plagiát

Plagiát, or plagiarism, is the act of presenting another person’s work, ideas, or expressions as one’s own, without proper attribution. Plagiarism can involve copying text verbatim, close paraphrasing without citing the source, or using someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment. It undermines intellectual honesty and devalues original effort. The term is used in many languages, including Hungarian and English, and is addressed in academic, professional, and legal contexts.

Common forms include verbatim copying without quotation marks or citation; mosaic or patchwork plagiarism, where phrases and sentences are mixed from multiple sources without proper attribution; self-plagiarism, recycling one’s own previously published work without disclosure; and accidental plagiarism, resulting from insufficient note-taking or ignorance of citation rules.

Detection is typically done through manual checks and computer-based plagiarism-detection software that compares text against a large corpus of sources. Consequences vary by setting but may include academic penalties (warnings, failing grades, repetition of assignments, or expulsion), reputational harm, and, in some cases, copyright enforcement or legal penalties.

Prevention relies on thorough record-keeping of sources, accurate citation and quotation practices, paraphrasing with attribution, and the use of plagiarism-detection tools during draft stages. Institutions often provide guidelines on citation styles and conduct training on research ethics to discourage plagiát.