Prevent Plagiarism

How can you prevent unintentional plagiarism? Here are some easy tips:

Take clear notes

• If you copy a passage exactly, put it in quotation marks in your notes so that you know to include quotation marks if you use it in your paper/assignment.
• Summarize rather than paraphrase. Instead of paraphrasing individual sentences, take one or more paragraphs from the original source and summarize its meaning in a few sentences.
  • Include page numbers on your notes so that you can quickly refer back to the original source if necessary.
  • Remember that it can be very easy to forget what ideas are your own and which you got from sources. Take more detailed notes than you may think you need - it is easier to ignore excess notes than to remember what was not written down.
  • Save your sources - no matter what the source type (article, video, website, or even an email), be sure to save your sources so you can reference them later.

Give yourself sufficient time

• Scaffold your assignment. If your paper is due at the end of the course, set aside time throughout the semester to work on it. (Your instructor may have already built this schedule into the course for you!)
• For instance, your assignment may be broken down as: Week 1: search for sources; Week 2: read your sources and take notes; Week 3-4: write your first draft; Week 4-5: get feedback and make revisions.

Master APA, MLA, or other citation styles as appropriate

• For example, if you are familiar with the APA citation style before you have to use it, it will be easier to use it correctly and clearly in your paper.
• Leverage the citation tools built into databases to help you format your citations (see image below).
• For complex papers, consider using a citation manager such as Refworks (provided to you by Keiser University), Zotero, Mendeley, or Endnote.
• Always double-check automatically created citations!
  • Make sure the correct citation style edition is used.
  • Check for computer-generated errors.
  • Check for human errors - particularly if you are using a form-based tool such as EasyBib, for example. Double check that you entered the correct bibliographic information in the correct fields.