Reverse Plagiarism 

Giving Credit to a resource that you did not use at all, in order to achieve the minimum amount of required outside sources needed for a research paper or project.

"How did you get all your sources for the History paper?"

"I used reverse plagiarism on some books I found on Google and amazon."

Reverse Plagiarism by Greenbird60 May 29, 2009

Reverse plagiarism 

Citing someone else for an idea that you came up with, if only to make it sound like a legitimate idea. This is the opposite principle to normal plagiarism, which involves portraying someone else's idea as your own. Neither is recommended.

Lazy student: Hmm. I think tax cuts for the wealthy were a bad idea. But where can I find support for that?

*gasp*
Student's work:

"Albert Einstein stated that President Bush should not have cut taxes for the wealthy. 'The actions of Herr Bush led to unsustainable budget deficits,' he wrote. Martin Luther King agreed, saying to thousands on the Mall, 'I have a dream . . . that President Bush's tax cuts will be revoked by a Democratic Congress.'"

Professor (reading essay): ????? I haven't seen students use reverse plagiarism for 34 years!

Reverse plagiarism by Turmfalke December 3, 2010

Reverse Plagiarism

The appropriation of a work’s established title, brand, and audience while inverting or replacing its foundational meaning, themes, and authorial intent, then presenting the result as a faithful continuation or adaptation of the original.

When Rian Johnson decided Luke would try to kill his nephew because he had a bad dream he committed Reverse plagiarism.

“you do realize by changing the entire character of Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia you’re likely going to commit reverse plagiarism”

Reverse Plagiarism by Twofacedfeat September 18, 2026