If you are a research student, then it is your responsibility to submit high-quality research papers without plagiarism. Generally, while writing research papers, to prove your thesis statement, you may need evidence or facts relevant to your topic from the work of other scientists and scholars. In such a scenario, you will have to include the borrowed ideas in your research paper and this in turn may lead to plagiarism issues. Typically, plagiarism is a serious academic offense. So, to avoid plagiarism in your research papers, you can quote the borrowed text using quotation marks or in-text citations. In case, you are unsure how to escape from plagiarism issues, read this blog. Here, we have shared some effective tips on how to avoid plagiarism in your research papers.
By following the tips suggested in this blog, you can avoid plagiarism. Moreover, it will help you submit a unique research paper worthy of fetching top grades. In addition to the tips to avoid plagiarism, here, we have also discussed what is considered plagiarism in a research paper and how much plagiarism is allowed.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is an unethical way of presenting the original work of other people as your own work without getting consent, acknowledging the original source, or giving proper credit. In simple terms, plagiarism is defined as an inappropriate way of using the information presented in works or old academic papers published by another author.
If you write an academic paper without including in-text citations and the references list, then a plagiarism checker tool or software will easily detect the copied contents. In case, the sentences you copied from a specific published source are discovered, your reputation will be damaged and your grades will also be affected. Basically, copying the ideas of the original author will be considered a theft and you will have to face legal consequences.
Especially, to avoid such unintended and deliberate actions of academic dishonesty, you must first gain knowledge of the referencing and citation rules. Then, you should improve the quality of your research paper by ethically acknowledging the sources you choose to refer to by using any proper citation style.
Also Read: Why is Plagiarism Illegal by International Laws?
What is Treated as a Plagiarism in an Academic Paper?
Using the work of some other author as a reference for your academic paper will not be considered plagiarism, but not giving proper credit or acknowledging it correctly will be treated as plagiarism.
Listed below are certain practices and things that are considered plagiarism and you should strictly avoid them while preparing research papers.
- Copying
- Quoting the content directly without using quotation marks
- The mentioned sources are not cited using in-text citations.
- Using the work of others as your own without proper acknowledgment and citation.
- Multiple submissions of the same work constitute self-plagiarism.
- Using incorrect citation style might also lead to plagiarism detection by plagiarism checker tools.
In order to save your work from plagiarism issues, you should make sure to follow the citation and referencing rules properly. On an academic level, no matter whether the plagiarism you have committed is intentional or unintentional, if the direct quotes without acknowledgment are detected, then definitely you will have to face a lot of consequences.
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What Percentage of Plagiarism is Allowed in a Research Paper?
Typically, most academic and research institutes will never tolerate plagiarism. However, according to certain publications, a research paper may contain up to 15% plagiarism.
It is always better to compose an academic paper without plagiarism. So, try to avoid plagiarism by any means. In case, you experience any difficulties with writing a plagiarism-free research paper, take research paper writing help from reputed websites like greatassignmenthelp.com.
Tips on How to Avoid Plagiarism in Your Research Papers
We know how tough it will be for researchers to compose an academic paper without plagiarism. Therefore, we have figured out some effective tips and tricks to fix it. If you are also one such person who is struggling to save your research paper from plagiarism issues, then simply follow the tips on how to avoid plagiarism in your research papers as we have recommended below.
Perform in-depth research to get a clear idea about what your paper is about
Before you begin writing or quoting a text in your research paper, conduct deep research on your topic and plan what to include and how to include the content. It will help you to accurately paraphrase without any plagiarism in your research paper. Moreover, having a clear understanding of the topic will also help you to avoid copying and paraphrasing the text already present in a database using an inappropriate writing style.
Describe the key ideas using your own words
To avoid plagiarism, properly rewrite a sentence or information in your own style without changing its original meaning. Simply by changing the words and the order of the sentences, you can very well escape from plagiarism problems. Usually, paraphrasing will take some time. In case, it is difficult for you to paraphrase a text, you can get assistance from an expert by availing the budget-friendly essay writing service of greatassignmenthelp.com.
Remember, it is not enough to avoid plagiarism just by paraphrasing a text. However, you should know how to effectively paraphrase without plagiarism. Just replacing a word in the same sentence structure with its synonym refers to mosaic plagiarism. So, refrain from practicing such a writing style. Try to paraphrase in a meaningful and creative way by modifying the sequence and structure without losing the original essence.
Explain the content in a broader aspect
When using borrowed ideas in your research paper, make sure to explain them in a descriptive and elaborative manner by using understandable words. This will help you to prevent plagiarism in your research paper. Expanding the concise information will automatically exclude the possibility of plagiarism.
Use a plagiarism checker tool or software
One of the key tips to avoid plagiarism in your research papers is using a plagiarism detection tool. Especially, with the help of a plagiarism checker tool or software, you can compose original content for your research paper. Also, before submission of your research paper, you can detect if there is any plagiarized content in your work by using a reliable plagiarism detection tool.
Listed below are some valuable benefits of using a plagiarism checker tool
- Verifies whether the in-text citations you have used are correct or not.
- Identifies all kinds of plagiarism in research that you might not even be aware of.
- Detects the location of the issues so that you can easily fix them using your own words.
- Quickly finds the most common forms of research plagiarism.
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Use quotation marks
If you can’t express an idea using your own words, make sure to quote the original sentence as it is by using quotation marks. It will help you to save your work from plagiarism issues. Quotation is one of the best ways of giving proper credit to the original author.
Here is how you should use quotations
“Working for and organizing household subsistence defines mothering” (Ross, 1995)
Maintain a record of your sources
Keeping track of the references you use in your research paper is one of the most important rules you can follow to avoid plagiarism. It will assist you in fixing plagiarism in the final review of your paper by adding a correct reference list.
Include a list of references in your research paper
Make sure to include the list of references in your research paper by using a valid citation style. Some popular citation styles include MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and so on. In case, you are unsure how to cite a source in an academic paper as per your requirements, use any citation generator available online.
Listed below are some examples of well-formatted references
- Baron, Naomi S. “Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital Communication Media” PMLA, vol. 128, no.1, Jan 2013, pp. 193-200.
- Alvarez, E., & Tippins, S. (2019). Socialization agents that Puerto Rican college students use to make financial decisions. Journal of Social Change, 11(1), 75–85.
- Taylor G and Green A (1937) Mechanism of the production of small eddies from large ones. P Roy Soc Lond A Mat 158(895): 499-521.
Remember, the citations will enhance the appearance of your entire paper as a well-researched effort. Also, they serve an important role in avoiding plagiarism by explicitly showing that the data you are sharing is not yours, but rather the work of another author.
Points to Remember to Avoid Plagiarism in Your Research Papers
If you want to submit a plagiarism-free research paper, then keep in mind the following tips on how to avoid plagiarism in your research paper.
- Investigate your research topic deeply.
- Don’t rely only on a small amount of data.
- Paraphrase the original text.
- Present the text in an elaborative manner by using your own words
- Quote the original text using quotation marks
- Cite Sources.
- Before submission, check for plagiarism in your research paper by using a plagiarism detection tool.
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Conclusion
Till now, in this blog, we have seen the key tips on how to avoid plagiarism in your research papers. If you want to submit an original research paper and fetch top grades, then make sure to follow all the tips suggested above. In case, you experience difficulties with writing a plagiarism-free research paper or if you are unsure how to paraphrase a text or cite sources properly, then contact us immediately.
