Plagiarism is a problematic issue in the academic world. It is quite pronounced in the case of student assignments. The propensity to plagiarize develops from the inability to understand the basics of research methodology.
In any research, more than one source gets utilized for gaining information about a particular topic. The aggregate information helps in the formation of a different inference, which is attested as a new contribution to knowledge.
For students, the main task is to substantiate their claims with suitable references. The designs of the assignment help in the process of reasoning, and drawing inferences helps in framing the argument of a thesis.
Figure 1: Citing References Can Help in Avoiding Duplicate Content
The presence of plagiarism in the essay reveals the lack of adequate research work. In today’s technologically advanced world, the task of detecting plagiarism has become quite easy. There are plagiarism checkers for students available online.
‘Check my assignment for plagiarism’ option is available. Students can upload and use the plagiarism scanning software to detect the plagiarized content.
It is a completely hassle-free process that takes a few minutes to check the essay. The time depends on the length of the text, but all instances of copied content get marked along with the source text.
The writing skills required for essay writing
Students need to hone their writing ability. Sound knowledge of English grammar is an essential requirement for writing sensible sentences. Incorrect sentence structure and spelling errors mar the impact of a dissertation.
Valid points are not valuable until the presentation is not in an understandable language. Grammatical errors and run-on sentences make the piece of writing useless. The problem of spelling mistakes and grammar are fixable.
There are grammar checkers and spell check softwares available online. The student uploads the written essay as a Word file and gets it checked.
Figure 2: It is Significant to Write an Error-Free Essay
Once the written assignment is submitted, it no longer has the chance of rectification by the student. Therefore, it is necessary to take all steps for ensuring the correctness of the submitted work by using an essay checker and corrector..
How do professors check for plagiarism?
Teachers provide students with various kinds of writing assignments that are meant to evaluate the critical thinking and reasoning ability of students. In most cases, a similar written project is given to the students studying in the same class.
Paid or a free plagiarism checker for teachers help them to ascertain plagiarism instances in student papers quickly. It also helps the students as they can easily find out whether they have unintentionally plagiarized any part or not.
It is essential to inculcate the value of original writing and make students aware of the kinds and negative impact of plagiarism on their academic life. Plagiarism often works in classroom tasks. Students commit plagiarism in the following ways:
- Using references without quotation marks and citations:
The practice of using material from related reference texts is not a crime. But the absence of quotation marks makes it impossible to separate the referenced lines from the rest of the essay. It can be accidental, but students need to be well aware of the quotations used in the essay.
Figure 3: In-Text Citation Helps in Avoiding Plagiarism
The quoted lines require citation. The absence of citations also leads to plagiarism. Wrong citations or misquotes are equally harmful to the essence of an essay. Plagiarism checkers for students are useful in finding and fixing such issues efficiently.
- Changing the words of passage and using it:
It is a blatant form of copying. It is not considered an accidental error in any manner. Changing the words of a passage from a text or changing the sentence structure is not permitted.
Using such altered passages in the classroom essay is highly unethical because the text from where the alteration of the passages takes place is the intellectual property of the author.
Teachers can check plagiarism online with free plagiarism checkers to detect such issues.
- Sharing or taking information from fellow students:
The act of cheating is not unheard of in a classroom. Students take down the written essay of another student and submit it.
The percentage of similarity between two essays helps in determining whether cheating has been done or not. The pupils can use a plagiarism scanner to compare student essays for similarities.
Figure 4: Plagiarism Detector Can Find Out Whether a Student Has Cheated or Not
Therefore, teachers have ample options to check for plagiarism in students’ works.
The actions required to curb plagiarism
As teachers, it is crucial to educate students about plagiarism. At an early learning stage, students might not be aware of plagiarized content. In the era of computer technology, information is widely available through multiple sources.
Websites and journals available online provide students with much information. Mistakes also occur when the information present on the website is improper.
To handle classroom plagiarism, there should be an urge among the students to check the source of information before taking data from any website. Instances of cheating can be curbed by encouraging students to think freely and articulate thoughts individually.
Figure 5: Too Much Dependence on Search Engine Can Lead to Cheating
Lack of confidence also results in cheating. Hence, it is essential to allow all students to express their observations on a topic. The support of teachers is necessary to ensure a positive learning experience.
Realizing the value of individual work helps in understanding the value of other people’s work. It, in turn, results in developing the positive habit of giving due credit.
Conclusion:
A research paper is an important document. Proofreading is essential before submission. Hence, students use a plagiarism checker to correct mistakes, and teachers stress upon the need to avoid unintentional plagiarism in dissertations.
