How Can I Avoid Plagiarism?

Perhaps the simplest answer to this question is: Think for yourself. If you use the same words, language and thoughts as someone else without giving credit to the original writer or speaker you have committed plagiarism.

One of the best ways to avoid problems is to give credit where credit is due. Learn how to use footnotes and endnotes when writing your term paper, essay or article. Be sure you give the reader all the information necessary to find the original piece you have quoted. Tip: Use as little as possible to make your point. If you use exact words, use quotation marks.

There are a number of great sources for learning how to use footnotes, endnotes and parenthetical references properly. Devote a little time to the details of crediting previous authors and writers. If you do you will have taken a giant step toward avoiding plagiarism.

Do Your Own Work

Two of the best ways to avoid plagiarism are: improve your command of the language. If you read something, understand it and want to tell others about it you should be able to do so in your own words. In addition, you shouldn’t rely on someone else to write your essays and term papers for you. They may “steal” someone’s work and fail to provide the proper documentation. But it is your name on the final paper.

Check yourself carefully when you have finished a first draft. There are some online sources for checking to see if you have plagiarized other work. In fact, schools, universities and individual teachers use these computer programs to check on you!

Choose Topic Carefully

One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism later in a project is to choose a subject or topic carefully. You might want to find a topic that gives you plenty of background material but you should plan to write about this subject in an original way.

It’s OK to use experts who have studied this topic and written on this topic as support. But you shouldn’t reproduce their work word for word. Find a slightly different direction to take your thinking process. Disagree with them in your writing if you feel strongly enough about your ideas.

It may be difficult to find a subject or essay topic that is completely “new.” But you should be able to express yourself in a different manner than those who have addressed the same issue in the past. For example, you might use a quote from a past expert and then write what you think about this. You will not only be adding new thoughts to the issue you will give your readers a link to a previous authority. This means putting the words in quotation marks and citing the source correctly in your footnotes or endnotes.

To summarize – think for yourself. It’s alright for you to write a less-than-perfect first draft. In fact, read about your topic and then put down your thoughts without referring to the exact words of the authorities you used in your research. You will probably recognize the places where you are literally using their words. If you do this you will understand a lot more about how to avoid plagiarism.