How can I avoid plagiarism?

Avoiding plagiarism is mostly about being organised and transparent with your sources. Good academic writing builds on others' ideas while making it clear where they came from.

To prevent plagiarism:

• Plan ahead so you have time to research and reference correctly.
• Take clear notes and mark where ideas or quotations come from.
• Use quotation marks for any copied phrases and include a full citation.
• Paraphrase carefully, rewriting ideas fully in your own words and giving credit.
• Reference everything that isn't common knowledge, following your institution's style guide.
• Check your work with a plagiarism checker like Viper before submitting.

Being diligent with referencing not only prevents plagiarism but also demonstrates strong academic practice.