Consider the 3 tiers of academic misconduct as outlined by Turnitin (2025):
Foundational misconduct
Type
Description
AI misuse
Using generative Al, Al-powered paraphrasing, or Al-rewriting tools to modify text or complete work without proper attribution.
Paraphrase plagiarism
Rephrasing a source’s ideas without proper attribution.
Inadvertent plagiarism
Forgetting to properly cite or quote a source or unintentional paraphrasing.
Word-for-word plagiarism
Copying and pasting content without proper attribution.
Student collusion
Working with other students on an assignment meant for individual assessment.
Complex plagiarism
Type
Description
Self plagiarism
Reusing one’s previously published or submitted work without proper attribution.
Mosaic plagiarism
Weaving phrases and text from several sources into one’s own work. Adjusting sentences without quotation marks or attribution.
Source-based plagiarism
Providing inaccurate or incomplete information about sources such that they cannot be found.
Advanced misconduct
Type
Description
Manual text modification
Manipulating text with the intention of misleading plagiarism detection software.
Contract cheating
Engaging a third party (for free, for pay, or in-kind) to complete an assignment and representing that as one’s own work.
Data plagiarism
Falsifying or fabricating data or improperly appropriating someone else’s work, putting a researcher, institution, or publisher’s reputation in jeopardy.
Automated text modification
Taking content written by another person or a Large Language Model (LLM) and running it through a software tool (text spinner, translation engine) to purposefully evade plagiarism detection.
