If you have been trying to get professional tips to avoid plagiarism, then keep reading, as this document will highlight more concepts concerning the whole plagiarism issue.

Define similarity: what is plagiarism?

Simply put, plagiarism means stealing words or ideas from one source without crediting or referencing it. To steal in this concept means when you use another person’s ideas and wordings without acknowledging their efforts. The result is a similar document, one original and the other a copy of the original. Even when you use quotes or famous contexts, you must reference them appropriately. Otherwise, you will be plagiarizing your work which has severe consequences.

How to avoid plagiarism and its importance in your paper

Before you start any writing project, especially for academic purposes, understand first plagiarism and the best measures you should take to provide a clean and original job. Maybe you are wondering why you should avoid plagiarism.

Well, plagiarized work can destroy your credibility as a student, even for future career advancements. Besides, while in school, you can get expelled from the institute as a result of producing plagiarized work. This means you will have wasted other years of studying and many other resources. Why would you risk it?

How to not plagiarize a research paper

1. Know how much plagiarism is acceptable

In some instances, there are some words that are necessary, and you cannot edit them at all costs. In this case, plagiarism might be detected in your paper. However, you need to note the extent it can go. For academic purposes, the score should not exceed 5%; otherwise, anything above 5% will be regarded as a plagiarized document. The reason for this allowance is because some software for checking plagiarism work by checking similarity index, which might not necessarily translate to plagiarized work.

2. Know how to avoid self plagiarism

Sometimes, you can assume using work you previously used in another paper or published is okay to use in another paper. Well, as much as you researched and created the content, you cannot use the work or some sections of the work you produced before as original work. This is known as self-plagiarism, and it is forbidden in learning institutions.

3. Always credit the original sources of the quotes

In academic papers, it is a common idea to use quotes from other people. However, this isn’t your original quote, and you should credit the author or publisher of such quotes. So, before you quote, use your words first, then the quote using the quotation marks, and finalize the quote by crediting the author.

4. Always cite all your sources correctly

When determining what percentage is considered plagiarism, you will have to use several sources in your paper. Although the similarity index might match to some extent, you can avoid all the plagiarism issues by including footnotes or in-text citations when paraphrasing or quoting another person’s work.

Note: To cite correctly, ensure all the citations match well with the bibliography or reference list at the end of your paper.

Apart from enabling you to avoid plagiarism, correct citation helps the reader locate the source should they want to read any further.

The common citation styles include Chicago, MLA, and APA. The professor will always specify the required style for every paper.

If you have always had trouble with plagiarism and understanding what percent of plagiarism is allowed, you can always use the above tips and do some research about plagiarism before submitting your paper.

Conclusion

Plagiarism is common in all learning institutions, and should you tolerate it; it can cost you all your academic efforts. If possible, check your work with different plagiarism software checkers before sending your work for submission.

While it can be a bit hard to write a paper to reach a certain word limit, students don’t have options other than sticking to the required rules. However, this does not imply that you add fluff or irrelevant information to fill up the required word count. So, if you have been questioning how to make a paper longer, then read on and discover the amazing and practical tips on ways to make a paper longer.

How to make a research paper longer

Whenever you feel stuck in the middle of writing your paper, consider the options below, as they may work wonders.

1. How to extend paper length using additional sources

When making your paper longer, you need to get more sources that support the argument in your statement. Of course, these aren’t part of the sources you had previously included in your outline. Many sources mean you will have more relevant content to support your points. Apart from extending the word count, these extra sources also prove to the reader that you did extensive research and gathered enough relevant information, hence earning you more marks. 

2. How to extend word count with examples

Another perfect way how to lengthen a paper is by giving real examples relating to what you are explaining. The examples are used to make the reader understand a certain concept better when reading isn’t just enough. Such examples not only enhance the word count of your paper they also prove to the reader that you understand whatever you are explaining.

3. How to increase word count by giving different viewpoints

When explaining a given point, you have your personal understanding of the statement. Don’t rely only on what you know. Instead, factor in other research ideas as you describe other points of view in a clear manner. However, when extending the viewpoint, remember to stick to the main ideas and concepts to avoid explaining unnecessary points.

4. How to make a research paper longer with quotations

If you already have a number of quotations in your paper, then there is no point in saturating the paper with a lot of quotes. However, if you don’t have any quotes within your paper, you might consider adding some, as this is a perfect idea to making your paper longer. However, don’t place any quotes just anywhere. Get appropriate quotes that relate to the main point you are explaining and fix them appropriately. Even the readers will relate to what you are explaining through the quote and motivate them to read your paper.

5. How to make your paper longer through the intro and conclusion parts

When you already have your paper ready, but the word count isn’t in place yet, you can reconsider the introduction and conclusion sections. Instead of adding more words in the main body of the essay, these two sections are okay. The main body requires only relevant information, and if you start adding more ideas, the points might get saturated and lose the required meaning.

6. Use transitions for making your paper longer

When someone else is reading your paper, they need to experience a smooth transition. Although these transitions make it look like unnecessary word count, they make the paper flow with ease and longer as they prepare the reader for the next point. Examples of transition words include, on the contrary, with this in mind, among others. Use such wordings at the beginning of your paragraph or just before you conclude the paragraph.

Conclusion

Have you been struggling with how to extend word count for your paper? Well, I hope you have now seen how easy it is to add meaningful content to your paper and add word count easily.