Parawatch Wiki, as a collaborative writing community, is committed to protecting the original work of all creators. Plagiarism not only infringes upon the copyrights of others, but also seriously damages the creative environment and foundation of trust within the community.
This policy defines what constitutes improper citation and plagiarism, and explains how the Wiki will handle plagiarism when it occurs. Staff reserve the right to interpret this policy and to amend it based on actual circumstances and practice.
What Constitutes Improper Citation? What Constitutes Plagiarism?
The site rules apply different standards to different types of works. At Parawatch Wiki, we classify works as follows:
Non-Literary Textual Works
Non-literary textual works refer to articles such as guides, discussions, overviews, and similar content.
These works may directly use any content compatible with the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, even in substantial portions when reasonably necessary, but the author and source must be properly credited. Any violation of the above provisions, such as using material without attribution or using text incompatible with the license, will constitute improper citation and may constitute plagiarism. The specific determination will depend on the amount of material involved.
Literary Textual Works
Literary textual works refer to stories, forum-style creations, and other content that places greater emphasis on literary creation.
Rules Regarding Literal Improper Citation and Plagiarism
These works may not use paragraphs of content from any source, including AI-generated content, unless doing so is necessary for a literary purpose. However, several lines from other works may be used for purposes such as homage or enhancing literary qualities, such as quotations from famous people. In other words, limited quotations are acceptable, even when they lack attribution, as long as there is no malicious intent. Leaving references or “Easter eggs” for attentive readers to discover connections is acceptable.
Clarification Regarding Idea Plagiarism
Strictly speaking, it is difficult to determine whether one article has plagiarized the “concept” or “idea” of another. Is a crossover, a “neta,” or plagiarism? This is difficult to explain in just a few words. Nevertheless, the site recognizes that idea plagiarism may constitute actionable plagiarism, particularly when it concerns story plots, methods of progression or development, and specific descriptive content. Such cases will be reviewed individually. One thing is certain: if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear from a staff member knocking on your door.
Special Note Regarding Forum-Style Works on Parawatch Wiki
Parawatch Wiki requires all literary creations to operate within an immersive framework of “an ordinary internet user sharing a real experience.” Plagiarism directly undermines this framework. The following behaviors will receive particular attention:
Directly copying works from outside the site: Copying and pasting another person's real-life experience, Creepypasta, short horror story, or similar content, changing the point of view, and publishing it as original work constitutes plagiarism.
Passing off a translation as original work: Translating a foreign-language work and publishing it under one's own name without crediting the original author and source constitutes plagiarism.
Rewriting another person's core idea: Superficially rewriting another person's core story premise, key plot points, or distinctive scenes and publishing the result constitutes plagiarism and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Stealing another person's “character” within the forum-style framework: Articles on the site are often published under the identities of “website users.” Maliciously impersonating, appropriating, or copying a user identity and its background established by another creator likewise constitutes plagiarism.
Artistic Works
There is no concept of improper citation for artistic works; only plagiarism. Plagiarism in artistic works includes, but is not limited to, excessive imitation of the composition, design, and other creative elements of another work. Needless to say, “tracing,” “directly feeding someone else's artwork into AI and generating a new version,” or “making a few changes to someone else's artwork and claiming it as your own” all constitute plagiarism.
Please note in particular that this site does not recognize the concept of “art style plagiarism.” In other words, you cannot report someone for plagiarism merely because “this person's art style is obviously imitating a certain artist.” You must provide evidence.
Common Misconceptions
It is important to understand that you may misunderstand “improper citation” as simply forgetting to provide attribution or failing to cite the source. This is incorrect. Improper citation can also occur when the source has been properly credited, but the manner in which the material is quoted or appropriated is nevertheless unacceptable. Likewise, you may misunderstand “plagiarism” as merely being an especially egregious form of “using material without attribution.” In fact, even when the source of the material or inspiration is properly credited, an article may still be determined to constitute plagiarism under certain circumstances. All such cases depend on the circumstances.
How Are Articles Containing Improper Citations or Plagiarism Handled?
Articles Containing Improper Citations
Articles containing improper citations will be given a 24-hour grace period, during which the author must remove the improperly cited material or provide all required attribution. After the grace period expires, if the necessary corrections have not been completed, staff will take one of the following actions:
Remove the improperly cited material
Remove the entire article and archive its source code
Plagiarized Articles
Plagiarized articles will be deleted immediately, with evidence of plagiarism archived in a staff post.
For collaborative works, since it is possible that “the other co-authors were unaware that the article was suspected of plagiarism and the plagiarism was committed by only one or several authors,” the full source code of the article will be archived.
If the article itself contains extensive violations of the site's content standards, or involves other sensitive content that is unsuitable for archival, it will not be archived — this will be left to the discretion of staff.
Suspected Plagiarism in Collaborative Pages
A very small and rare possibility is that a collaborative page may be suspected of plagiarism. In such cases, staff will first determine whether the plagiarism existed when the collaborative page was originally published or whether the plagiarized content was added afterward. The former will result in the page being directly deleted and archived, while the latter will result in action being taken against the individual responsible and the content they added being removed.
Plagiarism Involving Series or Settings
Another particularly complicated situation arises when the plagiarized material is part of a series, setting, or other content containing collaborative creative work. In such cases, the entire series may need to be dealt with accordingly. Such cases will be reviewed individually, with staff collectively discussing and determining the appropriate course of action.
Disciplinary Measures for Authors Who Plagiarize
First Instance of Plagiarism
When an author is confirmed to have plagiarized one work, the plagiarism will be announced site-wide and the plagiarized work will be deleted. The author will receive a one-month ban.
Repeated Plagiarism
When an author is confirmed to have plagiarized more than one work in total, all plagiarized works will be deleted, the conduct will be announced site-wide, and links to their author page and/or art collection, if any, will be removed. The corresponding pages will have all tags removed and be given the retention page tag. Depending on the severity of the violation, the author may receive an extended ban or a permanent ban.
How to Report Plagiarism?
Eligibility to Report
Regardless of whether you are a member of the site, you may report plagiarism in an article on this Wiki to any one or more staff members. For example, if an article on this Wiki is believed to have plagiarized an article from outside the site, the author of the original article, or anyone who has read both articles, may report the suspected plagiarism without joining the site.
Reporting Requirements
If you discover that a work, user page, or setting in the site has plagiarized another person's work, including your own, you may report it to the staff and provide sufficient evidence. The staff team will not take action on or respond to reports that lack sufficient evidence.
Reports should include the following:
Link to the reported article
Link to the original source that was plagiarized
A specific comparison explaining the plagiarism (for example: “Paragraph X of the reported article is highly similar to Paragraph X of the original”)
Other supporting evidence
How to Report
Please contact an active administrator or moderator via site messages to submit a report. Reports will be kept confidential, and staff will begin an investigation as soon as possible after receiving the report.
Malicious Reports
Please note that malicious reports or the submission of false evidence may themselves result in disciplinary action. Before submitting a report, make sure that you have sufficient grounds and evidence.
Regarding the CC License
Original content on Parawatch Wiki is, by default, released under the same Creative Commons license used by this site. The site uses the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. This means that any derivative work based on content from this site must likewise comply with the same license and credit the original source. By publishing a work on this site, you indicate your agreement to place that work under this license.
For detailed information regarding the CC license, please refer to the relevant information on the official Creative Commons website.
Final Reminder
Originality is the lifeline of Parawatch Wiki. We understand that accidental similarities and coincidental inspiration can occur during the creative process, but deliberate plagiarism will never be tolerated. Every creator deserves the respect they are entitled to, and every work deserves to be taken seriously. If you have any questions about citation or plagiarism during the creative process, please feel free to consult the staff.
No need to fear, unless you're doing something bad.