When writing an essay or a literary piece on any subject, it’s quite natural to refer to a source or two. After all, we don’t really have knowledge about everything in the world, right?
However, there’s a problem here.
When you are citing a specific work, you might end up taking an idea and copy it down from the same. This is known as plagiarism and - whether you believe it or not - it’s very common.
Plagiarism, if caught red-handed, might prompt your teacher to cancel your paper entirely. Or in the best-case scenario, they will cut down your grade moderately to severely.
So, how do you avoid them?
Well, when it comes to eschewing plagiarism, it’ll be crucial for you to understand the types of the same. Apart from that, there are some other tips we want to share about this aspect too.
So, let’s get started with it.
Why Should You Avoid Plagiarism?
Plagiarism, at its core, is an ethical problem. A writer, who has submitted such a work, should be considered as committing theft to someone else’s intellectual property.
This is both true when you are writing an essay for your school or working on a novel. In the first case, your paper might be cancelled at the very worst.
However, if something you have published - whether it’s a book or something else - you will get sued by the person who owns the actual property.
Avoiding plagiarism is also paramount for a writer, as it questions and compromises their own integrity and honesty. Apart from losing respect amongst your peers and mentors, it may also cost you future career advancements and professional referrals.
Additionally, it’ll also take away the profit or credit you have made by publishing and selling the book. So, no matter what happens, make sure to avoid plagiarism at any cost.
Ways to Avoid Plagiarism While Writing
Fortunately, avoiding plagiarism is quite simple and easy.
Almost every writer, nowadays, uses a plagiarism-finding software program to get some help with it. However, if you don’t want to go that far, it might be better to follow these steps -
1: Cite Your Resource
If you are taking a reference from someone else’s work - be it a quote or a statistical data - it’s best to add a citation. It can be done at the end of your essay, especially after you have written the conclusion. This section should contain the following -
- The complete name of the source
- The name of the writer
- The date when it was published
Furthermore, it might be better to add a reference to the style guide you have been following to complete the essay. The clearer you are from your viewpoint, the better.
2: Try Paraphrasing
If you write the same thing as it’s written in a reference website or resource, it will be denoted as a copy. And that, in turn, will mark it down as plagiarized content.
When it comes to paraphrasing, you can try the following practices -
- Use a synonym of the word written in your reference.
- Change the passive voice into an active voice and vice versa.
- Change the order of the words (such as names or dates) written in the essay.
Furthermore, using a combination of literary techniques can also be used to ensure that what you’ve written isn’t plagiarized. Don’t forget to use a different word or sentence formation to ensure that your work doesn’t look remotely similar to the referenced article.
3: Include Quotations
Imagine this scenario.
You have found an excellent sentence that goes perfectly with your article. However you can’t use the same properly, as it might be considered as plagiarism.
So, what do you do?
Well, if you want, you can jot down the same piece as it is and format it like a quotation. Like, you can use a double quotation sign on it to indicate the same. Or, you may also change your para, write the quotation, add the name of the writer beside it, and change the para again.
Note: When you are writing the quote, make sure to check the authenticity of the same. Make sure to search on Google or any other program to ensure that you are writing the right thing. It might not be the right thing to be vague in your approach.
4: Go for Your Own Idea
In some cases, it might not be the best thing to opt for someone else’s idea and write it in your own way. Instead, focus on something that you are opinionated about.
Read the topic first, and ask yourself - what do you think about the article?
Do you think you support the context? If so, write the reason behind your approval of it. And, if you don't have support, write the same in your article anyway.
In this case, it will all be about how you are going to present your idea. As you are not taking it from anywhere, there’s no need to be worried about getting plagiarized.
5: Use a Plagiarism Checker
Finally, if you have a little bit of money to spare, you can also use a plagiarism checker. With it, you will need to paste whatever you have written on the website and check it.
It should proffer you a result pretty quickly. If you don’t have any money to spare, remember, there are a few free-of-cost options available on the web as well.
However, they are not really reliable by any means. So, it might be better to avoid them.
Conclusion
So, there you go.
Hopefully, now, you have an idea about how you can avoid plagiarism while writing. But, if you are still not confident about yourself, you may also opt for an essay writing service, such as - Fresh Essays. With their experience and expertise, they can efficiently complete whatever work you have provided to them. Yes, you may have to offer a little bit of money to them.
