Getting your publication right – Part 4 structuring a research manuscript: A guide to understanding, detecting, and preventing plagiarism

Plagiarism is one of the most persistent ethical problems in academic and scientific publishing. Once limited to copying sentences from books, it has grown into a far more complicated challenge, driven by the internet, intense research competition, and the rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. This article provides a thorough overview of plagiarism – definition, historical roots, types, contributing factors, detection tools, and regulatory frameworks with particular focus on recent developments through 2025/2026. The article pays special attention to India’s regulatory approach under the University Grants Commission 2018 Regulations, the global role of the Committee on Publication Ethics, and the newly published Generative AI Transparency 2024 guidelines. The central argument is that addressing plagiarism today demands a combination of good ethical education, clear institutional policies, honest AI disclosure, and a genuine commitment to original thinking.