Defining Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of using the ideas or work of another person as if they were one’s own, without giving credit to the source. This extends not only to quotes, but to ideas! Most people are aware that you need to cite if you are using anyone's words, whether spoken or written. However, you need to cite if you use someone's ideas as well--if you did not think up the idea yourself, it would be plagiarism not to cite it!
If the ideas are considered common knowledge, it is not considered plagiarism. Common knowledge is an idea or fact that is known by most people. For example, if you write in your paper that the sky is blue, you do not need to find an encyclopedia article that will verify this fact for you and cite it. Instead, most people know that the sky is blue, so it does not need a source. An easy way to think about it is, that if it's something a child in grade-school would know, it's most likely common knowledge. If a fact or idea is NOT common knowledge, you will need to cite this fact or idea.
Types of Plagiarism
Consequences of Plagiarism
As you can see in the box to the left, there are many different types of plagiarism! Unfortunately, even if you did not intend to plagiarize (perhaps you forgot that a paraphrase needs an in-text citation, etc.), the consequences for plagiarism remain the same.
Consequences for plagiarism can vary depending on the college or university you attend. At Bakersfield College, consequences include:
- Receiving a lower or failing grade on the assignment
- Receiving a lower or failing grade for that class, depending on the severity of the plagiarism
If you are accused of plagiarism, you are entitled to appeal that charge by means of the college’s Student Code of Conduct.
At other schools or universities, the consequences for plagiarism can be even more serious, ranging up to expulsion from the school if the offense is bad enough. It's just not worth it!
Academic Honesty at Bakersfield College
All colleges and universities have something called an academic honesty policy or an academic integrity policy. These policies exist as a sort of contract between the school and its students to ensure that the students have earned the grades they receive from that school. The reasoning is that, if a student has achieved their degree by cheating their way through their classes, the degree does not hold much meaning. So, the academic honesty policy exists to explain that school's definition of plagiarism and cheating.
You can find the most current BC Academic Integrity Policy in several places, including the BC Library website and the BC academic catalog, as well as in the link below.