Among the deadly sins of essay writing, plagiarism may easily be number one. For most teachers, even such grave mistakes as flawed logic or lack of structure cannot be worse than a copy-paste “technique”.
The saddest part is, you can spend the nights away writing your paper and still get in trouble for plagiarism. On the other hand, you can search for an essay writer helper from EssayHub, place an order, and get a 100% original work. So, does it mean you can never be sure that you don’t plagiarize?
Not exactly. In fact, there are proven ways to avoid plagiarism in either of the cases mentioned above. But first, you have to know the enemy in the face.
Types of Plagiarism
Plagiarism in an academic essay refers to using other people’s words and ideas in your paper without giving credit to the authors. It is a serious offense and, thus, can have grave consequences for students — sometimes, up to expulsion from an educational institution.
Moreover, it is not only a problem of the lazy, unconscientious ones: even the honest and the diligent can fall into that trap. The reason is, there are several types of plagiarism, and not all of them imply intentional copying.
These are:
- Intentional
If you download a paper from the internet and pass it off as your own, this is it. If you only copy a part of someone else’s work and deliberately paste it into your text without a reference – that’s it, too.
- Unintentional
You can also forget to cite a quotation properly or fail to reference ideas taken from another author’s work. In that case, the theft is unintentional – but it still counts.
- Self-plagiarism.
Citing your own previously published works is also a must. Though this type is less of an offense than the other two, you should also avoid it.
But how can you do this? Read on and we’ll explain.
How to Avoid Plagiarism?
First of all, be aware that neither writing a paper from scratch nor ordering it from a writing service can guarantee that your work is original.
As for the services, there are a lot of scams. So, if you’re ordering an essay online, make sure the company is reliable before entrusting your academic reputation to it. You can do that by visiting the best essay review service NoCramming and choosing from top-rated student help services. This will ensure you get high-quality work for your money and stay away from trouble.
If you have the resources to write your essay from scratch, continue reading to get tips that will help you craft a plagiarism-free paper.
Tips on Avoiding Plagiarism In an Essay
Have a Timeline
Most students who eventually resort to the copy-and-paste technique do so because of the lack of time. They simply put off the task till the last minute and then do what seems to be the only thing possible.
Yet there’s an easy solution. Just follow these steps:
- Start early.
- Break the task into sub-tasks.
- Draw a timeline with in-between deadlines for each sub-task.
- Don’t procrastinate!
Manage Your Sources
Research is possibly the hardest part of the essay writing process. There are so many sources, and you have to pick the right ones, and then read them all, choose the ones to use for your paper… It’s so overwhelming!
Luckily, you can ease the stress by including a reference page in the draft. Just add every source to the list and make notes as you read.
Cite Correctly
Every source you use should be properly cited according to the required formatting style. Here are a few suggestions to simplify this tedious task:
- Read the requirements to ensure you use the right formatting.
- Highlight in-text quotations in the first draft.
- Use online tools like Google Docs or Cite This For Me to auto-format your text.
- Edit and proofread your text before finalizing the draft.
Bear in mind that the internet is also a source and should be cited, just as your own previous works.
Paraphrase
Including too many direct quotations is not good for your essay. Fortunately, there’s a gimmick that allows you to add references without quoting directly: paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing is expressing an idea using your own words while retaining the meaning. There are online tools that can do that for you – including some plagiarism checkers. But our advice is that you learn to do it yourself because many students use these tools and the same sources, too.
Use Plagiarism Checkers
Using all the tips listed above should be enough to craft an original paper. Yet, there’s one last step you can take to ensure your essay is free of plagiarism: checking it via an online plagiarism checker.
A golden standard for checking academic papers is Turnitin – but unfortunately, students cannot use it free of charge. Still, there are many other similar tools you can use that are almost as effective. However, relying solely on free online checkers is unwise, so always double-check your paper manually.
Come Up With Original Ideas
Last but not least: the more original ideas you include in your text, the better. When you convey your own thoughts, you do it in your own words, which means there’s zero chance of plagiarizing. So, make sure you don’t compile your essay of other people’s thoughts and ideas entirely!
Wrapping Up
Plagiarism in academic works is a serious offense. Therefore, it is usually punished severely. Luckily, knowing what plagiarism is, what types of it there are, and how to avoid it, is a sure way to stay away from trouble.
Whether you’re ordering an essay or writing it yourself from scratch, make sure you use our tips before turning in your work. Good luck!