Plagiarism is a serious issue in research writing. It deliberately diminishes your research credibility, and the researcher also faces rejection of their work by journals. In today’s rapidly growing world, information in research is often copied; therefore, every researcher should adhere to the principles of originality and proper citation.
To avoid plagiarism, researchers should thoroughly understand the concepts and ideas in their own work. Plagiarism occurs when someone uses another person’s ideas, words, or data without any proper acknowledgement.
This blog will give you a clear overview of how to reduce plagiarism in your research paper. It gives you a proper idea to ensure the identity of your research work.
Here are some practical ways to reduce plagiarism in your research paper:
Use Multiple Sources:
When you refer to just one article or book, your writing can easily look like a copied work. Instead, gather information from a variety of sources. This helps you form a more balanced understanding and write in your own words.
For example, if your study is about a particular research, you can check multiple sources such as:
Add linking words :
By replacing phrases with linking words such as however, therefore, Study of, and consequently, these sentences can connect ideas clearly, and enhance the overall coherence of your writing.”
Reorganise some of the information:
For example:
Original content:
Microplastics harm fish and enter the food chain.
Reorganised content:
Entering the food chain, microplastics first affect small aquatic organisms and eventually harm fish populations.”
In the above information, we have reorganised the second sentence as the first sentence, it can reduce plagiarism up to 60-70%
Avoid Using Online Paraphrasing Tools Frequently
Using online paraphrasing tools may become convenient, but it can actually harm your writing skills and increase the risk of plagiarism. These tools often produce sentences that are too similar to the source or grammatically awkward. Instead, focus on understanding the content and rewriting it in your own words.
It can reduce similarity and plagiarism score up to 70%
Replace passive voices with active voice:
Switching from passive to active voice not only improves clarity but also helps you reframe sentences in your own words, lowering plagiarism risk.
For example:
Passive: Microplastics were found in river water.
Active: Scientists found microplastics in the river water.
Key tips to reduce Plagiarism:
- Use linking terms to connect ideas.
- Paraphrase the content in your own words
- Use active voices to reduce plagiarism
Here are some examples of how plagiarism can be reduced
Example No:1
Original Content from the manuscript:
Coronaviruses are large, enveloped RNA viruses of both medical and veterinary importance.
Sources: Masters, P.S., 2006. The molecular biology of coronaviruses. Advances in virus research, 66, pp.193-292.
Plagiarised Version:
“Large, enclosed RNA viruses known as coronaviruses are important in both medicine and animal care”
❌ Problem: Sentence structure and meaning are changed.
Corrected (Reduced Plagiarism) :
Coronaviruses are under the family of large, enveloped RNA viruses that impact both human and animal health✅
✅ This gives the exact meaning of the original content.
Example No: 2
Original Content from the manuscript:
Social media addiction can be viewed as one form of Internet addiction, where individuals exhibit a compulsion to use social media to excess (Griffiths, 2000; Starcevic, 2013).
Sources: Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L. and Wang, Q., 2019. Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology: Journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace, 13(1).
Plagiarised Version:
One type of Internet addiction is social media addiction, in which users are compulsive about using social media excessively (Griffiths, 2000; Starcevic, 2013).
❌ Problem: It does not provide a proper meaning of the research
Corrected (Reduced Plagiarism) :
Social media addiction is a type of Internet addiction were all individuals frequently overuse social networking platforms (Griffiths, 2000; Starcevic, 2013).
✅ The correct meaning of the original content has been drafted.
Example No: 3
Original Content from the manuscript:
Molecular biological methods for the detection and characterisation of microorganisms have revolutionised diagnostic microbiology and are now part of routine specimen processing. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques have led the way into this new era by allowing rapid detection of microorganisms that were previously difficult or impossible to detect by traditional microbiological methods.
Sources: Speers, D.J., 2006. Clinical applications of molecular biology for infectious diseases. Clinical Biochemist Reviews, 27(1), p.39.
Plagiarised Version:
Diagnostic microbiology has been transformed by molecular biological techniques for microbe identification and characterization, which are now a standard aspect of specimen processing. By enabling the quick identification of bacteria that were previously difficult or impossible to detect using conventional microbiological techniques, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques have paved the way for this new age.
❌Problem: There are some grammatical mistakes in the above sentence
Corrected (Reduced Plagiarism) :
Molecular techniques for detecting and characterising microorganisms have significantly advanced diagnostic microbiology and are commonly incorporated into the common specimen analysis. PCR methods play a leading role in this development, making it possible to rapidly identify microorganisms. When compared with traditional methods, it provides a rapid identification of bacterial species.
✅This drafted content provides a correct meaning of the study.
