As a student, coming up with the relevant information you want to include in your assignment/research paper sometimes becomes difficult because you have to follow many rules.
It is not as simple as copying the relevant information from a reputable source and including it in your academic work.
Doing this will be counted as plagiarism, which is considered a serious offense in academic writing. In this article, we are going to discuss some tips on how students can deal with plagiarism. So, let’s get started!
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism refers to copying someone else’s work and showing it as your own without the permission of the original author or giving credit. In academic writing, plagiarism includes using ideas, words, or information from another source without citing it properly.
Apart from using words and information, there are some other things as well that can lead to plagiarized work, such as;
- Providing incorrect information about the original source – plagiarism that arises as a result of this practice is known as “source-based.”
- Rewording the original content by just changing a few words – this is referred to as “paraphrasing plagiarism.”
- Copying content word by word, without giving quotation marks – this is referred to as “direct plagiarism.”
- Reusing your own previous work without citing yourself – this is a type of “self-plagiarism”
To learn more about the different types of plagiarism, you can check out this article.
How Students Can Deal with Plagiarism
There are a number of different ways for students to deal with plagiarism. But in this article, we will discuss three of the most useful ones.
Do Proper Research
One of the most important tips that can be taken to ensure that plagiarism does not occur is to do proper research. This includes researching the topic thoroughly and finding reliable sources for your information.
Make sure to read the source material carefully and take notes as you go. Not only does proper research help to avoid plagiarism, but it can also help to improve the quality of the work.
When researching, it is essential to use credible sources. This means looking for sources that are from authoritative websites or authors. It is also important to ensure that the sources are current, as outdated information can lead to incorrect or incomplete results.
However, try to avoid using the same source too often, as this can make your paper appear too repetitive and can make it more likely to be flagged for plagiarism.
By doing proper research and taking the necessary steps to avoid plagiarism, students can ensure that their work is original and not copied from another source.
Paraphrase Content
However, sometimes students might do proper research, but they are unable to find the original source and they end up poorly citing it. This is where paraphrasing skill comes into play.
If you can’t find the original source, then you can express that specific piece of information in your own words.
Doing this will allow you to make sure that your written words are completely different from the original ones, but explain the same meaning.
In order to paraphrase words efficiently, you need to have a strong vocabulary. But if you lack this skill, then don’t worry. You can take help from online paraphrasing tools. There are a number of paraphrasing tools that allow users to rephrase text without the risk of plagiarism.
These online tools work on advanced algorithms that allow them to rephrase the given text by replacing words with simple yet relevant synonyms without damaging the original meaning. To make this more clear, let us explain with an example.
We are going to use an online rephrasing tool for this example. We will give a random piece of content to make sure how the tool paraphrases it.
Source: https://www.rephrase.info/
As can be seen in the image attached above, the rephrasing tool has efficiently paraphrased the given text by replacing words with relevant synonyms.
With these changes in place, the content will not be regarded as the same taken from the online source.
Utilize Plagiarism Checking Tools
In some cases, students do everything possible in order to avoid plagiarism in their work. But they still end up submitting plagiarized work. That’s why it is always recommended to always check plagiarism in the work they are submitting.
And one of the most useful ways to make sure your work is free from plagiarism is to use a plagiarism-checking tool.
Fortunately, there are a number of decent plagiarism detection tools available online. Some are completely free to use, while some are paid (but offer some free search limit for free users).
These tools work by scanning the student’s work through millions of sources available on the internet for any similarity. If any copies are found, the tool will alert the student by highlighting that specific portion of copied text along with its matched source.
This will allow students to then take the necessary steps to remove the copied text.
To demonstrate this, we have attached an image of a check plagiarism report of a sample text through a free online plagiarism-detection tool.
Source: https://www.check-plagiarism.com/
Final Words
In conclusion, as a student, you need to keep in mind that plagiarism is serious and can have severe consequences such as failing that specific course or even being suspended from your college/school.
So, you have to make a good effort in order to avoid plagiarism in your work. By properly following the tips mentioned above, you can make sure that your assignments/research papers are completely unique and plagiarism free.
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