: How Students can Avoid Plagiarism
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(421 Words)
Plagiarism is all too common is today’s schools. It is typically done on purpose, however there are times that a student can inadvertently do it. Sometimes a student has someone plagiarize his or her work without their knowledge. Students can take the following steps to help avoid this unfair practice.
Understand that it is important not to do it themselves
First students want to be sure to avoid the temptation of plagiarism themselves. It may seem so easy to copy other people’s work, but think about the consequences if you get caught. In some schools, you can literally be expelled from the school for a single instance of plagiarism. It is cheating, and students should understand this. They need to think about whether they want to hand in someone else’s work or do the right thing and do their own work. Hopefully they will make the right decision.
Do not inadvertently plagiarize
Students should make sure they understand what constitutes paraphrasing and what constitutes plagiarism. If they are copying entire sentences or phrases out of a source then it is plagiarism. Just changing around a word or two is typically not enough.
Some students will do it without even realizing it. One helpful hint might be to avoid having the exact source out while you are writing your piece. Instead read everything thoroughly beforehand and write your own words from your memory of the topic. Also, some students will copy and paste other’s work from the Internet. You may want to avoid this as well. Even with precautions you may still plagiarize, so it is important that you compare the source to your work when you are done to make sure that they are indeed different.
Do not let others steal your work
Some students do not plagiarize themselves, but allow others to do so from them. Remember that you can get in just as much trouble, including expulsion if that is the consequence. When one cheats on a test, the one who let them cheat can get in just as much trouble as the one who did cheat, and the same holds true for plagiarism. You should also make sure that you do not let anyone get a hold of your work who would plagiarize it without your knowledge.
Plagiarism in unfair to both the original writer and the student who is perpetrating the act since they will not gain the knowledge the assignment or report is designed to provide. The above measures can help a student avoid this activity.