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Plagiarism & Paraphrasing

A guide explaining plagiarism and paraphrasing. To be used in conjunction with in person and/or Canvas Course sessions.

Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

So what are some ways that plagiarism can be avoided?

  • Well first and foremost, simply don't do it!
  • If you can avoid it, do so. Plagiarism is not worth the risk in order to complete a task or assignment quickly.
  • You can also check with your librarians or tutors to see if a sentence can be re-worded to avoid plagiarsim. If you are uncertain about something that you have written or need help with rewording something from a source material, your librarians and tutors are happy to help.
  • There are also several websites online that can assist with checking for plagiarism before you submit your work. Grammarly's Plagiarism Checker is an excellent tool available online. A word of caution, your instructors will also have access to similar software and will be able to see if your assignment has any plagiarism in it. So, as a best practice, try to make sure you don't have any sort of plagiarism in your work, before you submit it.
  • And lastly, practice proper paraphrasing. On the next page of this guide, you can find information on what paraphrasing is and how you can practice the skill.