The best defense against plagiarism is knowledge and the practice of effective writing skills. Learning how to paraphrase, quote, and to properly cite and reference material is critical. A writer will never gain good writing skills if he or she does not create their own work. Not procrastinating and beginning papers early will help to squelch the temptation to cheat by plagiarizing. The writer's academic, professional, and personal reputation is too valuable to lose over a moment of laziness or weakness. Using a plagiarism checker is a helpful way to check for plagiarism, even accidental, and ensure that writing is original and well cited.