When you set out to buy articles for your company website, you want to know that the work you’ll be receiving is unique and original. If it’s not, you could be facing stiff legal penalties for plagiarism. Before you choose a copywriting agency, it’s a good idea to be familiar with what constitutes plagiarism so that you’ll be sure the material you receive can be legally claimed as your own.rnrn*What Is Plagiarism Anyway?*rnPlagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of the words, structure, or ideas of another person without giving due credit. This definition is much broader than most people realize, so let’s break it down phrase by phrase:rnrn* Intentional or Unintentional—Yes, you can be convicted of plagiarism even if you weren’t aware of it. Check, check, and recheck!rnrn* Use of words—This is what most people think of when they think of plagiarism: copying the words of someone else and claiming them as your own.rnrn* Use of structure—Not only will borrowing someone’s exact words get you in trouble, but so will borrowing the structure of their work. In other words, using the same three points to create your article, even though you’ve reworded everything.rnrn* Use of ideas—Any unique research conducted by an individual is considered that person’s intellectual property. You can’t use that research without crediting them in your writing.rnrn* Due credit—If you use any of the three elements above in your writing, you must cite the source. In addition, if you use someone’s exact words, you must enclose them in quotation marks.rnrnrn*How Can I Avoid Plagiarism?*rnIf you intend to buy articles from a copywriter, make sure they run their work through a plagiarism checker such as Copyscape, which searches the web for instances of plagiarism. If you’re writing the article yourself, start by following these tips:rnrn* Learn to recognize acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasernrn* Avoid paraphrasing by simply changing around a few words of the original (which is still considered plagiarism)rnrn* Use quotation marks and citations when using someone else’s wordsrnrn* Learn the difference between commonly known facts (which need no citation) and someone’s ideas or interpretations of facts (which must be cited)rnrnrnThe choice to buy articles for your website can be a great help in generating content, but it does mean that you may need to do a little extra research about plagiarism before you decide on a copywriting agency. Find a reputable agency that frowns upon plagiarism and checks their work before you receive it, and you’ll be much more satisfied with your experience than you would be if you had to recheck each article.
