Things to know about plagiarism in the USA

Plagiarism is a matter of ethics. In the USA, people are repeatedly aware of plagiarism and the absolute necessity to avoid plagiarism instances in written assignments. Students get thoroughly instructed about the method of writing a paper. They are made aware of the possible pitfalls that can lead to plagiarism.

It is a matter of grave concern when people take the unethical road of taking someone else’s work and submitting it as their own. This immoral practice is not allowed, and so Plagiarism charges are not taken lightly in the USA.

Penalty for plagiarism in the USA

One already knows that plagiarism is an ethical concern. Legal cases are not directly registered against people who are found guilty of plagiarizing content from another person or online resource.

However, there are some severe implications of plagiarism on the academic career of a student or scholar. Penalties for those who are found guilty of plagiarism in the USA are delineated through the following points:

The plagiarized paper is canceled. Either the institution asks the student to resubmit the paper or receive a low grade for submitting a paper containing copied content. A warning can be issued for scholars, and their research grants can face a cancelation if their data contains plagiarized parts from one or multiple sources.

It breaks the bond of trust and respect between the student and the institute/teacher. Plagiarism is a breach of trust in very many ways, and the institute can also cancel the studentship of the person depending upon the gravity of the plagiarism charge.

The submission of a plagiarized paper puts an indelible mark on the research/academic career of the student because it becomes a part of the student’s academic record.

Legal implications of plagiarized content

Plagiarism becomes a legal problem when the copied matter/idea is from a copyright-protected resource. Due permission is necessary before using a copyrighted work in any form. Copyright infringement has a detrimental effect on a person’s career in the USA because the copyright owner can file a case.

The matter then rests on legal proceedings, and the verdict of the court is the final decision. The offender has to honor the court’s decisions and has to face the consequences.

Ways to avoid plagiarism

Any educational institute never accepts plagiarism under any circumstances. Therefore, it is sensible to start practicing good writing skills to ensure that original ideas are penned down efficiently. A freelance writer or an international student needs to write in a critically conclusive manner.

Writers should give more effort and practice critical thinking for completing a written assignment. However, unfortunately, individuals often take the wrong route of committing plagiarism. Plagiarism can also happen unintentionally. Diligent writers who want to avoid plagiarism should take the following points into account to avoid plagiarism:

Mark the source:

Understandably, a person has to go through multiple sources while writing a dissertation or article. A simple search on a search engine provides an individual with numerous results. It is vital to note the primary source of a reference article that a person wants to incorporate in the paper.

It is essential to find the source of the article. It is equally important to take references from authentic websites and e-journals. There is a fair chance of finding plagiarized content among search results. Hence, to be safe, it is best to take reference only from authentic websites.

Strive to create original content:

Getting overwhelmed with references is a common issue. Writers/students often find the reference material overpowering, and they also feel that the reference sources’ points are better than their original research.

However, it is essential to note that academic papers are not to be confused as an assortment of references. A paper needs to feature original research, and therefore, the prime focus is on creating original content. It also reduces the risk of plagiarized content in the paper.

Use a free online plagiarism scanner:

The increase in plagiarism cases has led software developers to come up with easy plagiarism checking solutions. There are free software services that are easily accessible online. These services help a person to scan an uploaded document for copied content. Plagiarism detected in the document is highlighted for easy identification. Writers can adequately address unintentional plagiarism by scanning the paper before submitting it.

Review the plagiarism report:

An advanced plagiarism detector provides the user with a plagiarism report that contains accurate details of the plagiarism instances found in the paper. Reviewing the plagiarism report helps the person in understanding and correcting the mistakes in the research paper. It also prevents the repetition of the exactly copied content mistakes in future papers, thereby reducing the risk of plagiarism in successive assignments.

Conclusion:

An online plagiarism checker is a helpful tool for international students and freelance writers to avoid plagiarism in papers in the USA. Hence, to ensure that academic papers are plagiarism-free, it is sensible to employ advanced anti-plagiarism software for scanning the paper/article before submission.