Whether a student does it on purpose or by accident, plagiarism has become one of the most controversial subjects on university campuses. With the Internet taking over much of the world it has become extremely easy for a student to use someone else’s words or ideas and pass them off for their own. Most of the time those who commit plagiarism don't know they're doing it, others do it intentionally knowing full well the repercussions of their actions.
To combat this, here are a few tips to help students avoid plagiarism in their essays.
Review School’s Plagiarism Policies
No matter what educational institution students attend, they will have a plagiarism policy. For argument's sake a university will be used as the example. Most students ignore the majority of a university plagiarism policy when it is handed to them in their class syllabuses or shown to them on the first day of classes. It is nearly universal to be shown the school’s plagiarism policy and with the widespread use of the Internet by universities there is no reason a student shouldn’t have access to the policy.
The policies should not differ too much between schools, but to be perfectly sure of what to avoid or what to cite, review the school’s policy or at the very least consult the class instructor.
Proper Usage of MLA, APA, or Chicago Style Citations
Depending upon what discipline is being studied, there will be a different referencing system to be followed. For the social sciences, such as psychology and sociology, the American Psychological Association (APA) style is the accepted form of citations. For literature classes, MLA is the standard and the University of Chicago style is the academic standard for history. Each is different in its own way and should not be ignored.
At the very least using the incorrect referencing style will hurt the overall grade a paper will earn, but depending on the professor and plagiarism policy it could be more harmful. It’s important to never leave anything out.
Give Credit When Credit is Due
The most important piece of advice is to give credit when credit is due. Unless students maliciously use plagiarism when they have done no research, there should be no reason a student can’t cite a reference. When in doubt always cite a reference. It is common for students to try and prove their intelligence by using a piece of information without citing. Whether the student does it on purpose or not doesn’t matter, it’s plagiarism.
There is nothing wrong with not having a great, original idea. For a PhD student this might be a problem, but for an undergraduate history student, the professor is almost always looking for the research that has been done. They want to know that their students can research, analyze, and interpret what they have read.
Finally, it is important for students to give themselves enough time to finish their assignment. Procrastination is the natural predisposition for a student, but it is the precursor to plagiarism. Time is the enemy of a student, but it is also the answer.
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