6 Ways to Eliminate Plagiarism from Your Research Paper
Plagiarism is one of the leading factors in failing academic papers. So, to ensure that a candidate has written his research paper without committing any form of plagiarism, there are specific procedures he can follow. But, let’s discuss the most critical 6 (six) ways to eliminate plagiarism from your research paper.
These procedures will help ensure that a candidate does not accidentally plagiarize any information in his research paper. Thus, without wasting time on plagiarism in research examples, let’s focus on the plagiarism causes and solutions in this discussion.
The definition of plagiarism remains the same irrespective of the writing industry. So, plagiarism means using existing information without the original owner’s permission in academic writing or while writing a research paper.
Types of Plagiarism in Academic Writing
From typography to different media types, plagiarism can occur in several shapes. But the following are the most common forms of plagiarism.
1. Accidental Plagiarism:
Suppose a candidate forgets to cite the references of information he uses in his research paper. In such a case, he commits accidental plagiarism.
2. Direct Plagiarism:
As the name suggests, direct plagiarism is the most common form of plagiarism. So, when a user copies word-to-word data from an existing source, he commits direct plagiarism.
3. Mosaic Plagiarism:
Paraphrasing is one of the most popular techniques to avoid plagiarism. But suppose a candidate doesn’t know the basics of paraphrasing, yet he tries to paraphrase a piece of content. This situation results in wrong paraphrasing, which relates to mosaic plagiarism.
4. Self-Plagiarism:
Suppose a candidate has already worked on a topic. Thus, he commits self-plagiarism if he uses data from his existing work in his new paper.
The 6 Ways to Eliminate Plagiarism from Your Research Paper
1. Use original wording:
The best way to avoid plagiarism in any form of writing is to explain an idea in the original wording. This technique is the easiest and most common way to prevent plagiarism among writers.
Suppose a candidate has some knowledge about his topic. In that case, there’s no need to research more regarding his knowledge because doing this will increase the chances of plagiarism.
Instead, the candidate should convey knowledge to his research paper by using the original wording. This way, he will not fall prey to any plagiarism type except unintentional plagiarism.
2. Use paraphrasing techniques:
The information in a research paper is not all about using original wording and unique knowledge because sometimes, it is necessary to use a piece of information from an existing research paper. In such a case, expert research paper writers recommend using paraphrasing techniques.
Paraphrasing is a technique of modifying content wording and sentence structures without changing their actual meaning.
There are different ways of applying paraphrasing techniques to a given piece of text. Some people like to use automated tools, whereas others prefer to rephrase manually.
Note: Despite the advancement in technology, suppose a candidate uses automated paraphrasing tools to rephrase the content. In that case, he will have to modify the paraphrased content to make it human-readable.
Candidates can use the following tips to paraphrase a piece of content:
- Suppose the original content contains a lot of passive voice sentences. In that case, the candidate can change the passive to an active voice to paraphrase a piece of content successfully.
- A candidate should thoroughly read the original content before rephrasing it. Once he has understood the theme, he can explain that point in his wording.
- Sometimes, it’s hard for candidates to explain a passage in their wording. They can still paraphrase that passage using a different starting point in such a case.
Note: Despite applying all the paraphrasing techniques, candidates should still cite the sources because paraphrasing the information doesn’t make a writer its original owner.
3. Use double quotes:
Sometimes, it’s necessary to include the facts or a famous saying from an existing research paper. But paraphrasing that famous saying or those facts could ruin their central idea. A candidate should enclose that information in double-quotes in such a case.
Using double quotes is a universal technique to avoid plagiarism while writing research papers.
So, suppose a candidate wants to know how to copy and paste without plagiarizing. In such a case, using doublequotes and citing the sources of that double-quoted information is the only way.
Note: Like paraphrasing, enclosing a piece of information in double quotes doesn’t make a writer its original owner. Therefore, it is necessary to cite the references after including double-quoted information
4. Cite the sources where needed:
As mentioned earlier in this “6 ways to eliminate plagiarism from your research paper” guide, citing the sources is essential after paraphrasing a piece of information or enclosing information in double quotes.
But it is unnecessary to cite the sources of every piece of information a candidate has included in his research paper from existing materials. Therefore, expert research paper writers agree on not citing common information sources. One example of common information is:
“The sun rises from the east and sets in the west.”
5. Keep a check on the sources:
While researching and writing research papers, it is common for candidates to miss information sources, which could result in accidental plagiarism.
So, in such a case, candidates should always double-check the references of information they include in their research papers. This way, they will not fall prey to accidental plagiarism.
6. Use top plagiarism detection tools:
Even if a candidate has applied all the above-discussed practices to prevent plagiarism while writing a research paper, there will still be a chance for accidental plagiarism. So, a candidate should use a legit plagiarism checker before submitting his research paper to his instructor. This way, he can avoid plagiarism while writing his research paper.
Bonus Tip to Avoid Plagiarism While Writing Research Papers
Apart from the discussed techniques, there is one more significant thing that most candidates miss while writing research papers. So, let’s discuss that.
Avoid the Use of Existing Media:
A research paper is not all about using unique wording and citing the necessary sources. Instead, it also involves figures, graphs, and illustrations.
But most people do not know that plagiarism in research papers can also occur by using images, charts, or figures from existing documents. Therefore, a candidate should create original media for his research paper.
Wrapping up the Conclusion:
Nowadays, plagiarizing an entire paper seems so easy. With the advent of word processors, everyone can easily and quickly borrow material written by someone else.
As a result, it is common for people to get away with plagiarism and never face the consequences. However, people often ask: “How can I make sure that my paper is free of any traces of plagiarism?” So, this article discussed a few ways to eliminate plagiarism from research papers.
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