In public health, for sharing their scientific finding with the world, it’s important for the public health researcher to write independently without any plagiarism. Plagiarism is using someone’s work or idea without giving proper acknowledgment which is considered a crime in the research arena.
Here are some easy tips to avoid plagiarism:
• Spending sufficient time: A writer should spare a significant amount of time while writing as this will help to conceptualize the theme and will help to develop an outline for the write-up.
• Never copy and paste: Copying should be prohibited from any other source as this will question the authenticity of the write-up.
• Studying relevant papers: Going through relevant papers can give different perspectives and ideas to develop an understanding of the topic to be written.
• Using own words: This should be followed always for making the write-up unique and interesting from any other write-up.
• Paraphrase and cite: Paraphrasing, providing proper citations, and proper referencing while using any information from other sources are very important for avoiding plagiarism.
• Quote the definitions or statements: If any definition or statement is being taken from any sources, it should be written within quotations with citation and reference.
• Using plagiarism software: Nowadays many plagiarisms software is available online which can are really helpful.
• Using referencing software: Many referencing software is available for referencing such as, Endnote, Mendeley, Zotero which will not only help in organizing the write-up but also save the writer’s time.
• Proofreading: Repeatedly checking the write-up (at least 10 times) before submitting can help in finding the mistakes that can be resolved.
To sum up, plagiarism is extremely prohibited and one might lose his job or research career by doing this act at any time of his/ her research career. By following the tips mentioned above, plagiarism can be minimized to a tolerable level.
Written by: Dr. Nafis Rahman Purna, Dr. Mir Nabila Ashraf
