press” (Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Co Ltd (1998) 4 All ER 948 at 953e per Sedley J) being commonly acknowledged to be “legislation of extremely low quality” (see Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ). See similarly Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ; Property Law: Fourth Report on Land Registration (Law Com No 173, November 1988) para 2.1.
We are going to use this passage to show you exactly what we mean by plagiarism in our definition above.
1. Passing off someone else’s words as your own
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
There are two systems under which property can be held in England and Wales today: registered and unregistered. The present system of registration of title in England and Wales dates from the commencement of the Land Registration Act 2002 and is administered by the Land Registry in conformity with the rules prescribed pursuant to this enactment. This new and significantly rationalised legislative scheme replaces the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997 (see principally Land Registration Rules 2003 (SI 2003/1417)) and marks an important advance towards the long-awaited goal of universal registration of electronically transactable titles in land. By contrast, the principles of unregistered land have a somewhat older origin in the common law and currencly lie scattered, in a less organised fashin, across the property legislation of 1925 and throughout its accompanying case law.
This is a really clear case of plagiarism. The student has given no credit to Gray & Gray’s work. They have copied the entire paragraph (adding in one of the footnotes) and, in the absence of any credit to the book, they have ‘passed off someone else’s words as their own’. To save this from being identified as plagiarism, the student could write: Gray & Gray note that “The present system of registration of title in England and Wales…….” and then give proper credit for the quote. BUT this comes with a caution – too many direct quotes could be seen as relying too heavily on other people’s material (don’t forget, we pay you for your original words, not someone else’s – we could copy and paste papers from books and journals ourselves if that’s what we wanted). Additionally, too many quotes without any analysis of what is being said will significantly lower the quality of the work.
2. Passing off someone else’s ideas as your own
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
In England and in Wales, the method for establishing title to property depends on whether the property is registered or not. For registered title, the system is administered by the Land Registry and depends on the rules of the Land Registration Act 2002. This Act representsnew and significantly rationalised legislative scheme replacing the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997. It marks an important advance towards the long-awaited goal of universal registration of electronically transactable titles in land. Examining the old system, the principles of unregistered land have a somewhat older origin in the common law and currencly lie scattered, in a less organised fashion, across the property legislation of 1925 and throughout its accompanying case law. Most of the new legislative scheme came into effect on 13 October 2003. The old Land Registration Act 1925 always stood somewhat apart from the remainder of the 1925 Legislation, both in style and (more obviously) in content. The registration statute of 1925 never enjoyed “good press”.
This is less obvious at first because the student uses some of their own words but it is clear, from examining the original passage, that the ideas represented in this work – for example that the old system is ‘scattered, in a less organised fashion, across the 1925 legislation and accompanying case law’ – belong to Gray & Gray. This is actually an example of two different types of plagiarism – the student has also slightly reworded the source retaining the original ideas without giving credit.
Would this example be saved by putting a reference on the end of the paragraph? The answer is no!! Changing a couple of words is not paraphrasing – it relies too heavily on the original work. The student needs to either use the original quotes from the book with inverted commas and give credit, or properly paraphrase the material and give credit.
3. Rewording a source but retaining the original ideas it contains, without giving due credit
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
The system of registration of title at present in England and Wales originates from the start of the Land Registration Act 2002(1). It is administered by the Land Registryaccording to the rules prescribed in this Act(2). The new and rationalised legislative scheme has been put in place instead of the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997 and demonstrates a significant advance in the direction of a long awaited goal of total registration of electronically processable titles in land. The principles of unregistered land have older roots in common law which are disbursed in a rather disorgansied way, through the property legislation of 1925 and its related case law. The old registration law never enjoyed “a good press”(3) and was seen as “legislation of extremely low quality”(4).
(1) This came into effect on 13 October 2003 (Land Registration Act 2002 (Commencement No 4) Order 2003 (SI 2003/1725)
(2) See Land Registration Rules 2003 (SI 2003/1417))
(3) Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Co Ltd (1998) 4 All ER 948 at 953e per Sedley J
(4) Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ) and Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ
This example is fairly well paraphrased – a quick run through the plagiarism scanner on settings far more sensitive than what we’d normally use doesn’t reveal a clear case of plagiarism. The problem is that the student gives no credit for the source of these ideas. If they referenced the main paragraph and the footnotes as having originated from Gray & Gray, this should be acceptable. Note however that if the entire essay looked like this (i.e. consisted entirely of paraphrasing of other people’s material) there would be a lack of originality because the student would have relied too heavily on other people’s words without any originality of their own.
4. Failing to put a quote in quotation marks
This could happen in two ways. The first is relatively obvious.
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
We have been reading the book Gray & Gray this summer. Gray and Gray talk about the two systems of registration in England and Wales. The present system of registration of title in England and Wales dates from the commencement of the Land Registration Act 2002 and is administered by the Land Registry in conformity with the rules prescribed pursuant to this enactment. This new and significantly rationalised legislative scheme replaces the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997(3) and marks an important advance towards the long-awaited goal of universal registration of electronically transactable titles in land.
Here, it is unlikely that the student means to plagiarise as they have identified the source they have been reading from. However, they quote directly from the source and they fail to add quotation marks – this could be seen as plagiarism.
The second way this could happen is slightly less obvious.
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
The old registration law never enjoyed a good press and was seen as legislation of extremely low quality(1).
(1) K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
How is this wrong? It is not a direct quote! Well, quite simply because, there are two quotes within this sentence and they are taken from two cases but the student has failed to mark them. The fact that the system has “never enjoyed a good press” comes from Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Co Ltd (1998) 4 All ER 948 at 953e per Sedley J, and the fact that it has been viewed as a system of low quality comes from Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ) and Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ.
5. Copying large sections of someone else’s words or ideas, even if credit is given or quotation marks are used
Example 1 student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
The present system of registration of title in England and Wales dates from the commencement of the Land Registration Act 2002(1) and is administered by the Land Registry in conformity with the rules prescribed pursuant to this enactment(2). This new and significantly rationalised legislative scheme replaces the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997(3) and marks an important advance towards the long-awaited goal of universal registration of electronically transactable titles in land. By contrast, the principles of unregistered land have a somewhat older origin in the common law and currencly lie scattered, in a less organised fashion, across the property legislation of 1925 and throughout its accompanying case law(4).
(1) Most of this legislative scheme came into effect on 13 October 2003 (see Land Registration Act 2002 (Commencement No 4) Order 2003 (SI 2003/1725): K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
(2) See principally Land Registration Rules 2003 (SI 2003/1417): K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
(3) The Land Registration Act 1925 always stood somewhat apart from the remainder of the 1925 Legislation, both in style and (more obviously) in content. The registration statute of 1925 never enjoyed “a good press” (Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Co Ltd (1998) 4 All ER 948 at 953e per Sedley J) being commonly acknowledged to be “legislation of extremely low quality” (see Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ). See similarly Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ; Property Law: Fourth Report on Land Registration (Law Com No 173, November 1988) para 2.1: per K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
(5) K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
Example 2 student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
There are two systems of registration that exist today. “The present system of registration of title in England and Wales dates from the commencement of the Land Registration Act 2002(1) and is administered by the Land Registry in conformity with the rules prescribed pursuant to this enactment(2). This new and significantly rationalised legislative scheme replaces the Land Registration Acts 1925-1997(3) and marks an important advance towards the long-awaited goal of universal registration of electronically transactable titles in land. By contrast, the principles of unregistered land have a somewhat older origin in the common law and currencly lie scattered, in a less organised fashion, across the property legislation of 1925 and throughout its accompanying case law”(4).
(1)”Most of this legislative scheme came into effect on 13 October 2003 (see Land Registration Act 2002 (Commencement No 4) Order 2003 (SI 2003/1725)”: K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
(2) “See principally Land Registration Rules 2003 (SI 2003/1417)”: K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
(3) “The Land Registration Act 1925 always stood somewhat apart from the remainder of the 1925 Legislation, both in style and (more obviously) in content. The registration statute of 1925 never enjoyed “a good press” (Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Co Ltd (1998) 4 All ER 948 at 953e per Sedley J) being commonly acknowledged to be “legislation of extremely low quality” (see Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ). See similarly Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ; Property Law: Fourth Report on Land Registration (Law Com No 173, November 1988) para 2.1″: per K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
(5) K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
In both examples, it could not be more obvious where the student has got the material from. The difference is the second example uses inverted commas to show that the material is directly taken from Gray & Gray. But both cases are wrong – they see 256 words lifted directly from one source which is in effect copying large sections of someone else’s work, and simply tagging a citation on the end. There is nothing wrong with using direct quotes and giving credit for them. But overreliance on other people’s material throughout the body of the essay shows a lack of originality and is unacceptable.
6. Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation – for example, citing a source that the real author has found and used, that you do not have a copy of
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
The principles of unregistered land are commonly acknowledged to be “legislation of extremely low quality”(1).
(1) Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ and similarly Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ: Property Law: Fourth Report on Land Registration (Law Com No 173, November 1988) para 2.1
Here the student gives credit to “Property Law: Fourth Report on Land Registration (Law Com No 173, November 1988) para 2.1” rather than to Gray & Gray. Likely, they have never read, nor do they have a copy of, the Law Commission Report. Students often do this to pad out their bibliography/number of sources used in a piece.
The correct way to cite this would be as follows:
The principles of unregistered land are commonly acknowledged to be “legislation of extremely low quality”(1).
(1) Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994) Ch 370 at 385C-D per Nourse LJ and similarly Re White Rose Cottage (1965) Ch 940 at 952B-E per Harman LJ: Property Law: Fourth Report on Land Registration (Law Com No 173, November 1988) para 2.1 cited in K Gray & S F Gray’s Land Law (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.157 para 2.101)
You could then properly include the Law Commission’s report in your bibliography even though you have not read it. You just need to make it clear that you did not get your material from that report – Gray and Gray got their material from that report and you found it in Gray & Gray’s work.
7. Changing the words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
Example student’s essay (material from Gray & Gray is shown in bold/italics):
The title registration system at present originates from the start of the Land Registration Act 2002. It is controlled by the Land Registry according to the rules prescribed in this Act. The new and rationalised legislative scheme has been put in place instead of the old Land Registration Acts and demonstrates a significant advance in the direction of a long awaited goal of total registration of electronically processable titles in land. The system of unregistered land has older roots in common law which are disbursed in a rather disorgansied way, through the property legislation of 1925 and its related case law. The old registration law never enjoyed “a good press”(1) and was seen as “legislation of extremely low quality”(2).
(1) Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Co Ltd (1998)
(2) Clark v Chief Land Registrar (1994)
Here there is actually very little matching content from Gray & Gray – probably too little to be identified by our plagiarism scanners on their usual settings. However, clearly the work exactly follows the structure of the paragraph from Gray & Gray. A credit to Gray & Gray for the ideas is necessary. Again, if an entire essay or large section within an essay heavily relied on the structure of other material like this, it could still be seen as plagiarism because it would lack originality.
As you will see from the examples given, a plagiarism scanner will not always detect plagiarism because:
(a) the source may be a book
(b) the writer may have cleverly changed around the structure or wording so the content does not exactly match
(c) the writer may have borrowed the ideas (but not the words)
So do not rely on the fact that a scan of the work shows it to be 100% plagiarism free. YOU KNOW whether you have properly referenced and cited the material you have used. Do not take a chance – follow our guidelines and write your own 100% original piece!
Londoner Essay Team
26 Jan 2008