Plagiarism is the word you hear thrown around a lot in academia, and for a good reason. It’s the academic crime of copying another writer’s work and passing it off as your own. Though there are plenty of ways to avoid plagiarism, it can be especially tricky for college students who are trying to balance their studies with social life.

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to know that it exists—and then take steps to avoid it. Plagiarism is not only unethical, but it also negatively affects your grade on assignments, so it’s important not to let yourself get caught doing it!

If you’re worried about plagiarizing someone else’s work while writing your own paper, here are some tips:

1. Search for the quote in Google and make sure that no one else has used that exact quote before. If they have, find another quote or paraphrase the idea instead of copying their exact words verbatim.
2. Use quotation marks when using quotes from other people’s writing; this makes it clear which words are yours and which are theirs.
3. If you do use someone else’s writing in your paper (whether quoted or paraphrased), cite where you found it at the end of your paper with a parenthetical citation.

Takeaway

In conclusion, the best way to avoid plagiarism is to have a strong understanding of your topic and make sure that you can back up or explain any facts or ideas you use. You should also make sure that you understand how to cite properly so that you don’t accidentally plagiarize others’ work.

If you need more help with citing, please check out our previous blog on How To Properly Cite Using Chicago Referencing

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