The academic world is largely governed by scholarly codes, virtues, and principles to ensure fairness, equity, and equality among scholars. These regulations have always been put forwards as a means of ensuring that all scholars get the best out of the academic world through the right processes as dictated by academic standards and regulations. As such, most academic institutions have enforced regulations that limit students to using another person’s work without according the proper attribution to the owner. But, what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism?
Recommended: Buy College Papers Online
Such practices are normally referred to as plagiarism- considered as one of the most serious academic offenses. As an academic offense, students must master the art of avoiding plagiarism to avoid any form of penalty that might ruin their reputation. Consequently, one might ask, what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism?
Plagiarism, as an academic offense, has given many students a hard time. In most cases, students do a great job of researching the solutions to a given job but fail to internalize and report the findings in their own words. The challenges encountered in reporting the findings of the research have led to penalties that could have been avoided. Therefore, it is important to learn how to avoid plagiarism in 5 easy steps.
Given this, gpafix, one of the best homework help websites, comes to the aid of most students by revealing the ways and steps of avoiding plagiarism. What are the five steps to avoid plagiarism?
There are five (5) easy steps to avoid plagiarism. With these steps, students will learn how to summarize without plagiarizing and find ways to report their findings without penalties. So, what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism? Read on to find out how to avoid plagiarism in 5 easy steps. You may also read our 6 ways to avoid plagiarism in research papers article to learn more.
Table of Contents
Understanding Plagiarism
As mentioned above, there are five easy steps to avoid plagiarism. You might be eagerly asking, so, what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism? However, before delving into how to avoid plagiarism, it would be wise to have an in-depth understanding of plagiarism and the different forms of plagiarism. With this information, it would be easier to know how to plagiarize successfully and avoid any resulting consequence of plagiarism.
What Is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism simply means expressing one’s idea(s) as your own without crediting the owner of the idea(s). Plagiarism does not only apply to an academic set-up but also a professional set up. Over the years, plagiarism has been overly restricted with serious consequences to whoever tries to pass off or steal ideas that belong to another without crediting the source of the idea. As such, students have to devise ways and tactics that would enable them to report research findings without appearing as though they are sung direct sources as their own.
As we advance, it would be wise to understand the five steps to avoid plagiarism so we can finally learn how to explain your research process and how you avoid plagiarizing your research materials. The next section analyzes the different types of plagiarism in the academic field. This information is essential in helping students learn how to avoid plagiarism in 5 easy steps. For example, a simple act of copying and pasting might lead to heavy penalties that could have otherwise been avoided. As a result, with common knowledge of the forms and types of plagiarism, students can know how to copy and paste without plagiarizing. Our 6 ways to avoid plagiarism in research papers article will also help you to write a plagiarism-free paper.
What are the 4 Types of Plagiarism?
Before answering ‘what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism?’ it is important to first understand types of plagiarism. Four common types of plagiarism are considered violations of academic honesty. These types of plagiarism are the common ways students plagiarize their academic work. The types of plagiarism include:
1. Direct Plagiarism
Direct plagiarism is a form of plagiarism where one uses word-for-word transcription of someone else’s words and present them as their work. The word-for-word transcription is only considered as plagiarism when one fails to use quotation marks or avoids attribution to the original owner of the work. Direct plagiarism is often viewed as deliberate plagiarism which is considered unethical and can attract disciplinary actions such as expulsion. As we proceed to our main agenda, what are the five ways to avoid plagiarism, it is important to keep in mind that direct plagiarism should always be avoided at all times. This article by gpafix.com will provide information on how to avoid direct plagiarism.
It is essential to note that it may be okay to use the word-for-word transcription of someone else’s word. However, in the event that you do so without acknowledgment constitutes plagiarism. Therefore, it is essential to learn how to avoid plagiarism in 5 easy steps.
2. Mosaic Plagiarism
Mosaic plagiarism can be viewed as among the ‘clever’ ways in which most students plagiarize other people’s work. In mosaic plagiarism, one borrows a small section of another person’s work without using quotation marks or uses synonyms for original words while maintaining the general structure of the original work. Mosaic plagiarism is sometimes referred to as ‘patchwriting’ and is considered as a violation of academic honesty whether it was done intentionally or not. In this instance, even if you use footnotes in your work, the work can be penalized.
In simpler terms, mosaic plagiarism is often paraphrased work that maintains the meaning and general structure of the original work. In our article on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism, students can learn the best tactics on how one can avoid mosaic plagiarism.
What are the Five Steps to Avoid Plagiarism?
1. Accidental Plagiarism
In accidental plagiarism, a student fails to cite sources of their work, or misquotes that said sources, or perhaps unintentionally paraphrases the source using similar words and structures and fails to provide acknowledgment. As such, students must note that lack of intent does not exclude one for the penalties of academic dishonesty. The consequences of accidental plagiarism are in the same range as the consequences of other forms of plagiarism. Students should therefore be keener when taking notes during the research period to avoid any form of accidental plagiarism. Our article on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism reflects on the key steps in which a student can avoid accidental plagiarism.
2. Self-Plagiarism
In self-plagiarism, a student submits their past work or intentionally combines phrases of previous works without permission from the instructor of the course. Self-plagiarism also applies when a student submits the same piece of work in different classes without permission from the instructors of the different classes. Self-plagiarism is often intentional and could result in serious academic or professional penalties. gpafix.com provides the easiest five steps to avoid plagiarism through this article; what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism.
What is the Most Common Form of Plagiarism?
The most common form of plagiarism is direct plagiarism. Most students often find themselves copy-pasting works of other publishers and failing to accord the owners their rightful attributes. In this case, the student commits an unethical act which is considered stealing. Avoiding plagiarism should have paramount consideration since it can compromise the final work of the student and perhaps the academic development of the student. Given this, it is important to understand what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism. Our article on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism analyzes the strategies in which a student can report the findings of their research in a plagiarism-free paper.
What are the Five Steps to Avoid Plagiarism?
Fortunately for most students, avoiding plagiarism is not a far-fetched idea as long as they use the right guidelines. Plagiarism also becomes easier to avoid once you have a foundational understanding of the dos and don’ts of plagiarism and adequate knowledge of how to avoid plagiarism in 5 easy steps. This piece of writing provides students with a better analysis of what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism. With these guidelines, it becomes easier to submit original and content-rich work. Let’s find out what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism. The following section will also answer the question, “What are the ways to avoid plagiarism?”
1. Cite Your Sources Properly
When using words or ideas that are not originally yours, it is important that you cite the work properly. The citation identifies the source of information in a manner that gives the owner of the source some sense of credibility. Citation provides information on the name of the source, year of publication, name of the author, and any other information that is needed with regards to the citation style. This way, you can paraphrase the findings of another into your own words but still acknowledge the original source of the information.
Also Read: Can I pay Someone to Write My Personal Statement
As a student, you must ensure that you cite your work according to the citation style specified in the assignment.
The different styles of citations include:
- The American Psychology Association (APA)
- The Modern Language Association (MLA)
- The Harvard referencing style
- Chicago/ Turabian style
- The Vancouver referencing style
- The American Chemical Society (ACS) referencing style
- The American Medical Association (AMA) referencing style
- The Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) referencing style
- The Council of Science Editors (CSE) referencing style
- The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) referencing style
Therefore, to avoid instances of plagiarism in your work, it is essential that you learn how to utilize the specified referencing style properly. With proper citation, you ultimately conquer our question on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism.
How to Avoid Plagiarism in 5 Easy Steps
1. Utilize Direct Quotes
Using direct quotes while presenting the words from an original source is among the simplest ways in which a student can avoid plagiarism. In this instance, a student needs to use quotation marks on the verbatim to indicate that the section is not an original work but has been borrowed from outside sources. Also, you must indicate the original source of the information enclosed in quotation marks so that readers can locate the original source of the information. This is one of the ways students plagiarize but doesn’t become unethical due to the mentioning of the original source of information.
Using direct quotes on borrowed ideas and information requires that one utilizes the guidelines provided by the type of referencing style that you are using. Each referencing style (as listed in the above section) has specific instructions on providing the citations. Therefore, to effectively utilize the direct quotes, ensure that you apply the correct citation guideline.
2. Paraphrase Carefully
Most students often have questions such, “what is paraphrasing? how do you do it?” Paraphrasing refers to the act of rewriting a person’s work (information or ideas) into your own without changing the meaning of the work. However, as you paraphrase someone’s work, you should ensure that the work doesn’t fall into the mosaic form of plagiarism. Paraphrasing can also turn into a form of plagiarism if the person using someone’s ideas maintains both the meaning and the original structure of the work.
Paraphrasing one’s work while still avoiding plagiarism can be a bit of work. In order to emerge successfully in the paraphrasing activity, it is important to reword and format your work in an original manner. Additionally, you must ensure that you avoid using words that are similar to the words presented by the owner of the original information. The fundamental activity of paraphrasing is to ensure that you do not alter the original meaning of the idea but to report the idea using your own word phrase. Also, it is important to ensure that you do not maintain the exact same structure as the original work.
3. Report Your Own Idea
Another step of avoiding plagiarism is to ensure that you present your own ideas instead of using direct quotations and paraphrasing someone else’s work. Instead of using someone’s work as a referencing source, you could opt to provide your own analysis on the subject matter. In this instance, you should internalize the requirements of the assignment and report the findings you’re your own point of view. This way, you can avoid ways students plagiarize by presenting work that is entirely original. However, in case you are using someone else’s ideas to create your own point of view, it is equally important that you acknowledge your referencing source.
When one presents an original analysis without referring to any previous work, they automatically avoid plagiarism. For example, some pieces of writing that require self-reflection would not require that you refer from an already established source. In this case, you are supposed to report the happenings of your past experiences in a manner that reflects your own thoughts without involving any previous work. Presenting your own work is among the best way of evading the plagiarism-causes and solutions. Moreover, you can also avoid looking for ways on how to summarize without plagiarizing.
1. Use A Plagiarism Checker
As a student, you might research intensively but still find a section of your work appearing as though you have lifted someone else’s work. Our article on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism will help you learn how to avoid plagiarism by using a plagiarism checker.
Plagiarism checkers such as Turnitin are designed to run your work against millions of other completed works on several databases. When you submit your work through a plagiarism checker, the software analyzes the contents of the work and checks for similarities with any other submitted work.
When the analysis is complete, the tool provides a percentage of work that is similar to other pieces of work that are on the internet. Additionally, the plagiarism checkers also help students to point out the section(s) within the submitted work that possesses similarities without works present in online databases.
Whenever you complete your work, it is essential that you run your work through online plagiarism checkers. Several plagiarism checkers such as Grammarly and Turnitin helps students to scan their work in order to submit original content. These checkers ensure that you don’t plagiarize, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The best strategy on how to avoid self-plagiarism in Turnitin is to ensure that you alter the wordings and structures of your previous work and present them as fresh content.
10 Reasons Why You Should Not Plagiarize
Now that the question, what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism has been answered, we can finally look into why you should not plagiarize. The following are among the reasons why students should not plagiarize their work:
i. Damages Your Reputation
Plagiarism can go along way into damaging your reputation as a student and your professional career as well. Plagiarism depicts some form of dishonesty that makes people have a judgmental attitude towards you. When you plagiarize your work, others might have an assumption that you want an easier way out without willing to work hard as expected. It always becomes hard to gain the trust of most people after an instance of plagiarism.
ii. Leads to Loss of Dignity
Acts of plagiarism have often led to the loss of dignity of the person involved. Plagiarizing your work often leads to a loss of self-respect and honor that you could have been accorded upon submitting 100% original work. Your dignity determines the respect that you will be accorded by others. Therefore, as you write your work, ensure that you think of your dignity as well.
iii. Hindrance of Academic Integrity
As mentioned earlier, plagiarism in academic work is considered unethical. Most institutions have put forward some codes of conduct that enforce academic integrity. As such, students are expected to present scholarly material that does not bear any similarities with previous works. Consequently, credit is only accorded when one submits 100% original work.
i. Leads to Disciplinary Action
As we analyze the question on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism, we have become more aware that plagiarism is likely to land some students with serious disciplinary actions. In some colleges and universities, acts of plagiarism might even lead to the repetition of courses or even expulsion.
ii. Plagiarism is Unethical
As mentioned above, plagiarism refers to the act of passing off one’s work as though they are your original work. This might sometimes be viewed as stealing which is unethical. Plagiarism can be closely related to stealing and lying which is unethical.
iii. Most Instructors Can Easily Tell Plagiarized Work
Well, if not for anything, it is better to avoid plagiarism since most instructors can easily tell if your work is not original. Therefore, to avoid any resultant consequences of plagiarism, it would be better to keep off any act that may lead to a section of your work being plagiarized.
iv. Most Instructors are Vindictive
It might not be so for all instructors but some instructors might come across as vindictive. Some might view the act of plagiarism as a personal insult and as disrespect. As a result, the instructor might decide to penalize the academic offender by awarding a lesser grade.
v. Plagiarized Work Does Not Fulfill Assignment Requirements
In most instances, presenting work that is not your own can fail in fulfilling the assignment requirements. In this instance, it is important to internalize the requirements of the assignment in order to submit entirely original work.
vi. Writing Skills Are Important for Your Career Development
Among the major benefits of avoiding plagiarism is the development of writing skills. As a student, learning how to write original content can have a huge impact on your future career. Practicing as a student equips you with exceptional skills that will come in handy during your professional life.
vii. Plagiarisms Checkers
Some institutions of higher learning have devised means in which students submit their work through plagiarism checkers. Therefore, to avoid any issues when submitting your work, ensure that your work is free from plagiarism.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Plagiarism
Q. What Are The 6 Ways to Avoid Plagiarism?
This article on what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism has tackled how students can avoid plagiarism. Here are the 6 ways of avoiding plagiarism:
- Cite Your Sources Properly
- Utilize Direct Quotes
- Paraphrase Carefully
- Report Your Own Idea
- Use A Plagiarism Checker
- Practice writing
- How Can I Solve Plagiarism?
You might probably be wondering, “how do you characterize good research writing” without plagiarizing your work. The best way to ensure that you submit original work is by following the steps provided in this article. gpafix provides the best tactics on how to solve plagiarism in your academic work.
Q. How Can I Check Plagiarism?
There are several sites including Grammarly and Turnitin that students can use to scan their work for plagiarism. These plagiarism checkers scan your work and run them across several other submitted work presents on online databases. Once the scanning is complete, the checker provides a percentage of the work that might be similar to other pieces of work.
Q. Is Plagiarism a Crime?
Plagiarism is considered unethical and should be avoided at all costs. The punitive measures are so harsh that you do not want to be part of it.
Conclusion – What are the Five Steps to Avoid Plagiarism?
In conclusion, plagiarism is academic misconduct that has attracted consequences to most students. Most institutions of higher learning have condemned the act of plagiarism as a means of promoting academic integrity. gpafix.com has also compiled a list of the five ways in which students can avoid plagiarism in their work. The article on ‘what are the five steps to avoid plagiarism?’ will go a long way into ensuring that students submit original work. Get more assistance on How to Avoid Plagiarism from the best homework help website today.