plagiarist

A plagiarist is an individual who commits plagiarism by presenting someone else's work, ideas, or expressions as their own, without proper attribution. Plagiarism encompasses copying text verbatim, closely paraphrasing without acknowledgment, or using another person's data or findings without permission or citation. Intent may influence assessment but is not a sole determinant.

Common forms include verbatim copying without quotation marks or citations, mosaic or patchwriting that blends sources with minimal changes, paraphrase without attribution, self-plagiarism when reusing one's own prior work without disclosure, and translation plagiarism. Even when sources are cited, insufficient quotation or misattribution can still constitute plagiarism.

In education and publishing, a plagiarist can face disciplinary measures, grade penalties, or degree revocation; journals may retract articles; employers may terminate employment; legal action can occur in cases involving copyrighted material. Reputational harm can affect future opportunities.

Prevention relies on diligent attribution, quotation and citation practices, and careful note-taking. Detection methods include manual review and software that compares text to a corpus of sources. Ethical writing also involves understanding fair use, licensing, and the boundaries between common knowledge and original contribution.