
How to Avoid Plagiarism?
Here is why it is so important to avoid plagiarism and how to avoid plagiarism in a sentence
Whether you’re interviewing a subject matter expert or presenting key findings from a report, third-party sources can lend additional authority to your work. However, there is a difference between weaving outside sources into your writing to influence and misrepresenting ideas or words from the source as your own.
What is plagiarism?
According to Paraphrasing Matters , “plagiarize” verb means:
“To steal and pass off someone else idea or words without crediting the source.”
The inclusion of the word “steal” in this definition includes instances where another person’s words or ideas are intentionally used without crediting the source. Even accidental use of someone else’s ideas or words without proper citation, due to negligence, falls under this definition, as your work attempts to “pass off” someone else’s work for yours.
In our advanced technological culture, the simple act of copying and pasting may seem trivial, but it has serious consequences in academic integrity and professional circles.
Why should you avoid plagiarism?
At its core, plagiarism is an ethical issue. A writer who submits plagiarized work commits theft in the hope of profiting from it. This is true whether you are turning in a school newspaper to get an “A” or a freelance writer who is expecting monetary compensation or research paper.
Avoiding plagiarism is paramount as a writer because it compromises your human integrity. Along with losing the respect of your mentors and peers, it could cost you valuable professional referrals and future career advancement. If you’re still in school, plagiarism can lead to the loss of financial aid or a leadership role.
Additionally, it takes away credit or profit from the original creator of the work, which can cause more problems if the original source takes legal action against you.
5 tips to avoid plagiarism in your writing
Fortunately, not everything is fear. Avoiding plagiarism is really easy to do now that you have a basic understanding of what it is. To help you stay clear of this taboo, here’s how to avoid plagiarism in your writing.
Cite your source
When alluding to an idea or wording that is not your own, include a citation in your writing that identifies the full name of the source and any other citation material required by the apa style you adhere to.
Include quotation
If you insert the words from a source into your writing verbatim “cite sources“, one of the simplest but most obvious ways to avoid plagiarism is to use quotation marks around the text to indicate that the words are not yours. A quote should also quote the source so that readers know who the quote is from.
Paraphrase
Paraphrasing is rewriting ideas or information from a source in your own words, without changing the meaning. But beware: paraphrasing can become plagiarism if done incorrectly.
Paraphrasing successfully without plagiarizing involves a bit of dancing. Rephrase and reformat your writing in an original way and try to avoid using too many similar words or phrases from the source. The expertise is to do this without changing the meaning of the sentence. Remember that you are still using someone else’s idea, so you will need to include a citation of the source.
Present your own idea
Instead of citing sources ideas or words, explore what she has to say about it. Ask yourself what unique perspective or point you can bring to your writing center that is entirely yours. Keep in mind that if you are alluding to a source‘s ideas or words to frame your own point of view, you should always apply the guidelines above to avoid plagiarism.
If you’re writing on the same topic for repeated assignments, it may be tempting to recycle some of your previous words; this is called “self-plagiarism“. The risk associated with self-plagiarism is just as high if the editor or your instructor has not given you permission to reuse your previous work.
Use plagiarism checker
When doing your research on a topic, a few phrases or sentence structure may stick out so well that you inadvertently include them in your academic writing without a citation. If in doubt, using online plagiarism checker grammarly or turnitin can help you catch these issues before submitting your work.
These tips can be helpful in avoiding plagiarism in your work and are well worth it. Addition with becoming more aware of plagiarism, figuring out how to avoid plagiarism ultimately requires daily practice.