What is plagiarism? I would define it according to Walden University (n.d.) as the act of using or faithfully replicating the language and thought of another author without permission and the representing of that author's work as one's own without due credit to the original author. Plagiarism could come in the form of paraphrasing, direct quotation of an author, or description of another author's idea, and all of these can be labeled as plagiarism as long as the source is not credited or acknowledged (American Psychological Association, 2010, p.170 ). There is also what is called self-plagiarism. According to the American Psychological Association (2010), it is the “practice of presenting one's previously published work as if it were new” (p. 170). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There are specific actions that characterize plagiarism, in general, such as; affirm the ideas of other authors without being elaborated upon or highlighting their originality. Even when what others say is not explicitly cited; even if one's thoughts are mixed with what others have said, this should be identified and mentioned. Another thing that characterizes plagiarism is the modification of some words of the original sentences; this is when the original words and sentence structure are changed, which invariably changes the content that is being paraphrased (IParadigms, LLC.2017). Finally, when you are not sure who the author of the page is, where you do not know the source through which the information was collected and the time the article was written; inability to determine the reliability of the source, this in most cases applies to the source on the web. So getting all this information right is an essential step in avoiding plagiarism. Recognizing plagiarism is a crucial point if not the first step to avoid practicing it. Below are other guidelines to follow to achieve this goal. You should have academic integrity which includes accurate citation of the original material used, avoidance of educational fraud which may consist of using opinions, points of view or insights of others as your own or paraphrasing the characteristics, metaphor and/or another another author's literary device without adequate recognition. (Laureate Education (Producer), 2012f). Scholars can avoid plagiarism by reducing the practice of direct quotations, including the page or paragraph number, and finally, always using the author with the date citation. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize Essay In conclusion, awareness of the penalties for any student here at Walden who violates the plagiarism code according to Walden's Student Code of Conduct could be of great help. According to the Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice (2002), punishment is one of the crucial features of any developed legal system. Avoiding the consequences of violating this code would be a check for me to become more professional in academic writing skills at all costs and establish a culture of ethical writing as I pursue my degree.
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