Plagiarism can be the death knell of a writer. It should never be done because there could be some very serious consequences. Small businesses, especially, would likely have some major issues if people accused them of plagiarism.
The trouble is that many professional and scientific sites require the use of outside sources to augment their topics, so how does someone know where the line is? How does someone avoid plagiarism? And what consequences can come if you are caught doing it?
What Is Plagiarism?
First, let’s start with the basics: the definition of plagiarism. To plagiarize is described in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own or to use another’s production without crediting the source.”
Now, that example is a definition of what is not plagiarism as it quoted the works of another while giving credit to the original creator. Additionally, using common phrases and words like slang or idioms are not considered plagiarism even if they originate from others’ works, save for those covered by copyright laws.
Why You Should Avoid Plagiarism
Now, you might be thinking after reading the last paragraph that it wouldn’t be a big deal to plagiarize. So, let’s go over what can happen to you if you plagiarize. The best outcome of being caught is that people make negative comments. Depending on the situation, however, there are other outcomes like getting sued, having awards revoked, and even losing your job if plagiarism is proven.
If a small business is accused of plagiarism, they can soon find themselves buried under a mountain of legal fees brought against them. This could be catastrophic if the small business is being accused by a much larger brand as they have resources that the smaller business won’t. The academic world isn’t clear of plagiarism either as there are many people in place to watch applicants’ submissions for plagiarism. Depending on the severity of the incident, they could suffer a range of consequences.
Tips on Avoiding Plagiarism
Next, let’s discuss how to avoid plagiarism. The biggest method of avoiding plagiarism is to quote or cite the sources of ideas. The importance of the bibliography page in any academic or professional paper cannot be understated when it comes to avoiding plagiarism. Other than this, it can be unclear what constitutes plagiarism due to many previously established ideas being often used in new works.
Luckily, there are many programs, such as Grammarly as well as Copyscape, that can check for plagiarism.
As mentioned, small businesses plagiarism needs to be handled carefully, which can be tricky as smaller businesses have fewer protections against it than the larger brands. The main issue is that smaller businesses often have to rely on those that aren’t directly part of their company.
Freelance writers are typically called in to help with their workload. If they either purposefully or accidentally do it, they could plagiarize works without the small business owner even knowing about it. As such, small business owners may need to take charge of checking their websites and articles themselves, something larger brands have specific jobs for.
Avoid Plagiarism with social benge
Plagiarism can be the tolling of the bells for your company if you are not careful, particularly, small businesses and individuals. So it is crucial to work on avoiding plagiarism at all costs.
But what if you don’t trust yourself or some program to find it for you? Luckily, social benge can help with any number of reliable services, including the creation of articles and the design of your website. If you would like to give us a try, then please contact us! We look forward to hearing from you!