Is it plagiarism or just patchwriting?

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Kelly McBride on the Poynter site discusses something called "patchwriting," which she calls "a dishonest writing technique that is common on college campuses and among journalists." What is it? Unlike plagiarism, it's not verbatim copying. Rather, it's a clumsy and incomplete paraphrasing in which the writer lifts ideas and thoughts if not entire sentences: "It’s a form of intellectual dishonesty that indicates that the writer is not actually thinking for herself."

September 24, 2012

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