Misconceptions about Plagiarism Cheating and stealing are two of the many words that describe plagiarism. Plagiarism is a common misconception because people don't understand all of its meanings, don't know techniques to avoid it, and don't realize that it undermines academic integrity. This misunderstanding involves the widespread variety of definitions on the topic of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a word with multiple meanings. One definition means using the production of another without citing the source. Another definition is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas or words as one's own. Plagiarism ranges from failing to place a quote in quotation marks to passing off theft of a work. “A minimal amount of plagiarism is very common in the education sector where people commit plagiarism by substituting synonyms and modifying the original text” (Kumar 1). Terms like “copy” and “borrow” can mask the severity of plagiarism. People often get confused about plagiarism because the meanings can also confuse and frustrate them. “In summary, plagiarism can be a very serious form of ethical misconduct” (ORI 1). Here's how definitions of plagiarism can change your perspective on it. This misconception often occurs because people don't understand writing styles to avoid it. However, most cases of plagiarism can be avoided. “Plagiarism can vary in its scope based on the amount of plagiarism” (Kumar 1). Different writing styles are very helpful in avoiding plagiarism. The certain style of writing techniques a person uses to avoid plagiarism reveals the writer's voice. It's also about the type of audience it would address. Some writing styles include how the person uses sentence formation. Some examples are the loose sentence, the periodic sentence or the balanced sentence. Other writing styles include diction. Diction concerns the writer's style and manner of writing. Writing styles can be humorous, general, metaphorical, philosophical, abstract, or concrete. Punctuation is an important part of a writer's style because it expresses his or her mood or actions. “Although plagiarism can take many forms, there are two main types in academic writing: plagiarism of ideas and plagiarism of text” (ORI 1). Here's how using different writing styles can influence you to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when people do not understand the emphasis on the originality of the work.