Know How to Avoid Plagiarism to Ace An Article!

How often do you find yourself writing a beautiful, knowledgeable article that shows plagiarised on the plagiarism detector tool? It is something that will surely set you off. However, the problem here is that, in this age, the web is a place where one can find multiple answers to the same question. So, if you are modestly curating an article from scratch to be uploaded on the web, know that there are a few ambitious writers out there writing about the same concern. Sometimes, the content you write may resonate a lot with other articles on the web; all you do is try to make your content different, but should convey the same information to avoid plagiarism. Hence, in this article, we will be dwelling on - How to avoid plagiarism and more. 

What is Plagiarism?

First off, let's get clear with the literal definition of plagiarism. To quote the Merriam-Webster dictionary- 'to steal and pass off as one's own: use without crediting the source' is what plagiarism means. Now, as a writer, we do not want that, right? The simple and minute act of copy-and-past might cost heavily in academic or professional settings. Often, plagiarism is referred to as using someone else's ideas without giving credit to the author, but this act can also occur in a state of accident. So, how to avoid plagiarism? Let's know the secret recipe to that.

How to Avoid Plagiarism?

It is known to all that plagiarism is an unethical practice; whether you are a student or a professional, writing plagiarised content is an attempt to portray someone else's work as yours, seeking benefits. It questions a writer's integrity and honesty; it is highly recommended to cross-check your article to avoid plagiarism at any cost. Let's explore our tips on - how to avoid plagiarism for the better good of you and me!

1. Paraphrase Your Content 

This one's a beaut! As one might know, paraphrasing is a technique for curating your sentences to explain something from a source. However, mind you, it does not mean you will replace a few words with their synonyms. For performing apt paraphrasing, one must first understand the context and rewrite the content using their own words to summarise, delivering the same information. 

For Instance;

"Pollution is defined as the introduction into the environment of substances harmful to humans and other living organisms. Pollutants are harmful solids, liquids, or gases produced in higher than usual concentrations that reduce the quality of our environment." - Front. Public Health(Environment and Health)

Paraphrasing 

The presence of harmful pollutants in our environment that are hazardous to humans and other living things is known as pollution. Pollutants are dangerous substances that are created in excess of normal amounts and lower the quality of our environment. They can be solids, liquids, or gases.

2. Use a Plagiarism Checker

How to make sure your essay is not plagiarised? Easy, run your document through a credible plagiarism checker. The tool will give a precise percentage of plagiarism in your document, and it will also highlight the exact sentences and words that seem plagiarised. These tools will also let you know the source of the plagiarised sentences. Often, while writing an article, one might use a phrase or sentence from a source without citing, or the content might resonate very closely with the source. Hence, always use a plagiarism checker to rectify these small mistakes for a perfect article. Explore the evolution of plagiarism detecting tools with out detailed blog.

3. Cite Your Sources Thoroughly

Another huge help on - how to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources thoroughly. So basically, citing sources means giving credit to the author in the article and mentioning their name if at all you picked content from their article. It is a good practice to cite other people's work or ideas that you include in your paper; it adds credibility and value to your integrity. Another point to note here is that irrespective of choosing the information from a book, website, or illustration, you need to cite it. If you are writing a research paper, you can include the full reference list in the bibliography section. This will help you avoid plagiarism and will help the reader locate the source if they want to read more about it. Make sure you quote these sentences or use a different font. 

Example of a citation - Möller L, Schuetzle D, Autrup H. Future research needs associated with the assessment of potential human health risks from exposure to toxic ambient air pollutants. Environ Health Perspect. (1994) 102(Suppl. 4):193–210. doi: 10.1289/ehp.94102s4193
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

4. Include Quotations 

Next on our list of - how to remove plagiarism is inculcating quotations. So, if a writer wishes to quote a line from the source, the line should be enclosed in quotation marks and aptly attributed to the original author. One can use quotations while portraying the exact words from the source if they seem to lose their meaning by paraphrasing or if one wants to maintain the authority and style of the source's words. By adding quotation marks and citing the original author, one can avoid plagiarism widely. 

5. Present Your Work

When I say present your work, I mean do not present what your sources are presenting. It is normal and quite common to refer to a bunch of sources while writing an article. A great way to avoid plagiarism is to solely portray what you feel and what is your understanding of that particular topic. It is very important to keep taking notes of your ideas so that you don't lose your train of thought. The ideas you take from your sources should be depicted in your own words and thoughts. You could also present your takings from the sources's information, and this is how you avoid plagiarism.

6. Avoiding AI-Assisted Plagiarism

One of the ways - how to remove plagiarism is not to pass on AI written text like yours. In this era of Chat GPT and Brad, writers have the ease to make their content more interactive and informative. These AI tools have reduced the burden of heavy research. Although it is unethical for a writer to copy-paste, an AI generates text as if it is their own. Writers can take references, inspirations, content skeletons, ideas, and content beautification from these AI tools, but plagiarism should not be a part of that. Know how ChatGPT can be used by students for better and ethical practices.

7. Don't Procrastinate with Your Research

This is a genuine concern. When it comes to research, it is honestly time consuming. In order to come up with a lovely, knowledgeable article, one must conduct ethical research. The act of plagiarism can be easily picked up if procrastination enters the room while conducting research. And if you are running out of time or being unduly pressured to finish, it can lead to some detectable bad decisions with bad consequences. Hence, it is important to come up with a detailed plan to write your article and also seek help whenever necessary. 

8. Maintain Record of the Sources 

I find myself repeating a very important point again. If at all you refer to an external source of information to depict your article, it is important to cite them. You can also maintain a list of references and sources you refer to and use software like EndNote or Reference Manager to control the citations. For the background knowledge and literature review, use a number of references. For instance, the individual publications should be mentioned and cited instead of referring to a review.

Summarised List of - How to Avoid Plagiarism

1. While quoting the original author, use question marks
2. Always cite your sources 
3. Understand and depict proper paraphrasing
4. While writing a research paper, also provide references or a bibliography
5. Keep a plagiarism detector tool handy

Avoiding plagiarism is crucial to upholding one's professional integrity and encouraging originality in one's writing. Writers may keep their reputation and make sure their contributions are ethically sound by putting the tips covered in this blog. Always remember that the objective is to develop a habit of responsible writing that respects other people's opinions while presenting one's own viewpoint.