Accused of Plagiarism but Didn’t: Tips to Prove that you didn’t Plagiarize

If you are a writer or student who has been accused of plagiarism, you may be in a very tough situation. In some cases, your reputation is at risk, and there could be consequences for the accusations. 

So, what can you do when you are falsely accused of plagiarism? And what steps should you take to prove innocence? These are some of the questions you might ask yourself. And to help you, this article explores this scenario and how to maneuver it.

It is not easy when accused of plagiarism. Nevertheless, understanding the accusation and following these steps may help avert greater consequences that come with plagiarism. 

Can you be Falsely Accused of Plagiarism?

There are chances of being accused of plagiarism. This is because, in the current generation,  online content and ideas are almost similar. Furthermore, there are many ways to say something and just because someone else chose a slightly different way doesn’t mean it’s plagiarism. 

But what is plagiarism, and what counts as plagiarism? plagiarism is the act of copying someone’s work and passing it off as your own. In other terms, it is a failure to attribute or acknowledge someone else for the ideas you copied from their work. 

But if you copy and include references or footnotes, this is perfectly okay. However, there are instances where you may have similar ideas to someone else or someone else has similar views to yours.

Both of you could both be wrongly accused and punished for the same thing. The consequences are severe because it causes problems in your career or your personal life student life

Tips to Prove that you didn’t Plagiarize

Despite the accusations, there are some tips that can help you prove the ideas belonged to you. They are:

• Provide Previous Works

This is an excellent way to prove that you never intended to plagiarize anything. When you provide work that you have created in the past, it will show the editors, professors, or other relevant parties that this isn’t something that you have done before.

If they see that your past writing samples have always been original and unique, it will be more difficult for them to prove that this time was different.

If your school keeps an online database of student papers, then providing links to the papers can be extremely helpful.  If the database is only available to faculty and students, then your instructor may be able to log on and review your past submissions. 

• Always keep a running record of your research and writing

These are the most important pieces of evidence that will prove you did not copy someone’s work. They include drafts and outlines you used in your writing. 

Such evidence shows that you developed the work yourself and even if there is some resemblance, it was purely coincidental.

Document the sources you use in your research and writing, especially those you quote or paraphrase.

• Cite Sources

The best way to prove that you didn’t plagiarize is to cite your sources. If you use a quotation, cite the source of that quotation; if you paraphrase something, cite it.

In addition to proving that you didn’t plagiarize, citing sources helps your readers understand where your ideas come from. Plus, citing sources can help you avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work by showing you how to properly attribute their ideas.

• Use plagiarism checkers 

This is the best way to show that the similarities between your work and someone else’s are coincidental. A good plagiarism checker will compare your work to billions of other documents to show that no one else has written something similar in the past. 

• Ask to be Heard and Present Your Case

One of the best ways to get out of the accusation is to defend yourself through an oral submission. Immediately you are accused, ask for time to present your case before a decision is made.

In your presentation, you can include your understanding of plagiarism is the consequences. Further, you can present the paper to show the committee or the professor that the ideas were originally yours.

• Say it was Unintentional

Plagiarism sometimes may be unintentional. This is where you read ideas in books or other sources and fail to attribute them or cite them unintentionally.

When such is your case, you can go on the defense with unintentional plagiarism. However, you must prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was intentional and the mistake was an error.

• Always be Truthful and Honest

To prove a negative or that something didn’t happen, can be difficult. If a college says they have evidence against you, it’s important to see what that evidence is. Perhaps it’s just a misunderstanding. 

However, regardless of what the evidence is, be honest with yourself and with others about your actions. If you did plagiarize but are trying to cover it up, just say that you did plagiarize and apologize. Plagiarism isn’t the end of the world if you learn from it.

It is also crucial to be calm and not overreact, especially if you know you are innocent. By being calm and composed your accusers may give you the benefit of the doubt. 

Conclusion 

Plagiarism can ruin everything you have worked for in your writing profession, thus is better avoided. However, sometimes you may be accused of plagiarism wrongly. If it happens, you should not panic but should prepare your defense. Carry your notes and everything else you used in your writing and ask to be heard. 

But if you plagiarized intentionally, admit your mistake but don’t hide it. This will help in moving and closing things quickly. Otherwise, it is a professionally accepted conduct to provide original pieces and avoid plagiarism at all costs.