The most basic and most common form of plagiarism. All it takes is one highlight and two clicks of the mouse. Try it now, if you like.
The problems with the cut-and-paste are many.
For one, it's usually rather identifiable. Because people have various writing styles (we're all at different writing levels, prefer different words, construct our sentences in different ways, use various tones, and even use punctuation differently), sticking someone else's sentence between two of your own isn't too tough to spot.
The trick, then, is to make the plagiarized sentences blend in.
There are a few ways to accomplish this. The most straightforward is to blur the distinction between the plagiarized and the original by substituting your own words for some of the ones you've plagiarized. However, be warned: don't just right-click in Word and use the thesaurus! Know your own writing style, and choose substitute words that adhere to it. Don't delete a word from the original because you'd never use that word only to replace it with something more obscure. Be bland. Blend.
Another neat trick is the decoy.
Here, you attempt to draw attention away from the plagiarized passages by abusing the thesaurus and intentionally overwriting in another part of your paper. In other words, intentionally write outside of your own voice, and make it blatant. The goal is to trick the person marking your paper into singling out that part of the essay as potential plagiarism—and letting the real plagiarism pass unnoticed. Deception well done, lads.
A second problem with cutting and pasting arises because of sources: what you plagiarize. The smart plagiarist plagiarizes from more suitable material than the lazy plagiarist. What do I mean by more suitable material? Not necessarily better academically, but, rather, better suited for the purpose of not getting caught. So: less well-known work, worse-written work, and—in case they ask questions to test your knowledge—something of which you have a basic understanding. Notice that this requires a bit of intelligence. Plagiarism isn't a game for the slow-witted.
The bottom line with the cut-and-paste method is that it's crude and quick. Most plagiarists who use it, use it out of laziness. And, more importantly, they don't provide any cover. Think of the cut-and-paste like an ambush. It's dark, foggy, you're crouching in the bushes waiting for the enemy to come within range so that you can pounce on him. But what happens if the sun comes up, the fog clears, and the bushes disappear? You're just crouching in an open field: covert predator turned to easy prey. Ambush failed.
Therefore, when you use the cut-and-paste, turn the conditions in your favour. Don't just cut-and-paste. Cut and paste and fudge and smudge and distract.
Blend the plagiarism into the original and draw away attention.
Good luck.
The problems with the cut-and-paste are many.
For one, it's usually rather identifiable. Because people have various writing styles (we're all at different writing levels, prefer different words, construct our sentences in different ways, use various tones, and even use punctuation differently), sticking someone else's sentence between two of your own isn't too tough to spot.
The trick, then, is to make the plagiarized sentences blend in.
There are a few ways to accomplish this. The most straightforward is to blur the distinction between the plagiarized and the original by substituting your own words for some of the ones you've plagiarized. However, be warned: don't just right-click in Word and use the thesaurus! Know your own writing style, and choose substitute words that adhere to it. Don't delete a word from the original because you'd never use that word only to replace it with something more obscure. Be bland. Blend.
Another neat trick is the decoy.
Here, you attempt to draw attention away from the plagiarized passages by abusing the thesaurus and intentionally overwriting in another part of your paper. In other words, intentionally write outside of your own voice, and make it blatant. The goal is to trick the person marking your paper into singling out that part of the essay as potential plagiarism—and letting the real plagiarism pass unnoticed. Deception well done, lads.
A second problem with cutting and pasting arises because of sources: what you plagiarize. The smart plagiarist plagiarizes from more suitable material than the lazy plagiarist. What do I mean by more suitable material? Not necessarily better academically, but, rather, better suited for the purpose of not getting caught. So: less well-known work, worse-written work, and—in case they ask questions to test your knowledge—something of which you have a basic understanding. Notice that this requires a bit of intelligence. Plagiarism isn't a game for the slow-witted.
The bottom line with the cut-and-paste method is that it's crude and quick. Most plagiarists who use it, use it out of laziness. And, more importantly, they don't provide any cover. Think of the cut-and-paste like an ambush. It's dark, foggy, you're crouching in the bushes waiting for the enemy to come within range so that you can pounce on him. But what happens if the sun comes up, the fog clears, and the bushes disappear? You're just crouching in an open field: covert predator turned to easy prey. Ambush failed.
Therefore, when you use the cut-and-paste, turn the conditions in your favour. Don't just cut-and-paste. Cut and paste and fudge and smudge and distract.
Blend the plagiarism into the original and draw away attention.
Good luck.