Avoiding Plagiarism in a Research Paper Literature Review

In academic writing, citing sources and avoiding plagiarism is essential to maintain academic integrity and credibility. This is especially important in the literature review section of a research paper. Here, we will provide a comprehensive guide on citing sources and avoiding plagiarism in your research paper literature review.

Understanding Plagiarism

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without proper attribution. It includes various types of academic dishonesty, such as copying someone else’s work word-for-word, submitting your own work that has been previously published without proper citation, or using someone else’s ideas without proper citation, even if you have rephrased the content in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism:

• Copying and pasting text from an online source into your literature review without proper citation
• Paraphrasing a sentence from a source without providing proper attribution
• Submitting a paper that you previously submitted for a different course without properly citing it as your own work

Importance of citing sources

Citing sources is an important aspect of any research paper literature review. It serves several purposes:

• Giving Credit to the Original Author: Citing sources acknowledges the original author or creator of a particular work. It is a way of giving credit where credit is due. By citing sources, you are showing that you have done your research and that you have built on the work of others to develop your own ideas.
• Demonstrating Your Research Skills: Citing sources demonstrates that you have conducted thorough research and have an understanding of the field. It shows that you have read widely and critically evaluated the available literature. This enhances your credibility as a researcher and makes your literature review more compelling.
• Avoiding Plagiarism: Citing sources helps you avoid plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense. Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else’s work or ideas without giving them proper credit. By citing sources, you are acknowledging the work of others and avoiding the risk of unintentionally presenting their work as your own.
• Providing Evidence to Support Your Claims: Citing sources provides evidence to support your claims and arguments. It helps you build a stronger case for your ideas and shows that you have done your research to support your claims.
• Enabling Readers to Locate Your Sources: Citing sources provides information that enables readers to locate the sources you have used. This allows them to verify your claims, explore the topic further, and build on your work.

Examples of citing sources:

• In-text citation: (Jones, 2021)
• Bibliographic citation: Jones, J. (2021). Title of article. Journal of Research, 10(2), 67-78.

 How to Cite Sources

Properly citing your sources is a crucial part of writing a literature review for your research paper. It not only gives credit to the original authors of the sources you use, but also allows your readers to easily locate and verify the information you have included in your paper.

Here are some detailed steps to follow when citing sources:

• Determine the appropriate citation style: There are various citation styles such as APA, MLA, and Chicago, which have different formatting rules for in-text citations and reference lists. Check with your instructor or consult a citation style guide to determine the appropriate citation style for your paper.
• Identify the elements required for the citation: Depending on the citation style, you will need to include different elements in your citation such as author(s), title, publication date, publisher, and page numbers.
• Include in-text citations: In-text citations are used to indicate the source of the information you have used in your paper. These citations typically include the author’s last name and the publication year in parentheses, e.g. (Smith, 2010). If you are quoting directly from a source, you will also need to include the page number in your in-text citation, e.g. (Smith, 2010, p. 23).
• Create a reference list: A reference list is a list of all the sources you have cited in your paper. The format of the reference list will depend on the citation style you are using, but it typically includes the author’s name, publication date, title, and publication information.
• Use online citation tools: There are many online citation tools, such as EasyBib and Citation Machine, that can help you generate accurate citations in the correct format for your chosen citation style.
• Check your citations for accuracy: Before submitting your paper, make sure to double-check your citations for accuracy and completeness. Ensure that all the required elements are included in each citation and that they are formatted correctly.

Examples of citation styles:

• APA citation: Jones, J. (2021). Title of article. Journal of Research, 10(2), 67-78.
• MLA Citation: Jones, Jane. “Title of article.” Journal of Research, vol. 10, no. 2, 2021, pp. 67-78.
• Chicago: Jones, Jane. “Title of article.” Journal of Research 10, no. 2 (2021): 67-78.

Using Quotations

In some instances, you may need to use quotations in your literature review. When doing so, ensure that you use quotation marks and include the page number in the citation. However, use quotations sparingly and only when necessary.

Examples of using quotations:

• In-text citation: “According to Jones (2021), ‘quoting is useful for incorporating specific language or terminology from an author’s work into your literature review’ (p. 67).”
• Bibliographic citation: Jones, J. (2021). Title of article. Journal of Research, 10(2), 67-78.

Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Paraphrasing and summarizing are useful techniques for incorporating ideas from other sources into your literature review. When doing so, ensure that you rephrase the content in your own words and provide proper citation.

Examples of paraphrasing and summarizing:

• In-text citation: According to Jones (2021), the use of quotations should be limited in a literature review (p. 67).
• Bibliographic citation: Jones, J. (2021). Title of article. Journal of Research, 10(2), 67-78.

Using Plagiarism Detection Tools

There are various online plagiarism detection tools, such as Turnitin and Grammarly, that can help you to detect any instances of plagiarism in your literature review. These tools can compare your work against a database of sources to identify any similarities.