Plagiarism is one of the most serious problems existing today in the academic world. However, it’s also spread in the digital marketing field. In fact, any industry that has something to do with content is vulnerable to plagiarism. Before we talk about the most effective ways to avoid plagiarism, let’s discuss its types so that it’s easier for you to recognize this problem.
Content Summary
The types of plagiarism
Tips to avoid plagiarism
Author’s BIO
The types of plagiarism
The forms of plagiarism are versatile. Below are some of the most common plagiarism issues you may come across.
Complete plagiarism
If you just copy someone’s work and label it as your own, it’s called complete plagiarism. Actually, this is the most serious type of plagiarism, which is also considered as intellectual theft.
Source-based plagiarism
Sometimes, plagiarism checkers reveal plagiarism if you haven’t credited the sources properly. For example, if you cited a wrong source or the one that doesn’t exist, it’s called misleading citation. In case you failed to cite a source’s source or used a child citation without mentioning the parent citation, it’s considered misdirecting citation. If you create false research for your written work, that means you resort to so-called data fabrication. And the last subtype of source-based plagiarism is data falsification. It occurs when you deliberately change or omit data to get the desirable results.
Direct plagiarism
This type of plagiarism is less severe than complete plagiarism, but it’s still viewed as a serious offence. It takes place when you copy a section of someone’s text and paste it into your own work.
Self-plagiarism
This type of plagiarism is also called auto-plagiarism. Basically, it means using part of your previous work in another project without citing yourself.
Accidental plagiarism
Accidental or unintentional plagiarism happens a lot too. Many students and content writers plagiarize text without even knowing it. And unfortunately, they face the same consequences as those who do it on purpose. That’s why it’s extremely important to check for plagiarism in everything you are going to submit in college or publish on the web. Even if you made a mistake, it doesn’t free you from the responsibility for your actions. So always make sure you don’t plagiarize someone by accident!
Mosaic plagiarism
It’s easy to guess what this term means judging by its name. Mosaic or patchwork plagiarism takes place when you interplay someone else’s phrases within your own research.
Paraphrasing plagiarism
If you rewrite someone’s ideas in your own words, making some minor alterations, it’s still plagiarism. The fact that you are using different words doesn’t mean the main message is changed. By the way, this is the most widespread type of plagiarism.
Tips to avoid plagiarism
Now that you see there are a number of plagiarism types, you are probably wondering how to avoid it in your work. Check the most effective tips below.
Use a lot of sources
If you limit yourself to using only one source when writing an article or completing an assignment, the risk of plagiarism increases. Hence, it’s better to discuss ideas from a range of different sources. After researching a number of credible sources, you can formulate your own thoughts.
Don’t copy
If you don’t want to be caught on plagiarism, forget about copying someone’s content. Even a paragraph. Eve a sentence. Never use texts created by other people. If you have the need to describe other people’s ideas or research results, you should use references. Remember, “cut and paste” is never an option.
Make the right notes
If you are using multiple sources as recommended above, you should keep good-quality notes from them. Remember to add resource names to all the ideas you borrow from someone. This will decrease the risk of accidental plagiarism and will help you add references to the final version of your writing.
Use your own style
No matter what type of content you produce, you should develop your own style of writing. The best thing when creating texts is to be concise and clear. Try to use wording that feels natural to you, so your work doesn’t look plagiarized.
Add quotes
Sometimes, using someone’s ideas is a necessity. For example, if you want to provide an overview of someone’s works or you want to paste accurate terms into your work. So what to do in this case? The solution is pretty simple: use quotation marks. Note that direct quotes shouldn’t include large amounts of text. Otherwise, it’s obvious plagiarism.
Author’s BIO
Alisia Stren is an academic coach and writer. She works with students helping them achieve their ambitious study goals and make the most out of their college years. Alisa believes that one of the most serious problems in the academic setting is plagiarism. That’s why she shares information on this issue and does her best to deal with this problem.
