Citations from Start to Finish: 4. Avoiding plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's words or ideas as if they were your own. This includes:

• taking someone else's paper and turning it in as your own
• copying sentences word-for-word from a source
• quoting someone's words or using their ideas without giving them credit
• using a substantial amount of information from someone else that makes up a majority of your paper even though you have given credit to the original source

Plagiarism is an academic offense and can have severe consequences. At Butte College, the consequences of plagiarism can range from failing a course to long-term suspension from the College.

While some students may plagiarize with intent, many students commit plagiarism unintentionally. So it is important to be aware of different forms of plagiarism and make sure you avoid mistakes.  Watch this video to learn about avoiding plagiarism.