Aspects Writers Should Know about Plagiarism

Plagiarism has many forms. The most common and obvious definition of it is the copying of someone else’s thoughts or ideas and declaring it as one’s own work. But this is not just the main concept of plagiarism. Anything that is not the original ideas and thoughts of the writer when stated in a written discourse without proper referencing is considered as plagiarism. So when writing articles or other write-ups, writers should cite the sources to avoid plagiarism.

Changing someone else’s words still does not qualify as an original thought. Paraphrasing can still be considered plagiarism if without proper citation. Direct quotes are not just the statements that need citation. Even those sentences that are paraphrased still need to cite references. Yale University has provided information about what plagiarism is all about and how to avoid it.

In writing for a paper, there are some ideas that a writer should remember to avoid committing plagiarism and to come up with a great argument for the discourse. Among the ideas that should be remembered are as follows:

• Learn to differentiate original ideas from researched information. Once research is started and information are already gathered, it is already difficult to distinguish which of the statements written in the paper are original and which needs citation. To avoid this, the writer needs to write down the number and page of the copied ideas in the paper for direct quotation and paraphrasing. Other than this can be an original idea.
• When writing the paper starts, the writer should know how to use direct quotes properly. Direct quotes are not used to fill the space or make the statement longer. This is only used when emphasis is needed. Also, it can be used if revising the original statement will just alter its meaning. Other than these reasons, direct quotations should be used less often.
• A writer should not also depend with just one source. Doing this will just make the argument biased and lacking in credibility. It is always advisable that a writer look for more sources to make the article more reliable and credible. This will also create a good argument for the paper.

All the ideas mentioned are necessary in coming up with a good paper. But in doing this, the issue of plagiarism will take place. To be able to avoid this, a writer should use citation formats properly. There are many books in the market that can give guidance to every writer about different aspects of plagiarism and how to use citations accordingly. One can look for that in shops. Additionally, there are many online sources that can give guidance about the proper citation formats. When confused about proper citation, any writer can rely immediately to these sources and ask for help.

Plagiarism has many faces. To be able to avoid this, a writer should seek many information as much as possible about it. There are many references that can help anyone regarding this matter. Moreover, doing the rules and guidelines to avoid plagiarism can even make a paper more convincing and reliable.