Plagiarism? How to Deal With It?

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Writing a term paper or scientific paper is one of the most common academic tasks for students. However, behind the writing process, there is one thing that should be taken seriously. It is none other than plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of taking or copying someone else's work in the form of text, ideas, data, or images and claiming it as one's own without giving clear credit. This action can be intentional or unintentional, for example because you forgot to include the source or quoted incorrectly.

Remember the case of one of the celebrities who went viral for plagiarism? Or a lecturer from an institution who also went viral for the same thing? Plagiarism not only tarnishes academic integrity, but can also have a negative impact on one's grades, reputation, and even educational future. Therefore, it is important for every student to know how to avoid plagiarism when writing a paper. Check out this article!

1. Use Correct Quotations and Pharaphrasing

If you want to quote:

• Use quotation marks (“...”) for direct statements from the source.
• Include the author's name, year, and page (if applicable), according to the citation style used (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc).

If you want to paraphrase (rewrite in your own words):

• Make sure you fully understand the original meaning.
• Avoid just changing a few words, it can still be considered plagiarism.
• Still include the source, even if you write in your own language.

2. Include a Complete Blibliography

Every reference that you cite in your writing must be included in the bibliography. Make sure the format is in accordance with the writing style requested by the lecturer. If you take references from the internet, avoid websites that are not credible. Also, don't add fictitious sources or ones you don't use just to increase the list of citations.

Also Read: Student-Style Life Balance: Stay Productive Without Disrupting Academics

3. Utilize Plagiarsm Checking Tools

Before submitting your paper, you can use tools such as, Turnitin, Grammarly Premium, Quetext, Plagscan, etc. These tools can help detect potentially plagiarized sections and give you a chance to fix them before submission. 

Plagiarism is not trivial in the academic world. Avoiding it is not just about following the rules, but also respecting the intellectual work of others and building personal integrity. The safest way to avoid plagiarism is to understand the material and rewrite it in your own language. Don't rely too much on copy-paste or other people's summaries. The more you write, the more naturally you will develop your own writing voice.

If you're wondering which plagiarism checker is most effective, you can watch the video on @BuiramiraOfficial channel.