I was surprised that I am working on another post for this feature. This is my second under the same topic. I don't usually write much under this category, not the same week! But yes, after my Quarter Book Life Crisis post the other day, here I am again.. confused.
I have never thought that I would be plagiarized. It feels.. surreal. My blog is just an ordinary blog with ordinary posts but with extraordinary effort. I know how hard it is to write a review because I usually take hours to finish one. And the longest was my review of Hopeless by Colleen Hoover that took 4 drafting days just because I wanted it to give justice to the blasting emotions the book gave me. My first language isn't English, so I think that doubles the effort and I honestly NEVER imagined I would be *kind of* a victim of plagiarism.
This is my second time being plagiarized. The first one was early this year but I totally understand the reasons behind the incident. I easily let that go and yes, moved on. I know a lot of established bloggers who have been plagiarized also and they did an extensive research/monitoring/verifying before they called out the person who did them wrong. I won't be calling out my plagiarizer even though I know in my heart that our reviews have so much similarities. I even asked help from my blogger friends for opinions just to make sure that I wasn't over-reacting. The other person's review was not a literal copy/paste but I believe it was simply edited. I can still see some lines from my review but I don't have the courage to tell the person. I don't know. I might be just a little paranoid or blah. I honestly don't know what to do.
Here are some examples:
He's got the heart to love beyond what love means! HE'S IMPERFECTLY PERFECT! - from mine
He’s imperfectly perfect. He had he's equal share of pain. - from the other blogger.
It have given me the ultimate shock ever in my life coming from a book!
I was shocked and speechless.
she's the toughest, smartest, weirdest, funniest female protagonist I have so far encountered.
She's not like any other character that I've read in the past. She's funny, easy going and tough in the outside but soft and sensitive in the inside.
Magnificent novel, entertaining and moving.The flow of thought also shows some similarities but I cannot just bluntly say my review was copied. So, am I just exaggerating? Overreacting? Paranoid? I guess the main reason why I posted this is to ask ALL of you:
It was DEEPLY MOVING.
HOW CAN YOU TELL/SAY THAT YOU WERE PLAGIARIZED AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU WERE?
HALPP!
It's difficult to say, without seeing both reviews in full (since, for instance, you believe the structure and flow of thoughts is similar in both posts). However, I know you don't want to call anyone out, so I'm not asking you to post the other blogger's full review. ;)
ReplyDeleteIn my college's plagiarism guidelines, they're explicit that copying specific turns of phrase counts as plagiarism. The most glaring similarities between these sentences is the use of the phrase "imperfectly perfect." People say it, but it isn't a common expression by any means, and is therefore the strongest indicator that someone was influenced by your review.
Whether this was a blatant case of someone copying and altering your work, or whether they read your review and were more influenced by it than they thought they were, I don't know.
I haven't ever been plagiarized myself (that I know of)so I don't have personal experience in the matter, but if you're suspicious,I suggest keeping an eye on the blog and seeing if any more similarities between your blog and theirs pop up.
Good luck!
Thank you so so much for your input! This is such a great help!
DeleteI didn't really want to put the link of the other blogger's review because I wasn't really sure yet if I was plagiarized or not. I just strongly FEEL that I was so I have to ask you people HOW to actually identify a legit plagiarized post.
Thank you again so much, PageUnbound!
It might be that she read your review and used it as an inspiration or basis of some sorts and ended up using your ideas and thoughts. And yeah, that's plagiarism I think. This is why I don't really read reviews of books I'll be reviewing because I don't want to be influenced. I do read reviews but I only get the general opinions and don't dwell much on it.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know what to do in this case since most plagiarism issues I encountered were actual copy-pastes but I think pagesunbound is correct in that just check this blogger's past and future reviews.
I do hope you resolve this!
Thanks D!
DeleteThat is what I do! I ONLY read reviews once I've written mine. Am just avoiding that "influence" that leads to plagiarism.
I honestly don't know what to do.
Being influenced so heavily would count as plagiarism. I think determining whether the blogger did it with the intention of stealing, or whether it was somewhat "accidental" in cases like these is important mainly in determining how to approach the blogger. If it was an accident, it might be easier to talk the issue out.
DeleteThere is also the problem that many people really do not know what counts as plagiarism. While that does not mean their plagiarism is not wrong or not hurtful to the person whose words they stole, I personally think it means the plagiarized blogger could take a more polite approach to the case and attempt to educate the plagiarizer about what they did wrong, instead of taking the more confrontational approach of calling the person out publicly and condemning them as a thief to the blogosphere. While the confrontational approach isn't wrong either, I personally would not take it if, for example, I realized the plagiarizer was a 13-year-old blogger who didn't really understand plagiarism. I would be more likely to take it if the plagiarizer were a veteran blogger who was a repeat offender and rude about my accusations of plagiarism.
Hopefully that makes sense!
This makes total sense. As I have said, I needed insights about it because I want to avoid "accusing" people plagiarizing some of my post when I don't even fully understand it. The first time I was plagiarized was like that, the blogger was really starting out at that time and didn't have any idea what she posted was actually plagiarism so I let that go. But this, its very overwhelming, maybe because it would be the second time. And I really don't plan on just calling out the blogger. I wanted to make sure/confirm first that i was indeed plagiarized before approaching the person.
DeleteEvery blogger's nightmare! This is tough to judge as I haven't read the other person 's review. Your were plagiarized both times by the same blogger? Better figure out how this person is connected to you, that's one way of checking if s/he is closely reading your reviews.
ReplyDeleteBraine
No. Different person. I know it would be hard because these were just lines from both our reviews but I just wanted your insight about it
DeleteI sometimes feel like that, too. But my only concrete basis on plagiarism is when someone copies it word for word. It's hard what to think of something written that has the same thought as mine in different words but synonymous to it so I don't really know. I usually read other people's review after I've written my own or after I read the book (if I don't plan on reviewing it) because there are tendencies that it might spoil me in any way. And when I do and I hear that it sounds like mine I get a little suspicious but there are also times when I've read a review written long before I did mine and saw that we've written exactly the same phrase.. I freak out because I did not intend for it to happen. Just coincidence. But if other people sees it, what would they think? So it's best if you have supporting details as to why you've written it even if you do read other's review for inspiration. One can say that you agree with everything the reviewer pointed out but surely you also have your own opinions about the book. When we, for instance, read the same books as others, it is of course inevitable that you have the same train of thoughts and feelings towards it. And sometimes people might not be aware that they have similar written material with others. BUT if that person seems to have the same thoughts as you MOST OF THE TIME, well, that's another story. I don't know how to handle this kind of situation but I agree with pagesunbound's suggestion to take notice of that person's other works.
ReplyDeleteI really hope I'm making sense ;)
thats what I do also, write/draft my review first then read and comment on others. As I've said, I am avoiding being "influenced"..
DeleteHmm it's hard to say because some are not exactly the same as in the wordings..but I won't deny the similarities. In my experience, I do read reviews before reading a book so I can decide if i should read it or not or buy it or not. And I admit when I started reviewing, there was a time when one review inspired me in my review but i didn't copy any of their words just their Joviality. or in case I use some reviewer's opinion, I always mention their names and quote what they said then say in my review why I agree with them. So I think referencing is impt and quoting the original reviewer. But anyway as to your problem, I really can't say. Huhu! Im sorry im not helping but i guess pagesunbound is right, just see if this keeps up..monitor2x...
ReplyDeleteIf you don't cite the reviewers, then I think thats plagiarism already. Good thing you do.
DeleteTHANK YOU EVERYONE. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN SETTLED ALREADY. THE BLOGGER KINDLY APPROACHED ME AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO APPROACH HER. WE'VE TALKED AND COMPROMISED AND UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER SO I GUESS, I COULD LET THIS GO.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, I WOULD STILL REALLY WANT INSIGHTS ABOUT THIS MATTER.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN BLURBIES! YOU ARE THE BEST!
I'm happy that you talked about it! :D
ReplyDelete