Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent. It is a serious academic offense.
Types of Plagiarism
- Direct Plagiarism: Copying word-for-word without quotation marks or citation.
- Self-Plagiarism: Submitting your own previous work for a new assignment without permission.
- Mosaic Plagiarism: Borrowing phrases from a source without using quotation marks or finding synonyms for the author's language while keeping to the same general structure and meaning.
- Accidental Plagiarism: Neglecting to cite your sources, or misquoting/unintentionally paraphrasing by not changing the words enough.
How to Avoid It
- Cite Everything: If it's not your original idea or common knowledge, cite it.
- Use Quotations: When using exact words.
- Paraphrase Properly: Read the text, put it aside, and write the idea in your own words. Check against the original to ensure it's different.
- Keep Track of Sources: Take organized notes including bibliographic info as you research.
- Use Plagiarism Checkers: Tools like Turnitin or Grammarly can help identify potential issues.