How to Avoid Plagiarism in Your Assignments
What counts as plagiarism, how to paraphrase and cite properly, and how to use a similarity check as a final self-review.
What counts as plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words, ideas or work as your own. That includes copying text without quotation marks, closely rewording a source without credit, reusing your own earlier submission without permission, and having someone else write your work.
Take notes in your own words
Many accidental cases start with notes copied straight from a source. When you read, close the source and write what you understood. Keep a record of where each idea came from so that you can cite it later.
Quote, paraphrase, cite
Use direct quotes sparingly, put them in quotation marks and cite them. When you paraphrase, change the structure and wording, not just a few words, and still cite the source because the idea is not yours. Well-known facts generally do not need a citation, but if you are unsure, cite.
Cite consistently
Follow the style your department asks for, such as APA, MLA or IEEE. Keep your reference list in order and make sure every in-text citation appears in it, and the other way round.
Do a final review
Before you submit, read your draft against your notes and sources. Look for passages that sound unlike your own writing, and check that each one has a quotation mark or a citation. Many institutions run their own similarity check, and a match is not automatically misconduct, but it is far better to catch overlaps yourself first.
If you are short on time
Start earlier, ask your instructor for an extension if needed, and submit your own imperfect work. Most institutions treat a late or weak assignment far less seriously than a plagiarism case.
This guide is general information. Rules differ between institutions, so confirm requirements with your college or the portal you are using.