Ever solved a jigsaw puzzle? I was obsessed with these puzzles in my childhood. Completing a picture by joining small pieces was so satisfying.
Do you know some people even create content like jigsaw puzzles? They take small pieces of content from multiple sources and then combine it to complete the writing.
They use this trick to make copied content appear original, but it's still possible to tell the difference between what’s original and what’s been copied.
This is called “mosaic plagiarism." It comes from mosaics in art, where small pieces are put together to form a picture. In writing, mosaic plagiarism is the same thing as using bits of text from different sources without giving credit.
What is mosaic plagiarism?
Mosaic plagiarism is very difficult to detect because it happens when someone takes phrases, sentences, or ideas from different sources and combines them into a new work without proper attribution. It looks like their own work, but it’s actually a mix of borrowed material.
It is often confused with patchwork plagiarism. Let me clear this issue first!
Mosaic plagiarism is like patchwork plagiarism, but both have some key differences. Patchwork uses large sections of the source, like a paragraph or the structure, while mosaic adds sentences or words from the sources.
What are the primary forms of mosaic plagiarism?
Mosaic plagiarism occurs in the following two scenarios.
1. Using a single source
People commit mosaic plagiarism when they take text, phrases, or paragraphs from a single source and present it as their own. Using it is another thing, but not giving credit to the source—that’s the problem.
2. Using multiple sources
Now that’s complicated as it is copied from several sources to make one piece of writing. Some students take words from different places and put them together so they make sense.
Sources are too many, which makes it hard to cite all of them and hard to detect plagiarism too.
Examples of mosaic plagiarism
You know what! It is easier to understand something through examples. So let’s have some:
- A student writing a research paper on climate change takes sentences and phrases from multiple websites and academic papers, rearranges them, and presents the patchwork text as their own original work without providing the sources.
- Ever listened to a story and found it familiar? That’s maybe because the storyteller had borrowed some descriptions, character traits, and plot elements from several published books and told you as their own.
- A blogger creating a listicle post mixes and matches bullet points, statistics, and snippets of text from various online articles about the same topic, passing it off as an original compilation.
- A songwriter pieces together lyrics by sampling different portions of lyrics from multiple existing songs without credit or permission.
Alarming statistics
Too many people commit this plagiarism! I have some numbers to support my claim.
12% of those reported themselves as regular cheaters. This means nearly seven out of ten students cheat, and at least one of those cheats all the time!
Why is mosaic plagiarism bad?
It is bad because it is stealing. You steal someone else's hard work and ideas for your own benefit. It is against ethics and laws, and it’s important to be honest and give credit to the sources.
That is why every writing-related institution has strict rules against any kind of cheating like this, like schools, media houses, and search engines.
Plagiarism can lead to many problems, some of which are:
- Your work might get rejected.
- Your reputation could also get damaged.
- No one will trust you after this.
Catching mosaic plagiarism is not easy because it involves using different phrases from various sources. However, teachers can often detect mosaic plagiarism by noticing differences in structure and tone. Since each source may have a unique writing style, inconsistencies in these aspects can reveal that the content has been pieced together from multiple sources.
Real-life examples of mosaic plagiarism
I know some real-life examples too, which will tell you how bad it can be to commit mosaic plagiarism:
- The University Executive Council banned the professor of chemistry at Sri Venkateswara University because of plagiarism. He was accused of plagiarizing almost 70 research papers. All these research papers were published between 2004 and 2007.
- On December 16, 2013, Shia LaBeouf's first movie as a director was accused of copying a book “Justin M. Damiano” by Daniel Clowes when it was released online, so they had to take it down, a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes.
7 tips to prevent mosaic plagiarism in writing
I am not just going to terrify you by talking about the effects of mosaic plagiarism, I am going to discuss the ways to prevent it too.
To avoid mosaic plagiarism, follow these simple tips:
- Take detailed notes and mark your ideas and the ones you took from others.
- Put exactly copied lines in quotation marks.
- Rewrite the content in your words instead of just changing the words.
- Properly cite the content you take from others.
- Learn citation methods like APA, MLA, and Chicago.
- Review your work after writing to ensure correct citation.
- Check before publishing to avoid any type of plagiarism.
Conclusion
If you think using someone’s work in small pieces will save you from plagiarism, think again. Even if the chunk is small, if it belongs to somebody else, you have to cite it.
Not giving credit to the source is cheating and can get you in trouble. It can sabotage your work, reputation, and ultimately your career.
You have to avoid it by using your own ideas, always mentioning where you got information from, and checking your work for plagiarism before turning it in.
Be honest and give credit to each source you took the writing from.
Frequently asked questions
Is mosaic plagiarism bad?
Every type of plagiarism is bad and unethical. Mosaic plagiarism is confusing and considered wrong in academics for a student faking an entire text from other sources as his or her own.
What are the important characteristics of mosaic plagiarism?
The important characteristic of this type of plagiarism is borrowing words and sentences from other sources without appropriate citation. Using alternate words without changing sentence structure is another characteristic of mosaic plagiarism.
Which type of tools can detect mosaic plagiarism?
Checker Plagiarism, Turnitin, and Grammarly can detect mosaic plagiarism very easily. These tools are capable of detecting any type of plagiarism.