The concept of plagiarism arises in the professional, creative and academic world. Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own (GCFLearnFree.org 00:00:10-00:00:15). Plagiarism may not be intentional, it often happens by accident, if the author forgets to quote a source, or misquote someone’ words (GCFLearnFree.org 00:00:55). Even if plagiarism appears in the work by accident, it can have serious consequences. In educational settings, finding plagiarism in papers can result in failed assignments or serious disciplinary punishments (GCFLearnFree.org 00:00:35-00:00:40). In the professional area, finding plagiarism can seriously damage an employee’s reputation (GCFLearnFree.org 00:00:45-00:00:50). Plagiarism seems like an easy way to get the job done; however, the consequences of stealing someone else’s words can be serious. Avoiding plagiarism helps make any work new, original and valuable.
There are several strategies for avoiding plagiarism, among them competent citation of sources with the mention of the author’s name and words in quotation marks and paraphrasing the source’s content are. Paraphrasing is summarizing content or ideas from a source in one’s own words (UTRGV Writing Center 00:00:40-00:01:00). Paraphrasing helps explain complex ideas from academic sources and make them more accessible to the audience. Proper paraphrasing includes understanding the content of the source, naming the source, finding one’s own voice, not changing the author’s original message, and quoting the source properly (UTRGV Writing Center 00:02:00-00:05:45). Paraphrasing should match the level of the audience; the author should choose the complexity of the content and the right words. It is also important to ensure the citation meets the established standards. Rethinking and paraphrasing ideas and content from multiple sources can be a challenge; however, it is essential to create original work enhanced by the use of scholarly literature.
Works Cited
“Avoiding Plagiarism.” YouTube, uploaded by GCFLearnFree.org, Web.
“Paraphrasing and Avoiding Plagiarism”. YouTube, uploaded by UTRGV Writing Center, Web.