When writing a research paper, there are numerous challenges. The main challenges usually emanate from gathering existing literature and providing proof that will strengthen the authenticity of your paper. In doing this, one will surely highlight and get ideas from previously established theories and values to lend credence to the paper. However, this must be done with a sense of caution and responsibility. All of these need to be done while avoiding plagiarism.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the unethical act of taking another researcher’s ideas or statements (whether intentional or unintentional) without appropriately acknowledging these sources. Plagiarism is a severe intellectual and academic transgression that can lead to grave penalties. Some of these penalties are loss of author credibility and reputation and retraction of the author’s papers. It is a significant issue in academic publishing and writing, as many authors are looking for how to hide plagiarism.
Some factors affect the presence of plagiarism. For one, non-native English speakers confront a sizable problem when expressing technical material in English while maintaining little or low plagiarism levels. This induces plagiarism. Being in the digital age impacts plagiarism as well. Researchers can now easily access content online, which makes copying simpler. As a result, academics and other writers must improve their knowledge of plagiarism.
Now you have your answer to the question, “why is plagiarism a problem.”
What volume of plagiarism is allowed in a research paper?
Copying someone else’s ideas should always be taken very seriously, and you must know how much plagiarism is allowed in research paper. You devalue the author’s efforts when you copy and paste other writers’ ideas and offer them as your own. You are also devaluing the credence of your work. If this is your way of getting papers done, you probably need to change your approach. Plagiarism does not help anyone and will not bring positive results. This is because the academic world is based on novel ideas that are founded on older ideas. When one is not acknowledged, the whole idea could fall as easily as a house of cards.
There are many writers out there who do not know how to not plagiarize a research paper. Some even believe it is impossible to avoid plagiarism, especially when the topic is highly detailed. It would help if you learned how to avoid plagiarism like you would be careful when the flu is going around. This article will be of innumerable help in this regard.
How to avoid plagiarism in research papers
Below are some tips and strategies for avoiding plagiarism:
- Paraphrase the words
Rather than copying the words as they appear from the source, opt to put them in your way. In other words, state the words as you understand them. Know that you must properly understand the sources’ ideas and context to rewrite in your own words.
- Employ quotations
Quotes can be useful when writing research papers and aiming for plagiarism-free content. Using quotations is the way to go if you need to take exact words or statements from your sources. This will help other readers easily spot statements different from your original words.
Note that the words in quotes must be the same way they appear in the source. They should not be paraphrased.
- Use plagiarism software
Looking for how to pass the plagiarism test? Your answer lies in using plagiarism software. These are tools to avoid plagiarism. They help you check for plagiarism and answer how to “find plagiarism in my paper.“
- Cite your sources
When writing to avoid plagiarism, you need to know what to cite and WHAT NOT to cite. Any words, phrases, or statements directly taken from text without paraphrasing should be cited properly. If you are taking content from your previous articles, you should, without a doubt, cite them. Not doing this could result in the form of plagiarism, known as self-plagiarism.
However, content such as scientific results gotten from tests should not be cited. Also, common knowledge and facts do not need citations. If you need clarification on its source, cite it.
Conclusion
Good luck with your writing! You will surely get good results and scores, and your paper will be one for the books. It is essential to apply the tips listed in this article if you want to ensure you always deliver plagiarism-free writing.