How to Prevent Plagiarism

By braniac, eHow User

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Plagiarism is a serious offense. It can get you expelled from school, fired from a job and sued. While plagiarism may seem like a quick and easy fix to your writing troubles, it's dishonest and a form of theft. In addition, it can ruin your career as a credible writer.

1 Determine if the information is common knowledge. If the information has been cited in five other sources, it's safe to assume that it's common knowledge and does not need citation.

2 Make quotations and citations your friend. If someone said those exact words, quote them and give them credit. Credit should also be given to artwork.

3 Quote professionals, but provide your unique opinion and viewpoint.

4 Do not copy and paste. This makes it easier for you to plagiarize. Instead read over the sentence a few times and try to put it into your own words.

5 Put quotations marks around words or phrases you do not want to change and credit the source.

6 Check your paraphrasing against the original text to make sure it is not the same.

7 Do not purchase essays. You do not know where they came from or if they are reliable.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2166275_prevent-plagiarism.html