How do you avoid plagiarism in your writing? ### Task Complete ###?

2 Do your research

One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism is to do your own research and gather relevant and reliable information from various sources. This will help you develop your own perspective and arguments, and support them with evidence and examples. When you do your research, keep track of the sources you use, such as books, articles, websites, podcasts, interviews, etc. You can use tools like Zotero, Mendeley, or Evernote to organize and manage your references. You can also use online databases, libraries, or search engines to find and access quality sources.

3 Cite your sources

Whenever you use someone else's words, ideas, or work in your writing, you need to cite your sources and give proper credit. This means that you need to include both in-text citations and a reference list or bibliography at the end of your document. In-text citations are brief notes that indicate the author, date, and page number (if applicable) of the source you are using. A reference list or bibliography is a detailed list of all the sources you have cited in your writing, following a specific format and style. You can use tools like Citation Machine, EasyBib, or BibMe to generate and format your citations automatically.

4 Paraphrase and quote correctly

Paraphrasing and quoting are two common ways of using someone else's words or ideas in your writing. Paraphrasing means rewriting someone else's words in your own words, while quoting means copying someone else's words exactly and putting them in quotation marks. Both methods require citation, but they have different purposes and rules. Paraphrasing is useful when you want to express someone else's idea in a simpler or clearer way, or when you want to integrate it into your own argument. Quoting is useful when you want to preserve the original language or tone of the source, or when you want to highlight a specific or memorable phrase. However, you should not overuse quoting, as it can make your writing seem unoriginal or lazy. When you paraphrase or quote, make sure you do it correctly and accurately. Do not change the meaning or context of the source, do not mix your own words with the source's words, and do not use synonyms or synonyms without understanding their nuances.

5 Check your work

The final step to avoid plagiarism is to check your work before you submit or publish it. You can use tools like Grammarly, Turnitin, or Copyscape to scan your writing for any potential plagiarism issues. These tools can help you identify and fix any unintentional or accidental plagiarism, such as missing citations, incorrect paraphrasing, or common phrases. You can also ask someone else to proofread your work and give you feedback on your writing style, clarity, and originality. Checking your work will help you ensure that you have followed the rules, cited your sources, and expressed your own voice and ideas.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?