As you prepare to start your assignment and read through the guidelines you’ve certainly come across the important instruction to “Avoid Plagiarism.” But you may wonder how can you avoid plagiarism.
With the abundance of information on our fingerprints, it’s easier than ever to accidentally slip into the cracks of plagiarism. But the consequences are serious so we must stay mindful of how we use others’ ideas.
What is Plagiarism?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the verb plagiarize means: presenting work or ideas from another source as your own with or without the consent of the original author. The most simple form of plagiarism according to Harvard University is copying from the internet, book, journal article, podcast, or another peer without citing the author.
In our tech-savvy culture, a simple copy-paste may seem harmless but the hole you’re digging yourself into by plagiarizing is much bigger than minor problems like submitting a paper late or submitting a low-quality paper. Even accidental plagiarism has just as serious consequences. Therefore, it’s critical to understand how can you avoid plagiarism.
How can you Avoid Plagiarism?
1. Plan your Research
Good research doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time so plan carefully. Starting early allows you to allocate enough time for both research and writing which helps you avoid plagiarism and last-minute stress.
We know assignments can be overwhelming so if you’re struggling with organizing your thoughts, finding high-quality academic papers, or structuring your assignment, Skyline’s Assignment Clarity Service is here to support you in forming a clear outline. By using our Assignment Clarity Service, you’ll not only save time but also produce work that is well-structured, thoroughly researched, and free from plagiarism.
2. Keep Track of Your Sources & Cite
It’s easy to lose track of the sources you referred to during the research process. To prevent this, always bookmark relevant journal articles and links on Google Chrome so they’re easily accessible later.
A common question students ask is: How much should I cite and when? The simple rule of thumb for citation is that any words or ideas that are not your own but taken from another source need to be cited. Always use reliable sources from popular journal articles like JStor, Google Scholar, SAGE, ProQuest, etc to support your research.
Ensure to follow the citation guidelines provided in the assignment prompt. You can also use reference management software like Zotero and Mendeley to assist you with citations.
3. Paraphrasing
Instead of copy-pasting text from other sources, rephrase texts and state the idea in your own words without changing the actual meaning. Since you’re still using another person’s ideas you must cite even when you paraphrase.
But be careful, if paraphrasing is not done right, it can fall into plagiarism as well. How can you avoid plagiarism? Grammarly provides 6 paraphrasing tips to follow and avoid plagiarism.
4. Proofreading & Editing
Reviewing your work is just as important as researching and writing itself. It gives you a final chance to correct any errors or missed citations.
Depending on the nature of the assignment we recommend leaving some time from a couple of hours to a few days for proofreading and editing after completing your assignment. Research shows that taking a break and coming with fresh eyes improves your chances of spotting errors.
Additionally, getting your work reviewed by peers or an expert before submission can provide you with valuable feedback and insights. At Skyline we offer proofreading and editing services for students who want an extra layer of assurance before submitting their assignments with flexible turnaround times.
5. Plagiarism Detection Tools
The final step to avoid plagiarism is to use plagiarism detection tools to identify instances of plagiarism that are intentional or unintentional. We’ve covered the top 3 plagiarism checkers in this blog that you can use to generate a plagiarism report. Skyline’s Plagiarism Detector also catches AI-assisted plagiarism.
The question now shouldn’t be how can you avoid plagiarism. Instead, it should how can you put these tips into practice at best. But bear in mind it takes practice to follow these tips so take your first step today.