Steps to Avoid Plagiarism
When you copy other’s writer work without proper citation or documentation it is a called plagiarism. Whether you did it intentionally or unintentionally is not really important, the more important thing is how we can avoid plagiarizing.
Plagiarizing is stealing. It is the stealing of some other people’s work and intellect, therefore it is unethical and very unprofessional so it will be wise for writers and students to avoid it. If you are an aspiring writer or journalist it is better to start your career with the right way to write. It will build you up as a credible and trusted writer not to mention as a moral person.
Here are some few steps or tips for you to avoid being a plagiarizer.
First thing that you should remember, “Give credit where credit is due”, you may have heard it a hundred times used in many ways, but it also applies in writing. You should always credit the person where you got your sources from, regardless of the length of the source, short or long. People should know and be aware that it was his idea and not yours. Site the name of the writer and the publication, proper documentation is very important when you quote other people’s words. However if you have rephrased or paraphrase someone else’s work full credit is no longer necessary, but you still have to give credit and reference for the readers to be aware that you have paraphrased and that the idea is not yours.
What is paraphrasing?
It is the act of restating, re arranging or rewording the original literary work of someone else.
How to give proper credit?
There are a lot of ways to give credit to writers; you can also refer to MLA and APA for some guidelines.
Second, make sure that when you use quotes, make it proportional to your article. Do not choose to use a very long quote for a one page article. Because it will appear that the article is made up of quotes and not your very own work. If you plan to use quotes from one single person all throughout your work, it would be best to contact the person first and ask for his or her permission.
Third, is one of the most important thing to remember. Avoid copy and pasting. The internet is full of resources and information but copying and pasting is just wrong. You should try to rephrase or restate the information you got as much as you can. If you have to copy something, it should be in quotation and properly documented and sited as stated by our first two tips. If the name off the author is not present, try contacting the website owner, or write down and attach the website address so people know where to look for the said information.
Forget to do these and your work is just a stolen piece from someone else.
The final and most important tip, be original. What better way to express your concept and ideas with your own words. Sometimes you may want to quote and use other’s people idea, you can just make sure you follow the proper way of acknowledgement and citation. If you found other articles with the same concept and idea do not be taken down. Read it and use as a research material but do not copy it. Expound and use your own words.
With all these in mind you are on your way in becoming a good writer, not the one who just copies work or a knowledge thief. Remember, there is no better way to present your idea, but with your very own words, that is what makes a writer a good writer.