Why Are MLA Citation Machines Required?
As more and more students are learning to code, many of them are facing accusations of plagiarism. Hence, they should be well aware of the MLA citation machines that can help them to avoid such accusations.
While rules and guidelines have been put in place regarding plagiarism of the written works and text files, programming is a relatively new field. It has an only online source and almost no useful guideline in place. It doesn’t have the citation standards or guidelines that research papers or written documents do.
In simple words, source code plagiarism is defined as copying or reproducing source code without permission from the original creator. As more and more coding is being done, it has become essential to set guidelines to protect codes from plagiarizing.
Hence it is best to use an automatic Plagiarism Detection tool to check for plagiarism in the code. Also, if a part of the code has been adapted from another place, it is better to cite it. There are a few things that one has to keep in mind while citing sources.
What Common Knowledge Should A Programmer Have?
For every programmer, it’s essential to know the things that are required to be cited, and those are not. Generally, if such a code was used in a program that came from someone else, this should be cited to give the original programmer their due credit.
However, it is essential to state that ideas and programs that are “common knowledge” do not generally need to be referenced or cited in this context. For example, if there is only one writing code, then that code might not be necessary for citation.
The reason for this is many people are using the same code worldwide as it is a given rule or method, and hence, citing it is not necessary.
A Programmer Should Know When to Cite a Code
There are certain unique instances were not citing a code may be seen as plagiarizing. There are many ways to cite a code depending on the types of sources. Hence under such conditions, citing a code is a must. What are those conditions? Well, they have been given below:
- When there is a case of direct copying of any code of any length from an external source.
- While paraphrasing or slightly modifying a code that one has copied from an external resource
What Critical Information and Facts are Required While Citing a Code?
Some information needs to be mentioned while citing a code from another source. These maintain academic integrity and honesty while doing a project.
- It is essential to mention the URL and retrieval date. Apart from that if additional details are there, it clarifies the source in a better way.
- If it is a modified code, the inclusion of the phrases such as “Based on:” or “Adapted from,” is a must.
- Be aware of specifications of writing code in the institute or organization one is working. They should also ensure that they are meeting all the requirements and the formatting styles as per the institution’s guidelines.
There are different types of programming languages, and citing sources for them also differ. MLA citation machines help generate citations. Create your citations using an MLA citation generator. However, MLA citation generators usually have MLA handbook following which they help cite sources. The MLA citation generator also creates citations for journal articles.
Know the Formats for Citation of Computer Code
While citing computer code in a report, there are certain things one should be aware of and those are:
a) Author(s) name; it can be the name of any individual or corporation
b) Date
c) Title of program/source code
d) Code version
e) Type whether computer program, or source code
f) Web address or publisher (e.g., program publisher, URL),date of publication of code
The general format to be followed while Citing Computer code in a Report is:
“<Author names> (<date>) <title of program/source code> (<code version>) [<type>]. Web address or publisher.”
Know the Rules of Citing a Source
There different citation styles and each follows its own rules.
Before, citing a code in source code, some of the things that one needs to know are:
- Author(s) name, here also, it can either be a name of an individual, or of a corporation
- Date
- Title of program/source code
- Code version
- Type (e.g. computer program, source code)
- Availability (e.g., program publisher, URL)
The format for citing a code in source code is given below:
- Title: <title of program/source code>
- Author: <author(s) names>
- Date: <date>
- Code version: <code version>
- Availability: <where it’s located>
How to Handle Plagiarism in Coding?
There is a code plagiarism checker, which is an essential, AI-based anti-plagiarism checker that detects plagiarism. They find instances of deliberate and accidental plagiarism in any coding language. They are available online and are usually free to use.
Using sophisticated code plagiarism tools, these online code plagiarism checkers check similarity between two codes by comparing the original file with other available files and the database of these plagiarism checkers.
The users have to submit their codes for an online automated examination, and the site will run the results. If there is any plagiarism, it will be indicated along with the percentage. These sites do not share user information with external sources, and hence the data provided is safe.
How to Check for Plagiarism Online?
The method of uploading documents online for plagiarism check includes the following steps:
- Open the code plagiarism checker site and upload a document.
- Once the upload process is completed, now start the comparing process by selecting compare.
- One can have a comprehensive report regarding the level of plagiarism in the code.
- A person can always download the PDF report of the comparison result.
It is always prudent to run a plagiarism check on any coding assignment. If any insurance of plagiarism is selected in any research paper or assignment, it can have huge repercussions.
The smaller implications include having a research paper canceled or a program rejected, but it may also lead to more severe problems like copyright infringement issues or a lawsuit. It can affect student life and broader career prospects.
Hence, it is always important to cite sources correctly and check for plagiarism in code as it is a modern language and is slowly becoming indispensable.
