How To Avoid Plagiarism?

In writing an academic assignment or a scholarly journal, originality matters for every work. But if you plan to include another author’s work in your document, make sure to know how to avoid plagiarism. Otherwise, you may commit intellectual theft, which could lead to severe penalties. However, there are some ways to remove plagiarism, such as paraphrasing text, citing sources, and using plagiarism detection tools. What’s more? Let’s find out.

What Does Plagiarism Mean

For a writer, plagiarism has many meanings. It includes unauthorized copying, stealing ideas, or passing other people’s work as your own. However, in academics, the plagiarism definition indicates using another person’s words, ideas, or research without giving them credit through citations.

Types of Plagiarism Often Found in a Document

Common types of plagiarism include self-plagiarism, paraphrasing, and direct and source-based plagiarism. In addition to this, many different types of plagiarism are also there that you need to know. Let’s elaborate on each type and see what they mean to writers.

Verbatim plagiarism

It is also called direct plagiarism, where you copy text and paste directly to your document without citing the source.

Self-plagiarism

The most common plagiarism types occurs due to reusing your previous work in your new work without citing it.

Patchwork plagiarism

It involves copying and rearranging work from multiple authors without citation.

Global plagiarism

It is defined as taking an entire piece of writing from another’s work and presenting it as your own.

Paraphrasing plagiarism

It occurs when someone paraphrases another author’s work without citing it to the original source.

Accidental plagiarism

It occurs when someone uses another person’s work without intending to plagiarize. This could be due to improper citation or misquoting information.

Collusion plagiarism

A common type of plagiarism in academic writing where two or more students work together on an assignment that is intended to be done separately.

Source-based plagiarism

Source-based plagiarism includes improper paraphrasing and omitting citations, even if the text was not directly copied verbatim.

Ways To Avoid Plagiarism

Want to remove plagiarism, but how? Let’s discuss the 5 best strategies to avoid plagiarism from your work.

Cite Your Source

Cite to avoid plagiarism is the most common way to maintain the integrity of your document. By citing the source, you not only know how to avoid plagiarism but also show your respect for the original creator. However, many authors still caught up with accidental plagiarism even after citing the work. The reason is that they didn’t follow proper referencing styles (APA, MLA, Chicago). However, mastering different types of citation styles helps you give credit where it’s needed.

Include Quotations

Including quotations in your writing is one of the simplest yet effective ways to prevent plagiarism. It involves copying exact words, statements, answers, and advice from other authors and using them in your work within quotation marks, along with citing that author.

However, in general, grabbing the author’s quotes is appropriate when

• You need to add the exact definition from an author
• When it’s impossible to rephrase the original text without losing its meaning.
• You want to maintain the tone and style of the author’s words.

Use a Plagiarism Checker

Often, students and professionals ask why should I use a plagiarism checker when I have cited all sources in the work. Well, many institutes use these tools to highlight content that is similar to other web pages on databases. Let’s assume you write a sentence by yourself, but surprisingly, it already exists. That way, the detector will highlight that content and mark it as plagiarism. Therefore, use a plagiarism checker before submitting the final document, as it could prevent accidental plagiarism.

Paraphrase to Remove Plagiarism

Paraphrasing the original work is the most effective technique, which means to rewrite to avoid plagiarism. It doesn’t mean just switching some words and leaving the remaining work the same. In fact, you have to paraphrase properly within your own words to show that you have fully understood it. 

Remember some tips while paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism.

• While rewriting, the meaning of the main idea should not be altered.
• It is true that you completely paraphrased the work, but it is still not yours. So, cite the source to give credit to the real author.

Also, replace the major words with their appropriate synonyms to prevent plagiarism.

Avoid Excessive “Copy-Paste” Work

Excessive copy-pasting could damage the credibility and integrity of the document even if you cite all the sources. The more you use copied work, the less you show your creativity and originality. Therefore, When knowing how to avoid plagiarism, prevent using too much copy-paste work. Moreover, use a mix of techniques like paraphrasing, quoting, and citing sources to avoid excessive copy paste without plagiarism.

What Are the Consequences of Plagiarism

We adhere to the potential consequences of plagiarism below. Keep them in mind to avoid legal penalties while maintaining your professional image.

Legal Repercussions

The legal repercussions of plagiarism are a state of law where the original author can sue the plagiarizer for stealing his academic property. This could lead to severe damage, including financial penalties and criminal charges.

Destroyed Professional Reputation

In professional settings, stealing others ideas, business models, and research and using them in your work without citing them is unethical. If you get exposed to plagiarising, it could destroy your professional reputation. As a result, you may face further challenges in maintaining a successful career in this field.

Bad Academic Reputation

When plagiarism found in a student’s assignment, their trustworthiness and credibility in the academic community will be ruined. A perception would be made against the individual that he/she is not capable of doing original work. 

Whether it’s a class assignment or a final thesis, a plagiarism record will raise concerns about your academic ethics. In most severe cases, plagiarism could also lead students to be expelled from the institution or failing grades.

Monetary Repercussions

Monetary repercussions refer to the financial penalties for plagiarism of another author’s work as its own. It includes the legal fee, paying damage money to the original author, or even getting a fine from an academic institute.

Bottom Lines

Follow the above recommendations on how to avoid plagiarism and stay secure from the potential consequences of plagiarism. If you think it’s easy to remove plagiarism, then you take it wrong. You must practice these strategies daily to get the most out of it. 

At last, whatever strategy you use to avoid plagiarism, feel free to consult with a peer before the final submission. This way, you get an extra layer of satisfaction for your work’s originality.