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How to avoid plagiarism in studying?

(20 Posts)
Xymox Mon 23-Apr-18 16:11:50

I mean an unintentional one, for my granddaughter it's really a problem in case of homework. How do you solve this problem? Would be really grateful for responses.

Baggs Mon 23-Apr-18 16:23:53

Use quotations marks around anything you deliberately 'lift' and credit the original writer.

Make notes with authors' names attached to any passages you think are useful/interesting/illustrative.

Sticky-notify the books/articles you're studying.

Baggs Mon 23-Apr-18 16:26:22

You don't lose marks in essays if you describe someone else's idea while still giving them credit for it.

It's just as important to show that you understand other people's ideas as it is to have your own. We cannot all expect to be original thinkers but we can learn to appreciate and acknowledge the ideas of original thinkers.

SueDonim Mon 23-Apr-18 20:51:41

I've just asked my student daughter. She says if your GD plans her own work, and then structures and writes it herself, she's very unlikely to accidentally plagiarise.

As Baggs says, any quotations must be highlighted.

HTH.

Jalima1108 Mon 23-Apr-18 21:09:44

If she is quite young, then quoting the source and using quotation marks should be fine, if this is for more advanced work then she should list her sources in a bibliography and perhaps annotate them.

Teetime Tue 24-Apr-18 09:01:44

Use and application of a good referencing scheme is essential so as others have said make sure quotation marks are used and the source usually listed at the end of the piece as References. All my studies required the use of the Harvard System but there are others.

trisher Tue 24-Apr-18 09:38:39

Make sure she keeps a careful record of everything she reads to do with the subject she is researching. If she uses any text from any other source it needs to be in quotation marks and clearly acknowledged with the relevant info. She should also include the list of the reading she has done. There is a lot of help on line for students about plagiarism she might like to read some of it.

M0nica Tue 24-Apr-18 17:31:35

Universities have strict and clear rules how to do this. For a school child, the first thing to do is ask her teacher. That is what they are there for.

Other wise she could say 'Bloggs says that........., and then quote what he says. Plagiarism is not just using other people's words, plagiarism is using them and claiming them as your own. I write a lot of essays for classes I do and if someone says something that summarises what I think. I look at the original text and then rewrite it in my own words. An example below

Online source: By 1914 Britain had a basic educational system, though for most schoolchildren it did not take them beyond the elementary age limit of 12. The 1918 Act raised the school leaving age from 12 to 14 and made provision for a system of part-time 'continuation day' classes for those in.

Rewritten as: In 1914 most children finished their schooling at the age of 12. This was increased to 14 in 1918 and gave them the opportunity to continue their education after 14 by part time day classes

The second says the same but is not plagiarism.

Mania Wed 25-Apr-18 11:50:03

Accidental plagiarism is a very widespread thing for many students. But it's possible to avoid it rather easy. I recommend you to use these tips:

- you need really enough time for writing and checking your work at least several times so effective time-management is one of your main keys
- while working with various informational/scientific resources always make notes with your own words, then after re-writing them in your work, there won't be any accidental copying
- keep for notes their sources like author, date, page number etc.
- use various special programs for checking possible plagiarism, there are many effective ones among them like Dupli Checker, Plagiarism Check plagiarismcheck.org/ , Plagiarisma, PlagScan, PaperRater and so on
- check also all in-text citations for including in the list of references

Hope that was helpful! smile

winterwhite Wed 25-Apr-18 15:36:29

MOnica I’m not clear about your example. This is statement and repetition of facts, in which no one has any ownership. Obvs better to rephrase, but copying it would surely be just copying, if rather silly. Doesn’t plagiarism mean that the original author has some kind of personal ownership in the original? Not clear that the first writer in your e.g could claim that. We all have to look up facts from somewhere. The OP is asking about a child’s homework.

M0nica Wed 25-Apr-18 16:05:48

Yes, but even when an author is just stating facts you should still not take the statement in their words and just paste into something that is your work and pass it off as that.

I obviously used quite a short statement because I was doing it on a post, but in reality people buy whole essays on a topic they need to write about and the essay may well contain paras of facts as well as opinion. A factual example also makes it easier to make clear the difference between original work and plagiarism.

Rewriting factual information makes it clear that you know and understand what you have read, and writing it in your own words is a learning process in itself.

ranathomson Fri 06-Jul-18 08:23:05

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Cherrytree59 Fri 06-Jul-18 08:25:14

End of termgrin

Cherrytree59 Fri 06-Jul-18 09:19:49

Sorry just spotted that this is an old old thread.

gracewheeler Thu 09-Aug-18 07:26:09

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ninathenana Thu 09-Aug-18 07:36:55

Reported for advertising

grannyactivist Thu 09-Aug-18 08:35:20

'Beneath any circumstances'? 'Obliterate the wholesome running relationship'?
I just had a quick peek at the advertised site and although the English is of a very high standard it seems to have been written by someone who has English as their second language.

JaidaCordell Thu 06-Sep-18 17:19:20

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M0nica Fri 07-Sep-18 08:17:48

reported

goldengirl Fri 07-Sep-18 11:25:21

When I was at school we had to read a paragraph and then put it into our own words. I hated it at the time but have found it very useful since. If asked to help I encourage the GC to read the piece then tell me about it. I also tell them about ways to direct quote and it seems the older ones learn this at school too.