Plagiarism
Last updated
Last updated
The synopses must be 100% original content. "Basing" a synopsis on another is still plagiarism, even if it is reworded. The use of AI writing services such as ChatGPT or Grammarly and any machine translation from a non-English language are also considered plagiarism.
For a series that has a different adaptation with an existing Rewrite synopsis, it is still expected to come up with an original and unique synopsis. For example, the synopsis for Adachi to Shimamura (Anime) is stylistically different from the synopsis for Adachi to Shimamura (Manga) despite covering the same story.
When editing a synopsis, you may use a tool such as the one below to double check that the synopsis does not appear to contain plagiarized content. It will tell you if a phrase found in the respective synopsis exists in another text. If that is the case, you can try using synonyms (see a thesaurus) or rewording phrases, but make sure that the substituted word/phrase does not change the meaning.
However, there are limitations to the plagiarism checker tool listed above; it is unable to detect AI-generated or machine-translated writing. To identify these types of writing yourself, consider these possible telltale signs:
View the version history of the synopsis document. See if the entire synopsis was pasted in followed by minor adjustments to address certain elements.
The text is monotonous and lacks style/emotion.
Use of calls-to-actions and details that are considered background information (series' genres, animation, etc.).
Clear errors in punctuation and structure.
You may also use these tools to determine if the writing is AI/machine generated:
Ultimately, while third-party tools are useful, do not rely too heavily on them. The results they produce are always at risk of being inaccurate or incorrect. You should do careful research yourself while editing every synopsis. If you have any uncertainty, contact a coordinator for assistance.
MAL Rewrite tolerates no plagiarism whatsoever, and if a synopsis is found to be plagiarized, you should notify a coordinator. Please check the Requesting a Rewrite page below for more details. Repeated, continued offenses of plagiarism will result in more serious consequences.
✒️Requesting a Rewrite
