Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone else’s work and claiming it as your own. There are different ways that people commit plagiarism. Some do it purposely, and most of the time, students, in particular, commit this act of intellectual violation accidentally. Without the proper knowledge of citation and paraphrasing, plagiarism can easily be committed. When caught, this can lead to severe consequences. This article will help you know the different ways on how to prevent plagiarism. Keep them in mind and learn from them to apply them in your future writing activities.
Learn to use paraphrasing
The standard solution to avoid plagiarism is to know how to paraphrase—many students form a habit of copying a phrase or a statement from the original text. No matter how short it is, it can be considered plagiarism. You need to know how to use in-text citations as this is the easiest way to avoid plagiarism. Copying word for word in the source is a big no. Paraphrasing allows you to use and add different words while still keeping the original text’s context intact.
Example #1:
Original Text: J.K Rowling was famous for her books. People of all ages have read the seven books of Harry Potter.
Paraphrase: J.K Rowling is famous throughout the world because adults and children have read her book, Harry Potter.
There are different ways you can paraphrase. If you are having a hard time, online writing services can write my no plagiarism essay.
Quote Sources
Quoting sources mean copying a statement from the work of others and crediting the original owner. It is essential to know that quoting a reference or passage should be enclosed in quotation marks or formatted as a blockquote. Cite the source carefully, keep note of the correct spelling, and even the date or the year the study or the statement was published.
Here are some examples of how to quote sources:
Example #1:
“It is noted that the skills the students use when researching an assignment can vary depending on their academic discipline and level of study.” (Cottrell, 2008)
Example #2:
“Miller (2011, p. 25) believes that the key to immortality lies in the food we eat.”
There are also different ways on how to quote a source. The first step of avoiding plagiarism is having an awareness of this way of writing. Expand your knowledge in this area, and it will be helpful when you pursue higher studies and write more academic papers.
Use Citations Correctly
The lack of knowledge in the different ways of citations is one of the common causes of how students commit plagiarism. When you enter college and pursue higher studies, studying will require you to write several academic papers, and it is a must to know how to cite appropriately. There are different types of citations. The most common citations we use are the MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard. Research papers and the thesis will usually require you to cite your sources in the MLA or APA format. Both have different styles in the form that you should know before you use them. If you struggle with proper citation, you can always have your papers ordered from an essay writing service. These online platforms guarantee you a plagiarism-free essay and have unique and creative content.
Always use plagiarism checkers
Technology is making our lives simpler. Many things can be done instantly with the aid of technology, and that includes your writing process. Nowadays, the rise of writing editing software is on the rise because it is an all-in-one application. It can edit your work, give you excellent suggestions to further improve your article, check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and run your documents against billions of articles on the web for plagiarism check. Instead of doing it manually, an application can do it for you. So, take advantage of the things technology can provide. With the help of a free plagiarism checker, you can generate a descriptive report on duplicated sections in your content. So, take advantage of the things technology can provide. Using these applications will ensure that you haven’t committed plagiarism and make sure that your work is of high quality and can be done in a short period of time. You can check out the applications like Grammarly and Hemmingway App for your all-in-one editors and plagiarism checkers. These are the most popular applications for students, but there are also other applications you can try on depending on your needs. Keep your options open.
Reference Page
There are types of citations that ask to provide the specific page number where you got the data in your article. When citing sources, one must be thorough. If you can give every detail from your source of information, do so.
Example #1:
Abdul, J. (2010) “How will the arctic survive?” The National Geographic Magazine, p. 40
Example #2:
Libell, J. (2007) The inner world of sound: Accessing this world through poetry, narrative literature, and music. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice & Research, p. 284 – 29
Ask your teachers for assistance
When you have a hard time or are not familiar with a subject matter, it is advisable to ask your teachers for help. Their purpose is to teach you and help you with the skills you are lacking. For example, you can ask your teachers how to use different citation types, paraphrasing, and tips on how to avoid plagiarism. When you have no budget to pay for essay help online, you can turn to your teachers for help. Surely, they will be glad to be an assistance to you. Don’t be afraid to ask if you doubt your skills and want to be sure of the work.
There are various steps to avoid plagiarism. Unfortunately, it is a common mistake for many students to commit it accidentally. But you can prevent this by familiarizing yourself with the following tips we provided you. You can apply one skill at a time until you master them and incorporate them into your writing process. Some skills, such as writing citations, can be intimidating at the start, but once you get a hand at it, it will significantly improve the quality of your writing.
Author of the article:
Christopher Mansfield is a content writer at Perfect Essay. He creates, edits, and manages the production of digital and print content that is consistent with the organization’s brand, style, and tone. Christopher works closely with the internal marketing team to ensure timely delivery of content via various marketing channels and mediums. He also develops and maintains an editorial calendar. He contributes to the webinar program to further thought leadership campaigns for different market segments.