But be warned, punishment can be very serious. Papers could be failed, and students suspended or even expelled. If proven at a later date degrees or awards may be revoked. Academics could face censure, suspension, termination and professional disgrace if research articles or papers are proved to be copied. To ensure you do not plagiarise, research extensively and take copious notes. Distill your research and then use the information to write original copy in your own words. When you do use the words of others always give the appropriate citation or make it clear where a direct quotation has been used. Your university may have a plagiarism detector available and can advise you about whether this is a good procedure to use. Finally, tempting as it may be to the harassed and stressed out student do not employ a writing service for your article or dissertation. Not only may the text you buy from them be plagiarized it is ethically wrong.
In case you were wondering, AlterEnglish does not carry out plagiarism checks (such as turnitin) or accepts any responsibility if the work of other authors is claimed as the customer’s own. We will not write, or paraphrase a document that is intended to be claimed as the wholly original work of the customer.
Cartoon taken from Two Cheers for Plagiarism
Russ Hunt
Saint Thomas University