Simple Tips to avoid Plagiarism in Research Publication

  1. Paraphrase:
    If you find information that is perfect for your research paper, put it into your own words. Make sure that you do not copy verbatim more than two words in a row from the text you have found. If you do use more than two words together, you will have to use quotation marks.
  2. Cite:
    Citing is one of the effective ways to avoid plagiarism. Follow the document formatting guidelines (i.e. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) used by your educational institution or the institution that issued the research request. This usually entails the addition of the author(s) and the date of the publication or similar information. Citing is really simple but not citing properly can constitute plagiarism.
  3. Quote:
    When quoting a source, use the quote exactly the way it appears. No one wants to be misquoted. Most institutions of higher learning dislike quotes that are more than 40 words. Hence, a scholar should be able to effectively paraphrase most material. Quoting must be done correctly to avoid plagiarism allegations.
  4. Cite quotes:
    Citing a quote can be different than citing paraphrased material. This practice usually involves the addition of a page number, or a paragraph number in the case of web content.
  5. Cite your own material:
    If some of the material you are using for your current research paper was used by you in your previous one, you must cite yourself. Cite the way you cite other authors. Using material you have used before is called self-plagiarism, and it is not acceptable.
  6. References:
    One of the most important ways to avoid plagiarism is including a reference list at the end of your research paper. Use referencing guidelines given by the concerned institution. This information includes the author(s), date of publication, title, and source.

(SOURCE: http://en.writecheck.com/ways-to-avoid-plagiarism/)