2 Answers to this question
Answer:
The original text and your version of the text look very similar. Although it is clear that you are citing the source, it might be considered as plagiarism. You should either use quotes if you want to cite the text as is or paraphrase it to make it look different from the original. I have paraphrased the text below:
In the study, the cysts that remained were examined 4 months after sclerotherapy using acetic acid. The volume of these cysts was found to be one-half that of the ethanol group. Additionally, the acetic acid group had a larger number of cysts that had regressed to less than 10% of the initial volume than the ethanol group.
Note that although most of the technical words are the same, this version looks slightly different from the original. Always try to paraphrase text that you are citing to avoid allegations of plagiarism. This video provides some tips on how to paraphrase English text.
I am not sure if repetition of 5 words is considered plagiarism, but some software might be programmed that way. The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) provides a set of 26 guidelines on avoiding plagiarism. Here are some of the guidelines:
Guideline 1: An ethical writer ALWAYS acknowledges the contributions of others and the source of his/her ideas.
Guideline 2: Any verbatim text taken from another author must be enclosed in quotation marks.
Guideline 3: We must always acknowledge every source that we use in our writing; whether we paraphrase it, summarize it, or enclose it quotations.
Guideline 4: When we summarize, we condense, in our own words, a substantial amount of material into a short paragraph or perhaps even into a sentence.
Guideline 5: Whether we are paraphrasing or summarizing we must always identify the source of the information.
Guideline 6: When paraphrasing and/or summarizing others’ work we must reproduce the exact meaning of the other author’s ideas or facts using our words and sentence structure.
Guideline 7: In order to make substantial modifications to the original text that result in a proper paraphrase, the author must have a thorough understanding of the ideas and terminology being used.
Guideline 8: A responsible writer has an ethical responsibility to readers, and to the author/s from whom s/he is borrowing, to respect others’ ideas and words, to credit those from whom we borrow, and whenever possible, to use one’s own words when paraphrasing.
Both CrossCheck by iThenticate and eTBLAST are reputed plagiarism checking tools. While both are considered very good, Cross Check I think has a better and more long standing reputation. If your paper has passed the eTBLAST plagiarism check, you should be in a fairly good position. However, you can never be 100% sure with software. The reviewers might notice a few things that the software hasn’t detected. But I would still say that a paper that has passed eBLAST has a high chance of clearing plagiarism check at the journal end.
Related reading - The complete guide to writing a brilliant research paper
Related course - How to avoid retractions and publish ethically
Answer:
How to make font size of a comment big? What’s the markup?
Can all users do it? Or, only selected guys have this privilege? @DVK in question is topmost guy on SFF.SE and has Gold Badge in harry-potter tag. Has something to do with that? also i want to write comment in desiging font style from Anchor fonts can i do this if anyone knows about this please tell me
Avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing
Miguel Roig, Ph.D.
Paraphrasing and Plagiarism: What the writing guides say
Although virtually all professional and student writing guides, including those in the sciences, provide specific instructions on the proper use of quotes, references, etc., many fail to offer specific details on proper paraphrasing. With some exceptions, writing guides that provide instructions for proper paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism tend to subscribe to a ‘conservative’ approach to paraphrasing. That is, these guides often suggest that when paraphrasing, an author must substantially modify the original material. Consider the following examples of paraphrasing guidelines:
“Don’t plagiarize. Express your own thoughts in your own words…. Note, too, that simply changing a few words here and there, or changing the order of a few words in a sentence or paragraph, is still plagiarism. Plagiarism is one of the most serious crimes in academia.” (Pechenik, 2001; p.10).
“You plagiarize even when you do credit the author but use his exact words without so indicating with quotation marks or block indentation. You also plagiarize when you use words so close to those in your source, that if your work were placed next to the source, it would be obvious that you could not have written what you did without the source at your elbow.” (Booth, Colomb, & Williams, 1995; p. 167)
On the other hand, some writing guides appear to suggest a more liberal approach to paraphrasing. For example, consider the following guideline from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001), a guide that is also used by other disciplines (e.g., Sociology, Education), in addition to psychology:
“…Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text.” (p. 349).
However, this same resource provides an example of paraphrasing that is consistent with the more conservative definitions outlined above. Moreover, other writing guides (e.g., Hacker, 2000) that review the style used by American Psychological Association (APA) interpret the APA guidelines in the same conservative fashion. We advocate the more conservative approach to paraphrasing with one caveat (see below).
Guideline 6: When paraphrasing and/or summarizing others’ work we must reproduce the exact meaning of the other author’s ideas or facts using our words and sentence structure.
Much of the work you produce at university will involve the important ideas, writings and discoveries of experts in your field of study. Quoting, paraphrasing and summarising are all different ways of including the works of others in your assignments.
Paraphrasing and summarising allow you to develop and demonstrate your understanding and interpretation of the major ideas/concepts of your discipline, and to avoid plagiarism.
Paraphrasing and summarising require analytical and writing skills which are crucial to success at university.
What are the differences?
Paraphrasing:
- does not match the source word for word
- involves putting a passage from a source into your own words
- changes the words or phrasing of a passage, but retains and fully communicates the original meaning
- must be attributed to the original source.
Summarising:
- does not match the source word for word
- involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, but including only the main point(s)
- presents a broad overview, so is usually much shorter than the original text
- must be attributed to the original source.
Quotations
- match the source word for word
- are usually a brief segment of the text
- appear between quotation marks
- must be attributed to the original source.
A quotation is an exact reproduction of spoken or written words. Quotes can provide strong evidence, act as an authoritative voice, or support a writer's statements. For example:
Bell and Bell (1993) point out in their study of Australian-American cultural relations: "culture is never simply imposed 'from above' but is negotiated through existing patterns and traditions." (Bell & Bell 1993, p. 9)
Use a quote:
- when the author's words convey a powerful meaning
- when the exact words are important
- when you want to use the author as an authoritative voice in your own writing
- to introduce an author's position you may wish to discuss
- to support claims in, or provide evidence for, your writing.
How to quote
Quoting should be done sparingly and support your own work, not replace it. For example, make a point in your own words, then support it with an authoritative quote.
- Every direct quotation should:
- appear between quotation marks (" ")
- exactly reproduce text, including punctuation and capital letters.
- A short quotation often works well when integrated into a sentence.
- If any words need to be omitted for clarity, show the omission with an ellipsis ( ... ).
- If any words need to be added to the quotation, put them between square brackets ([ ]).
- Longer quotations (more than 3 lines of text) should start on a new line and be indented on both sides.
Paraphrasing is a way of using different words and phrasing to present the same ideas. Paraphrasing is used with short sections of text, such as phrases and sentences.
A paraphrase offers an alternative to using direct quotations and allows you to integrate evidence/source material into assignments. Paraphrasing can also be used for note-taking and explaining information in tables, charts and diagrams.
When to paraphrase
Paraphrase short sections of work only i.e. a sentence or two or a short paragraph:
- as an alternative to a direct quotation
- to rewrite someone else's ideas without changing the meaning
- to express someone else's ideas in your own words
- to support claims in, or provide evidence for, your writing.
How to paraphrase
- Read the original source carefully. It is essential that you understand it fully.
- Identify the main point(s) and key words.
- Cover the original text and rewrite it in your own words. Check that you have included the main points and essential information.
- Write the paraphrase in your own style. Consider each point; how could you rephrase it?
- Ensure that you keep the original meaning and maintain the same relationship between main ideas and supporting points.
- Use synonyms (words or expression which have a similar meaning) where appropriate. Key words that are specialised subject vocabulary do not need to be changed.
- If you want to retain unique or specialist phrases, use quotation marks (“ “).
- Change the grammar and sentence structure. Break up a long sentence into two shorter ones or combine two short sentences into one. Change the voice (active/passive) or change word forms (e.g. nouns, adjectives).
- Change the order in which information/ideas are presented, as long as they still make sense in a different order.
- Identify the attitude of the authors to their subject (i.e. certain, uncertain, critical etc) and make sure your paraphrase reflects this. Use the appropriate reporting word or phrase.
- Review your paraphrase to check it accurately reflects the original text but is in your words and style.
- Record the original source, including the page number, so that you can provide a reference.
A summary is an overview of a text. The main aim of summarising is to reduce or condense a text to its most important ideas. Leave out details, examples and formalities. Summarising is a useful skill for making notes, writing an abstract/synopsis, and incorporating material in assignments.
When to summarise
Summarise long sections of work, like a long paragraph, page or chapter.
- To outline the main points of someone else's work in your own words, without the details or examples.
- To include an author's ideas using fewer words than the original text.
- To briefly give examples of several differing points of view on a topic.
- To support claims in, or provide evidence for, your writing.
How to summarise
The amount of detail you include in a summary will vary according to the length of the original text, how much information you need, and how selective you are.
- Start by reading a short text and highlighting the main points.
- Reread the text and make notes of the main points, leaving out examples, evidence, etc.
- Rewrite your notes in your own words; restate the main idea at the beginning plus all major points.