How to Avoid Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can lead to severe consequences, including failing grades, disciplinary action, and even expulsion from school. As a student, it is crucial to understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it in your writing. 

Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else’s words, ideas, or work without properly acknowledging the source. This can happen intentionally or unintentionally, so you must develop good habits for keeping track of your sources and citing them correctly.

To steer clear of plagiarism, consider the following strategies:

• Maintain a detailed record of your sources during your research process.
• When incorporating information from your sources, make sure to either paraphrase the content in your own words or use direct quotations.  
• Always credit the original author by including an in-text citation and citing the source in your bibliography or reference list.
• Before submitting your work, run it through a plagiarism checker to identify potential issues and make necessary adjustments.
• If you use generative AI tools to assist your writing process, do so responsibly.  

Keeping track of your sources

One of the most essential steps in avoiding plagiarism is to keep accurate records of the sources you consult during your research. This includes books, articles, websites, and other materials you use to gather information for your paper. Keeping track of your sources will make it easier to cite them correctly and avoid accidentally using someone else’s work without attribution.

Example: Research notes

When taking notes during your research, be sure to include the following information for each source:

• Author(s)
• Title of the work
• Publication date
• Publisher or website
• URL (if applicable)
• Page numbers (for direct quotes)

Here’s an example of how you might format your research notes:

Smith, John. “The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health.” Journal of Adolescent Psychology, vol. 45, no. 3, 2020, pp. 123-135.

• Social media use has increased dramatically among adolescents in recent years (p. 124)
• Excessive social media use is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety (p. 127)
• Strategies for promoting healthy social media habits include setting time limits and encouraging in-person socialization (p. 133)

This will help you easily reference the information you need when writing your paper and properly attribute all ideas and quotes.

Avoiding plagiarism when quoting

When incorporating direct quotes from a source into your writing, it is essential to use quotation marks and provide an in-text citation. Failing to do so is a form of plagiarism, as you are presenting someone else’s words as your own. 

When incorporating longer quotations into your writing, it’s important to format them as block quotes to distinguish them from your own text. However, in most cases, it’s more effective to paraphrase the content rather than using extensive direct quotations. 

Original text

The rapid increase in social media use among adolescents has led to growing concerns about its potential impact on mental health and well-being.

Quoted incorrectly

The rapid increase in social media use among adolescents has led to growing concerns about its potential impact on mental health and well-being.

In this example, the writer has used the exact words from the original text without quotation marks or providing an in-text citation. This is plagiarism, as the writer presents someone else’s work as their own.

Quoted correctly

According to Smith (2020), “The rapid increase in social media use among adolescents has led to growing concerns about its potential impact on mental health and well-being” (p. 123).

In this example, the writer has used quotation marks to indicate the use of a direct quote and provided an in-text citation with the author’s name, year of publication, and page number. This properly attributes the quote to the original source and avoids plagiarism.

Avoiding plagiarism when paraphrasing

Paraphrasing involves restating someone else’s ideas in your own words. While you don’t need quotation marks when paraphrasing, you must still provide an in-text citation to acknowledge the original source. Failing to do so is a form of plagiarism.

Original text

Excessive social media use has been linked to a range of negative mental health outcomes, including higher rates of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Paraphrased incorrectly

Spending too much time on social media can lead to various negative mental health outcomes, such as increased rates of depression, anxiety, and poor self-esteem.

In this example, the writer has changed a few words from the original text but has largely maintained the same structure and ideas. This is not a proper paraphrase, and the lack of an in-text citation makes it plagiarism.

Paraphrased well

Research suggests that overuse of social media can have detrimental effects on adolescents’ mental health, contributing to higher levels of psychological distress and self-doubt (Smith, 2020).

In this example, the writer has effectively restated the original idea in their own words, using a different sentence structure and vocabulary. The in-text citation acknowledges the original source, avoiding plagiarism.

Citing your sources correctly

Whenever you include a direct quotation or paraphrase information from another source, it is essential to provide an in-text citation or footnote that identifies the original author. Each of these citations must have a corresponding full reference in the bibliography or reference list at the end of your paper. 

This practice serves two critical purposes: 

• It acknowledges the source of the information you have used, thereby avoiding plagiarism
• It lets your readers locate the original source to explore the topic further.

There are various citation styles, each with its own specific guidelines. The most commonly used styles include APA, MLA, and Chicago. Your instructor may specify which style you should use, or you may choose one yourself. The examples provided below adhere to the guidelines of APA Style.

Citing a single source

When citing a single source in your paper, include an in-text citation and a corresponding entry in your reference list or bibliography. The specific format for these citations will depend on your citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).

In-text citation

According to Smith (2020), excessive social media use can lead to increased rates of depression and anxiety in adolescents.

Reference list

Smith, J. (2020). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Journal of Adolescent Psychology, 45(3), 123-135.

In this example, the in-text citation includes the author’s name and year of publication, while the reference list entry provides more detailed information about the source.

Citing multiple sources

When citing multiple sources in your paper, you must include in-text citations for each source and corresponding entries in your reference list or bibliography.

In-text citation

Research has shown that excessive social media use can lead to a range of negative mental health outcomes, including depression (Smith, 2020), anxiety (Johnson & Brown, 2019), and low self-esteem (Davis et al., 2021).

Reference list

Smith, J. (2020). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Journal of Adolescent Psychology, 45(3), 123-135.

Johnson, A., & Brown, K. (2019). Social media and anxiety disorders in adolescents: A systematic review. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(6), 1022-1035.

Davis, L., Chen, T., & Patel, S. (2021). The relationship between social media use and self-esteem in high school students. Computers in Human Behavior, 122, 106845.

In this example, the in-text citation includes the authors’ names and years of publication for each source, while the reference list entries provide detailed information about each source.

Using a plagiarism checker

Plagiarism checkers are software tools that compare your writing to a database of sources to identify potential instances of plagiarism. While these tools can help catch accidental plagiarism, they should not be relied upon as the sole means of ensuring academic integrity.

Some popular plagiarism checkers include:

• Turnitin
• Grammarly
• Quetext
• Unicheck

Review the report using a plagiarism checker carefully and address any flagged issues by properly quoting, paraphrasing, or citing the source material. Remember that plagiarism checkers can sometimes generate false positives, so it’s essential to use your judgment and understanding of plagiarism to ensure the integrity of your work.

Using AI tools responsibly

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as language models and writing assistants, can be valuable resources for students looking to improve their writing skills. However, using these tools responsibly and avoiding relying on them to generate content that could be considered plagiarism is crucial.

Remember to avoid:

• AI-assisted plagiarism: Using AI tools to generate a significant portion of your writing without proper attribution or relying on AI-generated paraphrases without citing the original source.
• Plagiarism: Presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without proper citation.
• Self-plagiarism: Reusing your previously written work without proper attribution or permission from instructors or publishers.

Checklist: Plagiarism prevention

To help you avoid plagiarism in your writing, use this checklist as a guide:

• I have correctly formatted someone else’s exact words as quotes whenever I have used them in my writing.
• I have effectively paraphrased someone else’s ideas, ensuring I have expressed the concept entirely in my own words.
• I have consistently included an in-text citation when using words, ideas, or information from a source.
• I have ensured that every cited source is included in my reference list or bibliography.
• I have diligently followed the rules of my required citation style throughout my work.
• I have avoided self-plagiarism by not reusing any part of a previous paper without proper attribution.
• I have utilized a reliable plagiarism checker as a final step to ensure the integrity of my work.