Types of plagiarism, and the best way to avoid these in your content writing

The mere sight of the word plagiarism can be triggering.

Then, you're back at school trying to convince your teacher what you're lacking in a citation for a claim you've made in your study essay regarding The Great Gatsby and what it means to have a green light. You feel guilty. It's a lesson learned and will never take someone else's work for your work.

In the years since you are a content writer, you are constantly writing about your field, blogs, landing page copy, ebooks and much more. Never in your lifetime could you deliberately replicate someone else's work in order to pass off as your own, but what if it happened accidentally? Intentional plagiarism is very prevalent in creative writing and online content.

Although plagiarism in its simplest form is the process of taking someone else's work as your personal work, it takes different forms and forms which you might not be aware of. This could cause you to do something that is unimaginable, such as taking a copy and then claiming another's work even if it's accidental.

One of the best ways to prevent being accused of or committing plagiarism by accident is to understand the ins and outs of plagiarism, plus the steps required for properly crediting other creators' work. Before we get started, let's talk about why content writers should do their due diligence when it comes to plagiarism.

How can content writers be sure to avoid plagiarizing?

For many, plagiarism is an ethical issue which means it is against moral principles. Although ethics is an abstract concept, plagiarism is factually a form of theft - is the act of taking the words of someone else. The same is so for content writers who could receive monetary compensation in exchange for stolen content.

Aside from it being ethically incorrect, plagiarism can also have the possibility of destroying the integrity of a person's business and personal life. It can result in lost relationships with brands, professional recommendations as well as, perhaps most importantly, customers. It's true that plagiarism can have the power to ruin a business in a flash.

It is important to consider the potential legal consequences caused by plagiarism. If you copy your work and take credit or profit away from the creator of the original work, you may find yourself fighting a legal case regardless of whether you plagiarized on purpose or by accident.

Five kinds of plagiarism you need to be aware of

The best way to prevent plagiarism is to be knowledgeable about its various forms. Here are the most popular five types of plagiarism you could encounter yourself or commit against someone else:

1.   Global plagiarism  

Sometimes referred to as total (or direct) plagiarism it is the most common definition of as plagiarism; it is the process of copying someone else's entire piece of work and attempting to make it appear as your personal work. However, global plagiarism isn't only the act of stealing the work of someone else. In school, paying someone to compose a piece of work for you , then giving it back as your own, is also an act of global plagiarism.

This stands to beg the question: is hiring ghostwriters an act of plagiarism? Here is a fantastic article of Jonathan Bailey on that very topic. Bailey points out, "Ethically, it is considered acceptable for a politician to use a speechwriter and does not attribute them. However, a student who turns to the essay mill for their assignment is clearly a plagiarist." Therefore depending on the contextual character of ghostwriting, deciding whether or genuine plagiarism is a difficult.

1.   Verbatim plagiarism  

Similar to global plagiarism, this kind of plagiarism can be described as the act of passing off an author's work as your ownn. The main difference is the amount of material is copied. Although global plagiarism encompasses every word of content, verbatim plagiarism may only include a small amount of text like a few sentences or paragraphs.

NOTE: It's considered verbatim plagiarism even when you modify words or rearrange sentences, which leads us to our next form of plagiarism.

1.   Paraphrasing plagiarism  

Paraphrasing plagiarism is one of the most common types of accidental plagiarism. As it is sounded, this occurs when authors reword their writing without acknowledging the original writer. Although the act of translating the words of someone else's work into your own words is okay but doing it without proper citation is not.

1.   Patchwork plagiarism  

Sometimes called"patchwork plagiarism," it is the act of "stitching to" various ideas, words or more lengthy versions of texts from different sources to create new content. The type of plagiarism could occur in conjunction with paraphrasing or verbatim plagiarism.

As an example, say you get an idea from the same source. From another source, you "borrow" an idea, and another, the paragraph. All of these are then incorporated in your work to make your own patchwork work.

1.   Self-plagiarism  

What can you do to prevent plagiarism in your content writing

Let's talk about the purpose behind this blog - how to avoid plagiarism when writing content. By following these four simple steps (yes, just five! ) to protect yourself and your business from the repercussions of plagiarism:

1. Write down and refer to sources. When you present someone else's ideas or words in your text (even if they're paraphrased), simply cite your source. The addition of a citation in your writing is an easy and simple way to make sure you avoid plagiarism. According to the style guide that you're following it is recommended to contain at least the complete title of the source, as well as the date of publication. For making your citation process more simple for you, design an organized system for keeping records and document the sources you use as you type. Then you'll be grateful - we promise. Tip: Google Documents also comes with a citation tool which makes it simple to reference your sources using your preferred citation format (APA, MLA, or Chicago).

1. Incorporate quotations. One of the best methods to prevent plagiarism is to include phrases or words from another source within your work using quotation marks and proper citation, of course. Quotations offer a simple method of incorporating another's words or ideas in your writing, while also helping to avoid the psychological struggle associated when you have to paraphrase. You might have noticed that the exact method we employed was in the context of plagiarism worldwide!

1. Paraphrase. It's a simple idea, but paraphrasing is the best way to stay clear of duplicated words from another person word-for-word. If you are paraphrasing, try to focus on using the original author's words in your own words. Research synonyms, work to incorporate the concept into your own material, and then revise your sentence (e.g. modify the sentence to change it by changing it from passive). If you are paraphrasing in the blog, make sure you insert an external link to the original text.
2. Utilize a plagiarism-checker. Also called anti-plagiarism tools, tools like these are able to quickly evaluate your text against other websites and present you with a plagiarism report. You'll simply copy and paste your text in a plagiarism checker software of which many are available for free. Grammarly provides a plagiarism checker and Small SEO Tools.

The most important thing is the bottom line

With your personal and business credibility at stake, plagiarism should be avoided at all costs. The best method to stay clear of plagiarism is to have in-depth knowledge about the subject. Simply by reading this article You're safeguarding yourself from getting accused of committing plagiarism. Job well done!

The time has come to return to your writing! Create with unbridled passion since you are convinced in your heart that your words are original This is the reason that is what makes your writing worth the time of taking the time to read.

You've got questions. There are answers.

Here are a few of the most commonly asked queries about plagiarism.

• What exactly is plagiarism? At its root in the word "plagiarism," it's the obvious act of attempting to label someone else's work as your personal.

• What's the distinction between paraphrasing and plagiarism? The line between plagiarism and paraphrasing is extremely thin. All it depends is whether and how you refer to the sources you've used. If your article is not properly reference, the paraphrasing process quickly and easily turns into plagiarism.

• What are the common forms of plagiarism in writing content? There are many kinds of plagiarism. However, the most commonly used in writing are worldwide plagiarism, verbatim plagiarization and paraphrasing plagiarism. Other common types include patchwork plagiarismand self-plagiarism.

• How do I spot plagiarism? While prior to the Internet it was hard to verify your own or other peoples' work for plagiarism, today you are able to easily search the authenticity of your work using an easy and free plagiarism checker software. A quick Google search will bring up several software options.

• Can you accidentally plagiarize? Yes, you could accidentally copy. The most frequent types of plagiarism that is accidental is that of paraphrasing plagiarism. This is when you reword an author's words without giving credit or properly citing the author.