The importance of proper citations is drilled into us as early as elementary school. However, it’s not until we become researchers, writing our own papers and having our work referenced, that we truly understand why citing is so vital in the world of academics.

You wouldn’t want someone to attempt to pass your work off as theirs, and it’s the Golden Rule of research writing to reference any ideas or writings appropriate when you use them. In fact, breaking this rule against plagiarism can be deadly to your career. But the occasional plagiarized idea happens to the best of us, no matter how well we guard against it.

The Dangers of Plagiarism to Your Career and Your Safety Measures

How can you avoid plagiarism in your academic research paper when you don’t know you’re doing it? Ignorance is not an excuse when your paper is in front of a panel committee that decides the future of your career because of the plagiarism.  

The key is to do everything you can to prevent inadvertent copying and include those steps in your checklist to back up your claims of innocence. 

Tips to Ensuring You Don’t Inadvertently Plagiarize

No one wants to read a paper that has a citation what seems like every other word. But underciting is a dangerous thing to do. How do you know when to reference, and when an idea is generally known and doesn’t need to be cited? Here are some tips to help you avoid accidental plagiarism:

●      Don’t wait until the last minute to put together your research paper. This gives you time to review your work multiple times with fresh eyes and look for ideas and statements that may need a source attached to them.

●      Do all the work yourself. A group research project has its own set of criteria, but when a paper is assigned individually, all the responsibility for citations comes back to you. This paper is a representation of your ability, knowledge, and thoroughness. If you rely on someone else to complete certain sections, even if you assign them credit, any mistakes ultimately are on your shoulders.

●      Take notes as you work, and include a reference the source you’re using in the notes. If you’re writing your own idea, highlight the section with a color that refers to you, or write “mine” next to it. If the idea is from another source, highlight with a different color and attribute the source specifically, including page numbers if relevant. This information is essential for your reference page anyway, so it will save you time later. Don’t get rid of your notes. Scan written pages and keep them with your original manuscript.

●      Cite other work that you use, phrases or ideas from someone you interviewed, words you included in your paper, and anything that is not your own unique idea. If you paraphrase the information, it still needs a source references.

●      Check your work through a verified plagiarism site. Grammarly is a free option, but academic researchers usually have access to their university’s programs, such as TurnItIn or Duplichecker. The more resources you use, the more peace of mind you have that your work is original. Save these final checks as screenshots or printouts if possible.

Other Ways to Show Your Professionalism

When you can back your claims of innocence up with evidence of a solid professional career, it helps convince the board reviewing any possible plagiarism that your instance was not intentional. One way to do this is to use Impactio’s academic platform and use their CV profiling tool to find your research partners.

A quick search of the academic CV profiling shows you candidates looking for opportunities to work on similar projects. You can review their research credits in quantified fashions to ensure they have a solid reputation before you add their work to your byline. The academic CV profiling service provides other materials, such as the impact your previous work has made on the field of research, and use of citation maps to demonstrate your history of referencing.

With a profile on Impactio in good standing, your reputation as a legitimate academic scholar can only move your career forward.