Academic Writing Essentials: Avoiding Plagiarism Hat
The difference between academic writing and other types of writing is that it is formal and structured, and it features arguments that are backed up by evidence. This type of writing is unlike other types because it does not use informal language. In order to thrive within the confines of American universities, international students need to understand the concepts of plagiarism, the rules surrounding it, and the different ways of citation.
Underpinning Academic English
Formal tone: Do not use slang and language that is too casual.
"A lot of research shows” can be rewritten as “Numerous studies demonstrate.”
The use of long and unnecessarily complicated sentences should be replaced with short and simple sentences.
Academic writing is normally written in the third person, and the use of the words “I” and “we” is generally avoided unless specifically stated otherwise.
Guidelines for Plagiarism
Plagiarism: This is the act of inserting someone else's words, ideas, or creative work without the needed recognition.
Plagiarism can be described as:
Direct plagiarism is the act of displaying text without crediting a source as a citation.
Paraphrase plagiarism is the act of changing and rewriting a piece of work while keeping the structure and meaning untouched, and failing to credit the original author.
Self-plagiarism is the act of resubmitting one's own work that is outdated without permission.
Disciplinary measures and failure of the assignment are all possible outcomes of the consequences.
Professors slate over “over-citing” to plagiarism as the more preferable option. If you are unsure of the matter, it is always good to cite the source.
References & Citations
Citations are an integral part of the document as they show where the data has been drawn from. Different styles are used depending on the discipline:
American Psychological Association (APA):
Used mostly in psychology, education, and social sciences.
In text example: (Smith, 2021).
Example of reference list: Smith, J. (2021). Learning Psychology. Academic Press, New York, NY.
Modern Language Association (MLA):
Used in the study of languages, literature, and other humanities.
In text example: (Smith 45) → page number + author.
Example cited works: Smith, John. Academic Press, 2021. The Psychology of Learning.
Chicago/Turabian:
Used in some branches of art and history.
Uses endnotes or footnotes.
Tools and Resources
Citation generators: You can get APA/MLA citations from EasyBib and other sites as well as from the university library.
Plagiarism Checkers: To ensure originality, use Grammarly or Scribbr.
University Writing Centers: Most campuses offer free writing center services.
Pro Tips for Learners
Effective paraphrasing means you read, understand, close the book, and then rewrite.
Tracking sources becomes hard if they are not noted.
Citation guides should always be checked twice: Professors are strict on the particulars of formatting.
To summarize, once again focus on the correct form of the verb within the context of the sentence, then make the verb the first word of the sentence. Avoid ‘concept’ and repeat ‘knowledge’ if needed. Plagiarism policies define and classify it as failure to acknowledge an author overcoming the barriers of copyright, inappropriately distributing text as one's original. The failure to acknowledge the author by copyright infringement and the subsequent misuse of the text as one's original is defined by plagiarist policies. You’ve already created, it’s within the parameters of honest, transparent and thorough documentation of sources.
