How Can Plagiarism Be Avoided?
The most grievous mistake a writer can make is to take someone else's ideas or exact words and present them as their own. This doesn't mean that you can't consult experts about your topic. It means you must give them proper credit.
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Significance
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Plagiarism usually has harsh consequences. Many schools' policies require teachers to give a grade of zero or F to any assignment that is copied from another source without giving credit. Universities may even expel plagiarists.
Types
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There are various kinds of plagiarism, including "copy and paste plagiarism" (copying someone else's exact words as your own without giving credit) and "word switch plagiarism" (changing up a few words from the original source and not giving credit).
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Misconceptions
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Students often think that if they don't need quotation marks in a sentence then they also don't need documentation. This is incorrect. Even if you are paraphrasing someone else's words, you must include appropriate documentation.
Prevention and Solution
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In order to avoid plagiarism, always document information you obtain from another source. As a general rule, if it didn't come directly from your own knowledge, you must document it. Additionally, always document facts (even if you have them memorized) to give credibility to your writing.
Beware
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Don't chance it. Most educational institutions have programs in place to catch would-be plagiarists and chances are that in this technological age you will get caught.
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