Final answer:
It is true that plagiarism can occur intentionally or unintentionally, often through carelessness during note-taking or drafting research papers. Preventing plagiarism requires careful research, writing practice, and proper citation to ensure you are giving credit where it is due.
Step-by-step explanation:
It's true that it is possible, either intentionally or unintentionally, to plagiarize. Plagiarism involves presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own without proper attribution. Even well-intentioned students can fall into this trap if they are not careful with their note-taking or integrating research into their drafts.
For example, a student who copies a passage word for word from an internet source and includes it in a paper without quotation marks or citation is committing plagiarism, even if it was unintentional.
Preventing plagiarism requires careful research and writing practice. Understanding what constitutes plagiarism and learning proper citation techniques can aid students in avoiding these situations. Common steps to avoid plagiarism include keeping comprehensive notes, using quotation marks when directly quoting sources, paraphrasing correctly, and always giving credit to the original authors.