Plagiarism: All You Need to Know

Plagiarizing your content is a big deal. Some students want to save time, and that’s why they copy-paste the content when writing long papers. Most schools have set policies governing plagiarism and the consequences that one faces. That’s why you need to avoid plagiarizing the original content. This article will show you what plagiarism is and isn’t and what steps to take when you find yourself guilty. 

In this guide, you will lot insights into plagiarism and how to avoid it.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as your own. Making the work look like your own is imminently wrong. In academic writing, you may need to refer to scholars’ works and quote experts without presenting their work as yours. Anything contrary to that is stealing. 

Plagiarism is not only about changing words but also ideas. Meaning, you cannot present someone’s idea as your own even when you change the wording. 

How Students Find Themselves Guilty Of Plagiarism

Turnitin states that the appalling plagiarisms form is also the most common method: copy-pasting the whole content. Turnitin established from surveys that most students come up with content without writing a word. 

There’s no excuse to plagiarize. Neither is there a way one can accidentally copy the whole paper word-after-word. Students think that they may not get caught in doing this since they think it is fine to do it. 

Is It Possible to Accidentally Plagiarize Content?

There is no way to get the paper plagiarized accidentally. Copy-pasting cannot happen by accident. Still, one can accidentally plagiarize. Turnitin states that most students plagiarize because they think it is okay doing so. Though it’s not an excuse, most colleges might understand accidental plagiarism. 

According to Sharon Greenthal of Spruce, “Students inadvertently and subconsciously use the similar word because they’re not able to interpret what they studied and describe from their thoughts and words.” Especially when stressed and fatigued, you can decide to study a paragraph and use the same content from it without knowing what you’re doing.  

Another way to accidentally plagiarize is to think that they have made enough changes to the original content or contribute too little to the original cited source. It is still plagiarism when your paper is full of information from other sources. 

When you decide to submit such a paper, you will spoil your academic reputation with the “I did not know” excuse, and you can also end up with an “F” in your assignment. 

There is also a possibility to plagiarize your work from the source without citing them. It’s still academic dishonesty even when you give yourself the right to use your work. You had a source but failed to cite it. Though it may not be easy to get caught in the mix-up, some professors take it seriously, and you might get yourself in trouble. 

How do I Avoid plagiarism?

• From your written content, the Writing your Paper . only thing that you can copy from the original content is quotes. When copying ideas, it should only come out as references. When you use exciting information from someone, don’t forget to quote them. If you got inspired, say it as it is.

well varies with your schools’ style guide, such as CMOS, MLA, and APA. The variance between plagiarism and a quote or references can portray that you could be trying to own someone else’s work. Even the accidental plagiarized paper could come out like you are trying to suggest that the copied work belongs to you. 

Following the style guide, especially with different classes, can be a difficult task. Some professors will give you a lower grade with the notion that the paper had trivial formatting errors. However, you don’t have to plagiarize with the excuse of a complicated style guide. 

Should you want to, ensure you include informal references or quotes within the draft and know what formatting to use when revising. Your focus should be giving credit where it’s due. 

Good quotes guide you in coming up with the next thought. In this case, using quotes to increase your word count is not plagiarism, but it can turn out to be when you do it more. 

You need to balance your paper’s content and not just pile up many quotes and think that you’ve done a good job. Use your thoughts and ideas as a driving force behind the content. Even if you decide to give proper citations, you’re still including your name on someone else’s work. 

To make your work plagiarism free, you can use software tools such as Viper and Grammarly. It may be costly, but it’s worth your time and effort. 

What Happens if Someone Else Writes the Paper for You?

Technically, it’s still plagiarism when someone writes the paper for you. This is cheating, and you might just be caught. Ghostwriting can’t be the loophole. 

It’s not only about submitting a plagiarized paper from a ghostwriter, but also an accomplice. Some schools can punish ghostwriters, according to their plagiarism policies. 

Plagiarism Repercussions

We’ve already given the consequences of plagiarism in the first paragraph. Much as Turnitin indicates that plagiarism exists on a scale, schools treat it differently. 

Some colleges have different policies that appear too harsh and administrative. Some schools can decide to dismiss students. However, it’s up to the person who notices plagiarism that decides what to do with it.

What Am I supposed to do when I’m Guilty of Plagiarism?

Sometimes, you may not beware or sure that you committed plagiarism until it’s too late. However, even if you plagiarize on purpose, you need to own your mistakes before getting caught. 

If it turns out that you plagiarized on purpose, you may be thinking that it’ll go unnoticed. But plagiarism has adverse consequences with too little rewards to even think of going its way. Meaning, it’s not worth it. 

Things have changed. Unlike before, when professors wouldn’t discover plagiarized content, they can easily notice it today. Professors no longer identify plagiarism manually. They have various tools to use in checking for plagiarism. 

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However, it’s still possible for professors to identify plagiarized work even without using the software since they’re good at spotting the obvious data. They know how students think, and they can gauge the student’s capability to write an assignment. Plus, professors are also familiar with most sources. 

Don’t wait until your professor notices that you plagiarized. Instead, go ahead and inform him/her that you made a mistake. Telling it as it is may not undo the damage, but it can help you build trust with your professor or teacher. 

Final Thoughts

To avoid plagiarism, do the following two things: Quote your sources and give original work

Once you follow the two steps, you’ll have no problems with your assignment. You can utilize free online tools, such as the Peachy Essay Plagiarism Checker.