Hello everyone and a warm greeting to whoever comes across this and takes time to read it. This will be my 3^rd post here at Steemit, I'm slowly and steadily trying to grasp in all the information about this platform, and I plan on sharing this journey of mine.

What is Plagiarism? 

The word plagiarism is derived from the Latin word ‘plagiarius’ which means kidnapper. We are all aware of the fact that kidnappers are individual/s who steal a person. Same goes for a plagiarist, who steals the work (words and ideas) of a person and presents it as their own.  

Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. Source   

Plagiarism comes with its fair share of disadvantages. Universities nowadays use different software such as Turnitin, to check for plagiarism in their student's work. For example, if a student submits plagiarized work for an assignment, they might fail the course or in worst case scenario it might cost them their degree. Now in a professional setting, if a person plagiarizes their work, it will ruin their image and career.  

Types of Plagiarism: 

Complete Plagiarism	This is the most extreme form of plagiarism. A person or a researcher uses someone else’s document and poses as it's author.
Direct Plagiarism or Copy-and-paste Plagiarism	This technique means that a person has used a small portion of someone's content and does not credit the original author.
Mosaic Plagiarism	In Mosaic Plagiarism, the individual writes an original paper but uses someone else's ideas and thoughts and shows it as their own.
Self-Plagiarism or Auto Plagiarism	Also known as duplication, this type of plagiarism means that an individual uses their own past words, thoughts or ideas in their new work.
Global Plagiarism	This is yet another severe form of plagiarism as the person buys an essay or has someone else write the content for them and then present it as their own.

For more in-depth on types of Plagiarism: source source 

How to Avoid Plagiarism? 

As mentioned above, plagiarism means copying other's content. So, to avoid plagiarism, you can just write your own content. It might be difficult at first but with enough practice you will soon master it. Often you face a situation where using someone’s words is important, then the right step is to provide the source in your article. 

Proper Use of Citation: 

Citation means referring or sourcing others work as in book, research paper etc.  

Here at Steemit, users are encouraged to write their own content rather than copying it off of someone else.  

Now the question arises as to where citation must be used and where it is not needed. When it comes to universal facts or information based on general knowledge, it is not important to use citation as these facts are known by everyone. Citation must be used when you are to quote something that is information you came across while your research which might include any fact that is not well known or someone else’s words or quotes.  

If there comes a time when you are not sure whether citation must be used or not, it is recommended to prefer using citation rather than not using it. It is better to play safe than sorry.

Failure is not fatal until we surrender, trying again is the key to glorious victory. -Muhammad Iqbal

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"I have read and understood the Steemit Etiquette on Steemit Community and will do my best to embrace them"