What Is Plagiarism?
According to web dictionary, to plagiarize means to steal someone else’s work and declare it your own, to steal someone else’s ideas, or to present a non-original idea as being your own.
How Can You Avoid Plagiarism?
There are many things you can do to avoid plagiarism. Here are some of the easiest ones you could apply today.
Start ahead of time
Getting an early start is the easiest approach to avoid plagiarism. The sooner you begin, the more flexibility you will have to divide your job into manageable chunks. You shouldn’t have to complete everything at once; slackers do so! If you rush to complete your tasks, you may encounter problems along the way, one of which is plagiarism. Ensure you’ve got lots of time to plan and split your task!
Cite correctly
Citing is crucial when presenting someone else’s work. If you don’t cite, you might get caught and won’t be able to claim responsibility for your project. Remember, if you plagiarize once, you’re almost certain to plagiarize again. So, if you come across something fascinating and want to integrate it in your writing, follow the guidelines for the paper you’re writing and cite the source! Check out the APA Citation Style book.
Use quotations
Using pertinent quotations is another excellent technique to avoid plagiarizing. For example, if you’re a fan of Dr. Gabor Mate and want to use one of his ideas in one of your essays, use quotations. “Not all addictions are rooted in abuse or trauma, but I do believe they can all be traced to painful experience,” writes Dr. Mate in “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.” If you want to use this quote in your work, all you have to do is mention Dr. Mate, his book, and use quotations.
Paraphrase correctly
You’ve got to read the initial article again and set the original content aside. Next, you’ve got to write a few words about the content you’ve just read and use keywords to figure out another way of saying it. Once that’s done, you should check your work against the original and switch terminology. The important thing is to make your content unique and record your source by naming it. Purdue’s writing lab has some interesting guidelines to discover.
Keep your papers high-quality
Incorporating your thoughts into the essay will undoubtedly add worth to your writing. It demonstrates that you clearly understand what you’re advocating for and that your viewpoint stands out. However, remember that you can only do this if you conduct thorough research and start ahead of time. I realize I’m reiterating things, but this is critical if you want to minimize errors.
Use a plagiarism checker
Another great way to check your content for plagiarism is using specific tools. One of them could be any free online plagiarism checker that can identify errors and mistakes. If you pick the proper one for you, you won’t have to worry about anything when it comes to writing papers. Remember! Good plagiarism checkers take time to process your essay, so make sure you don’t leave your work for last minute.
Check with your professor
Check with your instructor to guarantee you’re following the paper’s instructions and meeting all of the criteria. An open, honest conversation could help you understand how to minimize plagiarism. Asking your instructor about the accuracy of your work will save you effort and make your tasks easier to manage.
Use the internet
Nobody is stopping you from using the web to research various ideas and opinions on the topic at hand. Just be careful to quote, reference, or paraphrase correctly. You can learn how to eliminate plagiarism using various online tools, as I’ve explained above. You’ll find many valuable resources on the internet but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay your respects to the author and recognize their efforts.
Use references
Provide a reference page for your paper. It should be placed at the end of your work with all of your research publications. Here’s a key suggestion: strive to finish the citation page while researching rather than at the end, as you can become lost in the endless sea of information and might forget your sources.
Wrapping Up
With the right tools, avoiding plagiarism isn’t as hard as you thought. Ensure you’re on schedule, appropriately cite and paraphrase, rephrase, if necessary, proofread your work, discuss things with instructors, and add real value to your content!
