How can I avoid
plagiarism and
copying/pasting?

Tips for writing and citations

For research-based written work, there are rules to follow in order not to be accused of copying/pasting or plagiarism: put text in quotes, add references and footnotes, apply citation standards, write a bibliography, etc.

In order to promote copyright and intellectual property, you must indicate the sources you use.  In this page, Compilatio lays out the key points to provide you a deeper understanding of best citation practices.

 

Summary: 

Why is plagiarism prohibited?

Why should you respect copyright? Why should you avoid duplicate content?

To attest to honest behaviour
To attest to honest behaviour
To promote original creations
To promote original creations
To contribute to research
To contribute to research
To attest to the quality
To attest to the quality

How can I avoid plagiarism?

Some reminders to avoid falling into the trap of copying/pasting:

  •  Indicate your sources
  • Cite images and graphics
  • Paraphrase and rephrase ideas
  • Make references to the bibliography
  • Leverage simple-to-use similarity-detection software
    - Compilatio's Magister: software to help teachers assess student work
    - Compilatio's Studium: software to help students with writing         

              

 

To learn more about academic integrity, check out regularly our blog posts, subscribe to the Compilatio newsletter and our social networks (see bottom of page 😉 ).

Tips to avoid plagiarism
avoid plagiarism

Quotation marks required

  • Individual work that was already graded
  • Quotation (copied word-for-word or translated)
avoid copying pasting

Quotation marks not required

  • Individual work
  • Restated idea (paraphrase)
  • Restated and translated idea
  • Visual (image, graphic, photo, illustrations)
  • Common knowledge (legends, historical events, etc.)
APA citation standard

How to use citation standards?

Bibliographic references should follow a precise citation standard.

The standard determines what to include and in what order. It is either chosen by the writer or imposed by the educational institution. You should verify which standard to follow before writing an internship report, dissertation, thesis or any other research-based work. In all cases, only one standard should be used for the entire document to ensure consistency, which the grader will appreciate.

The 4 most commonly used citation standards are:

  • The Harvard Reference System citation standard
  • The APA citation standard
  • The Chicago Style citation standard
  • The ABNT citation standard
Citation standards to avoid plagiarism

Where should you include bibliographic references?

In order to respect copyright, bibliographic annotations may appear in various places in the research work:

  • Include its reference in the text, before or after the extract copied
  • Mention the author and details in a footnote
  • List the sources used in the writing of the assignment in the bibliography.

The bibliographic reference allows the examiner to deepen his or her knowledge, certifies the quality of the assignment and helps to respect copyright. There are various ways of formatting your bibliography, through rigorous classification:

  • In alphabetical order
  • Chronologically
  • By type of content
  • In order of appearance in the work.
An effective bibliography: great, but how?
avoid plagiarism students

References required

  • Individual work
  • Restated idea (paraphrase)
  • Restated and translated idea
  • Visual (image, graphic, photo, illustrations)
  • Common knowledge (legends, historical events, etc.)
plagiarism quotes bibliography

References not required

  • Individual work
  • Common knowledge (legends, historical events, etc.)
Studium Compilatio anti-plagiarism software

What anti-plagiarism software should I use as a student?

High schools and universities want their students to succeed in upholding copyright and academic integrity. The aim is to preserve the value of the diplomas students earn. With this goal in mind, students' work is increasingly analysed by plagiarism-detection software.

The Compilatio Studium software solution is intended for students who want to analyse their work before submitting it to ensure that they have complied with best practices for citing and referencing any Internet sources they used.

The Studium version of Compilatio helps you find sources you've used and instances of copying/pasting, evaluate the originality of your work and create a thorough bibliography.

Learn more about Compilatio's Studium
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University Paris Cité
Aix Marseille Université
Université de Genève
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Università degli Studi di Bologna
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
Politecnico di Torino
ESTA Belfort
IUSTO
Collège Montmorency
Institut PREPAVOGT
UCBL
Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha
University of Fribourg
Università degli Studi di Padova
Universidad Iberoamericana León

Compilatio

Compilatio helps students and teaching staff understand what exactly plagiarism is in order to prevent it better: understand what exactly plagiarism is in order to prevent it better: definition, legal obligations, risks and punishments, copyright compliance guidelines, etc.