Avoiding Plagiarism

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Study Skill 9.3 Avoiding Plagiarism

Introduction

Student 1: I never realized how many ways there were to plagiarize something. It’s not just about copying and pasting. It’s more than the words on the page. You can plagiarize ideas and structure -- sometimes without even realizing it. Student 2: There is so much to think about! Student 3: Yes, for sure. And I have a lot to learn about how to cite sources correctly to give someone credit when I do use an idea or specific phrases and sentences. Narrator: There definitely is a lot to think about when it comes to protecting your academic integrity.  

Think about it

One of the best things you can do to avoid plagiarism is to recognize when you might be tempted to use other people’s ideas without giving them credit. That way, you can see when you might be in danger of making a mistake and then take steps to stop it. 

Read each scenario below and choose the ones you agree with:

  • If I don’t understand an assignment, I want to immediately ask classmates if I can see their work.
  • If I am stressed or running out of time, I want to go online to find ideas and writings on the same topics as my assignment.
  • If I don’t think an assignment is important, I’m more likely to copy information from a person or online source.
  • If I want to get a high grade, I’m more likely to trust someone else’s work over my own ideas and writing.

Review the scenarios you agreed with. Think of some specific examples of times like these where you have been tempted to plagiarize. When are you most at risk to use work that isn’t your own? 

Student 1: I bet most people are tempted to copy at one time or another. If I don’t understand an assignment, it’s easy to ask a classmate to show me what they have done. The problem is, then my head is full of their ideas, and I have a hard time doing my own work. Narrator: When we get busy or stressed, it’s natural to want an easy, quick way to get our work done. But, when we do that, not only are we breaking the rules, we are taking the power out of our own voices. In school and in life, your voice is the way you express your own ideas and opinions. Luckily, there are some easy ways to avoid plagiarism.  

Learn about it

Directions: Click on the icons in the image below to learn about each tip.

Dig Deeper

Let’s put some of these tips into practice. Choose one of the following action steps from our Top 5 Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism. Try it this week as you work on assignments and projects.

Choice 1: Use writing strategies.

Use writing strategies that support your unique ideas.

The next time you receive a writing assignment, don’t consult any sources right away. Instead, open up a blank document or grab a pen and paper, and begin writing your own ideas. 

Tip: Try freewriting, which is a brainstorming technique in which you keep writing for several minutes, without worrying about what you are saying or how good it is. This allows you to get out your authentic ideas. Then, you can sort through them and choose the best ones to build on. For more tips on freewriting and other writing strategies, visit Shelf 8 in our Learning Library.

Choice 2: Ask for help.

The next time you don’t understand how to complete an assignment, take these two steps.

  • Carefully review the writing prompt and take a close look at the rubric.
  • If you need more support, ask a classmate or teacher to talk over the prompt with you. They might put it into different words or look at your prewriting to make sure you are on the right track.


For more information about how to use rubrics, visit Shelf 8 in our Learning Library.

Choice 3: Pace yourself.

You have a lot of responsibility. Between taking classes, working on assignments and studying for tests, sports and hobbies, work, spending time with family and friends -- and eating and sleeping -- the days are full! Sometimes, things get so busy, we wonder how we are going to get everything done.

In most cases, you have several days or weeks to prepare for an upcoming assignment. Keeping track of what’s ahead and can help you avoid that last-minute, gotta-get-it-done-now! predicament.

Follow the tips in Shelf 4 in Learning Library to create an assignment calendar and to-do lists that help you break big tasks into smaller chunks. Keep experimenting with different strategies to manage your time until you find the ones that work best for you.

Choice 4: Use a plagiarism checker.

The next time you have completed a full draft of an assignment, use a plagiarism checker like the one on Grammarly.com. Copy your text into the checker and review the results. If your writing matches other sources, ask these questions:

  • What can I write so that I share my own ideas first?
  • What paraphrases or quotations did I use that I need to cite?

Apply it

Try these strategies over the next several weeks. 

Which actions to protect your academic integrity are the most helpful? 

You’ll find that you become aware of when you are veering off into plagiarism and that you also have strategies to stay original.