Image source exofanfaction
Plagiarism is a monster that I wonder if we will witness its fall.
The fight against plagiarism is just like staging a fight of Kevin Hart against the Avengers. Funny right but that's the reality as it comes in many forms.
Most times we do wonderful documentation, articles , poems and write ups not knowing we are feeding this monster . I had a recent unpleasant event that would inspire this work on plagiarism.
Plagiarism simply put is the use of another published or unpublished work to pose as yours or get your done without acknowledgement.
If these works are just words and everyone has the right to his opinion spoken or written why are they still talking about plagiarism.
The ideas is what is really important , you normally use words to express yourself but your ideas about stuff really varies from that of another man.
MARKS OF A PLAGIARIZED WORK
Theft
This is the most grievous , this is using someone's work and parading it as yours. The writer might just get the work and possibly do no research on the work and the tries to erase any anything about the author and then claiming the work and passing it off as his.
The infamous copying and pasting.
This very common as people tend to use other people's work . They just copy and paste them which never sits well.
This is also very critical , you can make mention of the authors and their work but its still plagiarism as you just took their work without adding value to it. Unfortunately people may not know this one would believe that ones he should give credits that does it but plagiarism is way beyond that.
Not giving credits
When writing and you make use of certain materials or writing done by other people its important to mention so that the reader know and may therefore refer to them for more information. Otherwise it is a plagiarized work.
WAYS ONE'S WORK CAN BE TAGGED AS A WORK OF PLAGIARISM
Posing as the author of an already done work.
Copying and pasting another man's work. Which is the verbatim lifting of another man's work and making use of it.
Not giving credits to original authors .
Misinformation about sources used and by wrong citations.
Lifting almost everything from a write-up, this is also plagiarism even when you give credits.
Plagiarism is deeper than just write ups , it goes into videos and pictures too.
For this category it would involve
The use of pictures and photographs, music, audio , videos without permit from the owners of this works and just like writing without crediting then. Plagiarism is really broad and involves a lot of areas which we may not consider to be anything.
Below are groups in which plagiarism can occur.
Image plagiarism
Image source wikipedia
This is just like its name copying and pasting photos from sites and using them to illustrate your work . This is the most comment and is all over steemit.
The recreation of a work of art or making its resemble without credits to the original artistes is wrong. Most people also don't know that when you use an image from a book cover ( the front of any book) to represent that very book on your site is plagiarism as it has a copyright.
Paintings that are done to resemble the original is also mean plagiarism. A good example is the Mona lisa paintings. An art lover may not be able to identify the original from the rest.
In music
Image source freepik
In music covers feel like they are right and acceptable because almost everyone does a cover. I have done a cover once to a drake's track but its also a type of plagiarism.
Using someone's instrumental makes your work plagiarized but in music you would call this mixed tapes which would be so normal and people do that not realising that their work is no longer original after this.
Certain guys would go extreme as they would literally move lines and lyrics from other artists and make tracks . The last mentioned is what the public would view as plagiarized work forgetting that those mentioned before it also plagiarism.
In videos
Image source lifewire
This is the most complex and very hard evade when making videos based on the factors that maybe affect the production.
Just imagine recording a video but someone else has a particular song or another videos playing in the background , you might not have any knowledge of it but its plagiarism. Which begs the question how often do we do this without any knowledge we are technically committing an offence. But sometimes this factors are considered before they are labeled so.
If the recording was done with intentions of adding the video or music.
Changing , mixing copyright videos of which the music equivalent of this would be mixtapes .
TYPES OF PLAGIARISM
Direct plagiarism
Just as the name implies , its the lifting and using, copying and pasting without making mentions of sources used . Remember that even if mentions are made but you are taking almost everything its wrong.
Self plagiarism
That's right. I found this particular one disturbing. If I had done a work on a topic before , submission of that my work later for as a new one probably after it has been approved and published its plagiarism.
WTF , but its my work ?? Same brains
Funny enough the law says otherwise. If you must anyway , then you have to get approval .
Patch writing
Patch writing generally known as mosaic plagiarism entails the writer changing part of the original work by looking for words with same meaning and using them. This doesn't change the sentence structure and is branded as plagiarism.
MY EXPERIENCE
Image source dopessays
During my high school days I happen to live with my grandma. She was a lecturer in the University . She taught literature so I had access to books and articles which would help my writing and grammar. I at times would look at scripts she would mark as I helped her record . There was this particular student who I really loved her writing, the poems were exquisite and always lovely. I generated interest in her work and was thinking maybe I actually get to learn from her. She was indeed my grandma`s best student and would aced her exams.
There was then this competition , like a writing competition she was selected and she gave a masterpiece. Her work was so good that it got lectures from other universities praising the work.
She got selected as tops for the regional and the National was in a month time. To reduce bias real authors were then invited to be judges.
She made her entry and was rumoured to have won but surprisingly the prize money was given to another candidate whose write up could not lace the shoes of her work.
My grandma thought it was unfair so there was a protest for re-examination . The truth would then surface that one of the authors who was the judge in the competition had discovered she lifted his work and submitted. The news went viral as people would key into it that her other works were plagiarized.
The University didn't take it lying down as she was sanctioned and her GP would be dropped.
I felt bad for her as I knew she was a good writer and most of her work were original plus she had been sick that period and had little time. But my views didnt matter people would never know, they also never ask , they just know you stole from another man. I since then did learn a lesson but maybe not fully as I thought that you can take all you like long as you mention the authors you are good. Unfortunately it would take another lesson to find out that plagiarism goes beyond that .
My view on plagiarism on steemit
Image source paper rater
I just made a recent post on MERMEN on my steemit account 
That being said my view on plagiarism was that " if you are getting something from someone and you make mentions about it then you are good. I guess I just found out its a bit more as what I just wrote also would state otherwise.
Seeing that what I got out wasn't really good enough I thought maybe I just delete it by trying to edit and maybe....but it wasn't enough, moreover I guess it was too late then I decided to man up to my inability to make a research. Then I got an excellent IDEA to do something about this monster maybe I could save someone from making the same mistakes. I can also tell that was one of my lowest upvotes and comments I got in about a month which I thought I was on my steemit Renaissance.
WAYS WE CAN USE TO REDUCE PLAGIARISM
Planning
Planning is very important in all aspects of life writing inclusive. When you prepare to write you should make sure that you have discovered if really the time frame would let you do a good job. Some topics are easy to deal with as one may have some knowledge about them. They would require less time but others may not have materials available so more time is required. Its best you avoid such work or you suspend them and give it time.
Planning also helps achieve harmony between your ideas and that from which you are taking from . For instance when you are to take materials from an already done work which you must cite and make mentions. It is required you have to harmonize the both work so as the say same thing and is well written.
Topics selection
This is really important to everything that concerns writing. A good topic is what keeps your readers a while before he chooses to continue or like most guys just upvote and pass on it. Some just pass anyways.
The topic on which I selected was pretty difficult to get something without almost having nothing or a replica of Google. From the post mermaids were 18 more popular than Mermen. Most people never heard of Mermen or taken the serious the way the maids are known this kinda hampered my chances of getting something real quality out.
Authentication
When browsing or sourcing for facts its important that you know or have an idea of what you really want. Its so important as you shouldn't just rely on anything you see online . Most of the facts online are people`s opinions or views and they might not actually be correct or be missing the point . Using this kind of sources and basing your argument on them leaves your work anything far from your desires.
Jotting down points
When you jot down points it helps you have solid bases on which you can base you work. Taking notes reduces errors and would make a more organised work as one would be able to locate
Taking your time
If you have to do a length post or something really large you would need time . I think is better having something you are proud of and genuinely yours plus what do you know, Your post can get your somewhere.
Being original
Originality is really appreciated from people who love to read. Steemit is also a platform that kicks against plagiarism.
Doing your writing.
Image source navicate
When one has already undergone the processes of planning for the write up, choosing a suitable topic, the necessary research which would be accompanied by jotting down the points.
Its time to do the writing , when writing its important to make sure that used works are cited and you give credits to who deserves it.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is the use of your own words to represent ideas that are not yours.
To paraphrase sometimes requires more , when your paraphrase you have to also change the sentence structure whilst changing the already words too. Note if you are paraphrasing the meaning should not be altered or the aim is defeated.
I was also surprised when I discovered that a paraphrased work should also be cited. A good paraphrased work helps your writing and giving support to your work.
Citation
Citations simply put is just making reference to any material used that's if you really should use one. This is because plagiarism is real broad that one may default. But if you must then just make citations and avoid taking too much.
Use of applications
These days there are online applications that one can you to check a work. These applications have like an interface where you can copy works in paragraphs and paste. The inputted paragraph would then be searched online to verify it already exists.
Lastly if you MUST use people's work
Firstly don't take too much
Make proper citations
Give credits and you are good.
EFFECTS OF PLAGIARISM
Image deformation
A writer's image might severely damaged if it lacks originality and is found guilty of plagiarism.
Financial or social consequences
If you are sued for plagiarism you might get jail time and possibly asked to pay for doing so.
Plagiarism reduces the value of the original write-up
The fight also begins with you. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate certain people who have made my steemit journey so far a blast and something I go to bed looking forward to more the next-day. 
Note this work is not plagiarized and plagiarism is an offence and punishable.
http://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism
https://www.plagiarism.org/article/preventing-plagiarism-when-writing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism
https://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker/
https://www.bowdoin.edu/studentaffairs/academic-honesty/common-types.shtml