Plagiarism is an issue of growing concern within the scientific literature that reports on biomedical and life science research. Consequently, most major academic publishers now use plagiarism detection software. Even in cases of coincidental similarity, when detected, the author is always assumed to be guilty of attempted deception. What happens within regulatory documents? These documents are often considered proprietary and not for public consumption. As such, plagiarism is not considered an issue. However, with increasing calls for transparency within the pharmaceutical industry the question arises as to just how long this assumption can continue [1]. Do you know enough about plagiarism to avoid unwarranted accusations of intellectual theft? Are you at risk of over-zealous plagiarism detection software? Don't get caught out.
In our most recent Insider's Insight – Good But Not Original: An Insider’s Insight into Plagiarism – we give some useful hints to any budding author and regulatory writers alike [2]. The guide is freely available on our Insider's Insight page and we hope you find it of value. It will remind you of important rules you should follow and why when reading source documents, you should keep them well-organised and highlight the passages you source your contents from as you go. This will help you track the sources you will need to cite in your documents. We certainly shouldn’t have to remind you to never cite articles that you have not read yourself. Always check that the source article aligns with the proposed interpretation if you plan to incorporate an ‘opinion’ provided in a review article or online resource that uses information from elsewhere. Equally, avoid relying on one or two review articles to prepare your background information or guide your arguments.
You want to minimise any chance that your narrative appears ‘similar’ to existing materials and sources. A useful means of avoiding accidental plagiarism is to find your ‘voice’ and adopt your own writing style. Although academic writing principally focuses on clarity and content, writing in a voice that is natural to you reduces the likelihood of coincidental similarities with existing work – though you could still be prone to accidental self-plagiarism. If you write with care and adopt a working understanding of what plagiarism is, it is unlikely that you will plagiarise unwittingly. As a consequence of your informed approach you should not be afraid of using a wide variety of sources even though the penalty for making mistakes can be severe. Here is a simple list as an aide-mémoire:
Understand What Constitutes Plagiarism (in other words - read our Insider's Insight)
Cite All Sources Properly
Use Plagiarism Detection Tools
Keep Track of Sources During Research
Paraphrase Correctly
Quote Accurately
Understand Copyright and Fair Use
Attribute Figures, Tables, and Data
Collaborate Transparently
Get Permission for Reusing Content
Consult Guidelines from Journals or Institutions
Information in the current Insider's Insight was compiled by Dr Susan Reijntjes, one of our Senior Medical Writers, and summarises the collective experience of our Medical Writing Team, which has over 100 years of service in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. While you are downloading our guide, feel free to check out our other Insider's Insights [3]. You can register to receive regular updates, ensuring that you don't miss future issues and updates to these helpful guides. We also welcome any suggestions on how our Insider’s Insights might be improved and requests for future topics.
References
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