Posted: September 5th, 2022

How to avoid plagiarism in writing

How to avoid plagiarism in writing
Plagiarism is stealing another person’s words or ideas without acknowledging the source. It is unethical and can lead to dire consequences such as the retraction of a research paper. When writing papers, an in-depth research is required to back up your points and provide evidence. It is important to cite all the sources used. Here are some tips you can use to avoid plagiarizing.
1. Understand the context
Read through the source to understand the ideas and thoughts of the author. Make short notes as you read through the text. Don’t copy-paste information directly from the source, instead, write the content in your own words and add other relevant points, ideas, and arguments.
2. Cite the sources
There different citation styles such as APA, MLA, and Chicago. Choose one and be consistent. Include the in-text citations and the reference list. Provide information such as the author, title of the source, and the publication details. Cite every quote or paraphrase borrowed from another source. Also, cite materials that you had published before to avoid self-plagiarism.
3. Manage your citations.
As you make notes, list all the sources you have researched from and remember to include them in your text. You can also use citation software such as a reference manager to manage citations. Include multiple citations in the background information.
4. Use plagiarism checkers
Plagiarism checkers detects any borrowed information that is not cited. It does this by comparing your work with other sources such as websites, articles, and books. There are different plagiarism checkers such as Grammarly and Turnitin. Use them before submitting your work.
5. Quote or paraphrase
Quote and paraphrase other people’s work. A quote contains the author’s words in the exact way they appear in the original text. Paraphrasing is writing another person’s work in your own words. It proves that you have understood the context. It also creates room for restructuring the sentences and adding your thoughts.
A quotation should only be used if the quote will lose meaning when paraphrased or if you prefer using the author’s words and style. It should be in quotation marks. The quote should be attributed to the author.
To avoid plagiarism when paraphrasing, use words that are different from those used in the main source but do not lose the meaning. Paraphrasing ensures your words dominate in your paper.
Plagiarism can be avoided. This can only be accomplished through citing sources, quoting, paraphrasing, and using plagiarism checkers. Always manage your citations to avoid unintentional use of other person’s work without acknowledging them.

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