The types of plagiarism and how to avoid them in content writing
Just looking at the phrase plagiarism is enough to trigger.
Then, you're back at the classroom trying to explain to your teacher the reason you're not able to provide a citation for a claim you made in your research paper on The Great Gatsby and what is the significance of the green light. You feel guilty. It's a lesson learned and will never use someone else's work as your personal.
In the years since you are a content writer and writer, you write constantly about your industry; blogs or landing page copy ebooks, and more. Never in your lifetime would you purposefully duplicate the work of someone else and claim it as your own. However, is it a possibility that something was copied accidentally? Unintentional plagiarism is extremely frequent in the field of creativity and writing, as well as online content.
Though plagiarism, at its most basic level is the process of taking someone else's work as your own It can take different forms and forms that you may be unaware of. This could cause you to commit the unthinkable: taking a copy and then claiming another's work - even by accident.
One of the most effective ways to prevent being accused of or accidentally committing plagiarism is to be aware of the rules and regulations, plus the steps required for properly crediting other creators' work. But first, let's discuss why content writers should do their due diligence regarding plagiarism.
How can content writers be sure to avoid plagiarism?
In the eyes of many, plagiarism is an ethical issue, meaning it goes against moral principles. Although ethics is an esoteric notion, plagiarism is actually it is a type of theft. is the act of taking someone else's words. The same is than that for writers of content who could receive monetary compensation in exchange for stolen content.
Apart from being ethically illegal, plagiarism also has the possibility of destroying an individual's integrity as well as that of their business. The result could be loss of business partnerships, professional references, and worst of all clients. It's true that plagiarism can have the ability to destroy an entire business.
Don't forget about the potential legal consequences that could result from plagiarism. If your plagiarized work takes credit or profits from the work's original creator and you are in a legal battle - no matter the reason for plagiarism, whether it was deliberate or accidentally.
Five types of plagiarism that you should be conscious of
The most effective way to avoid plagiarism is to know regarding its different forms. Here are the five most common five plagiarism types you could encounter yourself or may have committed against yourself:
- Global plagiarism
Also referred to as complete (or direct) plagiarism this is what people usually consider plagiarism to be; an act of copying someone else's entire work in order to claim it as your personal work. However, global plagiarism isn't simply the act of copying from someone else's work. In school, paying someone to complete a task to you, and later handing it in as your own is as well a form of global plagiarism.
This raises the inquiry: is employing a ghostwriter a form of plagiarism? Here is a excellent article written of Jonathan Bailey on that very topic. Bailey mentions, "Ethically, it is generally accepted for a politician to employ a speechwriter, but does not attribute them. However, a student who uses an essay mill to complete an task is clearly plagiarizing." Therefore, based on the situational character of ghostwriting, deciding whether or genuine plagiarism is a difficult.
- Verbatim plagiarism
As with global plagiarism this type of plagiarism involves an act of passing off someone else's work as your own. The main difference is how much of the text is copied. Global plagiarism covers everything in the text however verbatim plagiarism could only include a small amount of text like a few sentences or paragraphs.
Note: It's considered verbatim plagiarism, even when you alter phrases or rearrange sentences that leads to the next form of plagiarism.
- Paraphrasing plagiarism
Plagiarism that is paraphrased is among the most common kinds of unintentional plagiarism. Like it sounds, it is happening when people reword someone else's work , without crediting the writer who originally wrote the piece. Although the act of translating the words of someone else's work into your personal words is fine, doing so with no proper citations isn't.
- Patchwork plagiarism
Sometimes referred to as"patchwork plagiarism", it refers to the process of "stitching the" various ideas, words or more lengthy versions of text from various sources in order to produce new material. The type of plagiarism could be associated with verbatim and paraphrasing plagiarism.
As an example, say you get ideas from one source, and from another, you "borrow" one sentence then an entire paragraph. You work all of these into the final piece, creating an intricate patchwork.
- Self-plagiarism
What can you do to prevent plagiarism in the content you write
Let's talk about the purpose behind this blog - how to avoid plagiarism in your content writing. With these simple four steps (yes there are only five! ) You can safeguard yourself and your business from the repercussions of plagiarism:
- Note and reference sources. When you present someone else's ideas or phrases in your writing (even even if they're copied) make sure to cite your source. The addition of a citation in your work is a quick and easy way to ensure that you do not commit plagiarism. Based on the style guide you're using the citation must contain at least the complete title of the source, as well as the date it was published. For making your citation process easier on yourself, develop a record-keeping process and record your sources as you type. Then you'll be grateful - we promise. Tips: Google Documents also includes an citation tool which allows you to list your sources in the format you prefer (APA, MLA, or Chicago).
- Incorporate quotations. One of the best method to stay clear of plagiarism is to incorporate the words of another within your work using quotation marks and appropriate citations, naturally. Quotations offer a simple way to utilize another's words or ideas in your own work while aiding you in avoiding the mental struggle that comes from paraphrasing. You might have noticed that the exact method we employed was under the definition of plagiarism worldwide!
- Paraphrase. It's not a difficult thing to do, but paraphrasing is a great way to avoid taking someone else's words word for word. If you are paraphrasing, try to focus on translating the author's words into your own words. Research synonyms, work the idea into your original material, and then revise the phrase (e.g. change the sentence by changing it from passive). If you are paraphrasing in a blog, ensure you add an external link to the original source.
- Utilize a plagiarism-checker. Also called anti-plagiarism tools, tools like these can quickly analyze your content to other web pages and give you an analysis of plagiarism. Copy and paste the text into the plagiarism checker program that is available for free. Grammarly has a plagiarism checking tool along with small SEO tools.
The most important thing is the bottom line
If you have your business and personal security at stake, plagiarism should be avoided absolutely. The best method to stay clear of plagiarism is to have in-depth knowledge about it. Simply by reading this article, you're protecting yourself from getting accused of making a mistake by using plagiarism. Job well done!
The time has come to go back to your pen! Write away with unbridled passion because you know deep inside that the words you write are unique, and that's what makes your content worth reading.
You've got questions. There are answers.
Here are some of the most frequently asked concerns about plagiarism.
- What exactly is plagiarism? At its root, plagiarism is the overt act of attempting to claim an author's work as your original work.
- What's the distinction between paraphrasing and plagiarism? The line between plagiarism and paraphrasing is very thin. The distinction is based on whether and how you cite your sources. When your content lacks proper citation, paraphrasing quickly and easily turns into plagiarism.
- What are the common kinds of plagiarism that are commonly seen in content writing? There are many types of plagiarism. But the most commonly encountered in writing content include worldwide plagiarism, verbatim plagiarization and paraphrasing plagiarism. Other common types include patchwork plagiarism, and self-plagiarism.
- What can I do to detect plagiarism? While prior to the Internet, it was difficult to verify your own or other peoples works for plagiarism nowadays, you can check for plagiarism using the free and simple-to-use plagiarism checking software. One quick Google search will show numerous software options.
- Can you accidentally plagiarize? Yes, you could accidentally copy. One of the most popular kinds of plagiarized work is that of paraphrasing plagiarism. This is when you reword an author's words without giving credit or properly citing your original source.