Plagiarism is one of the biggest academic misconducts that students engage in. While they are aware of its consequences, most students have a hard time avoiding it. Writing an academic paper is not a walk in the park. It’s a task that demands a lot of time and energy. You have to spend a lot of time researching, writing, and editing your paper to get good grades. If you aren’t careful enough, you can easily submit a plagiarized paper. If you have been doing your best to avoid college plagiarism with little luck, this article is for you.
Defining plagiarism
Plagiarism is all about passing another person’s work as your own. In college, it occurs when a student submits a paper written by another person. Most professors consider this practice as cheating and stealing. And it has serious consequences such as loss of marks, paper cancellation, and even suspension. It is a practice that every college student who wants to succeed should avoid at all costs. Using a reputable plagiarism checker for students is one of the best ways to avoid it. A reputable online plagiarism detector is usually a free tool that is totally confidential.
Forms of plagiarism
While plagiarism involves submitting another person’s work as your own, it usually has different forms. Knowing the forms of plagiarism is one of the best ways to avoid them. They include:
- Direct plagiarism – This is where a student copies other people’s works and submits them without making changes. A good example is a copy pasting an entire paragraph or section from the internet without citing the author.
- Remix plagiarism – This happens when a student finds a source and changes the wording without acknowledging the author. It involves summarizing or paraphrasing content to avoid submitting identical copies. Taking content from other sources without acknowledging the authors is simply plagiarism.
- Self-plagiarism – This act involves submitting work that you had previously used on another project. A good example is submitting an essay that you previously submitted last term.
You should always exercise caution when working on your research papers and essays to avoid plagiarism. Knowing these forms is the first step toward avoiding them.
Avoiding plagiarism
Committing this act accidentally or deliberately doesn’t make a big difference. In most instances, the consequences are the same. Apart from learning to recognize it, you need to take steps to actively avoid it. They include the following.
1. Write without copying
One of the easiest ways to avoid copying is by writing from scratch. Most college students avoid writing from scratch because they don’t understand the topic clearly. You need to conduct extensive research to familiarize yourself with the topic that you are working on. You can also seek help from your tutor to get ideas on how to work on the assignment.
2. Cite sources accurately
You need to document all the sources that you use when writing your paper. You can write them down in your diary or add in-text citations every time you use a source. Every piece of information that you find yourself looking up is a citation. You also need to use the right citation style to avoid losing marks.
3. Get professional help
You can avoid copying by getting help from experts. Hiring a professional academic writer at an affordable price will help you get a high-quality paper and submit it before the deadline. Expert writers know the process of researching, writing, and editing an academic paper. Plagiarism is a big issue that most college students face when working on their academic papers. Thanks to technological advancement, you can hire a writer in the comfort of your home and get an original paper as soon as possible. We all need the help and cooperation of others to succeed in life. When you study academic writing assignments and seek assistance, you’ll stay ahead of the crowd. Getting help is not a sign of weakness. It will help you save a lot of time and energy in the long run.
4. Use plagiarism checkers
You can avoid plagiarism by running your paper on a reputable online plagiarism checker. Some of the best plagiarism checkers include Copyscape and Turnitin. These checkers are extremely sensitive to duplicate content. Using these tools will help you avoid getting penalized and learn how to write high-quality articles.
Conclusion
Plagiarism is the act of submitting another person’s work as your own. It is an offense with serious consequences. In college, it can lead to loss of marks, paper cancellation, and even suspension. In the professional world, it can lead to a loss of trust and potential clients. You need to do everything in your power to submit unique papers. You can train yourself to write from scratch, cite sources properly and use reputable online plagiarism checkers. You should also seek help from the experts if you are having a hard time working on your paper.
Author’s Bio:
Matthew Torain is a leading public speaker and academic writer. He has assisted thousands of college students across the world to unlock their potential. He enjoys visiting new places and making new friends.
