Plagiarism & Cheating

What is Plagiarism?

Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas.

But terms like "copying" or "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to Dictionary.com, plagiarism is: "the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work."

What does that mean?

When you submit an assignment or work, you put your name on the document authenticating that these are your words and your work.

When you copy information off of the internet, you are stealing someone else's words and work. This is plagiarism.

I found the answer online! Is it Plagiarism?

Make sure you authenticate (look for a .org or .edu) that this is a good site to get information from and then:

1. Cite the website within your assignment and
2. Paraphrase the author's work, do not cut and paste their words on to your assignment.

*The underlined words or phrases in this section have links to the web to provide additional information.

Online Translators are Cheating A translator is another form of cheating. You aren't learning another language when you use a translator to automatically find a word or read a page. Do Not Share Work There is a difference between studying together (which is good), and completing each other's assignments (which is cheating). If your assignment is turned in by another student, you will both receive a 0 on the assignment. Penalties for Plagiarism and Cheating While each is dealt with on a case-by-case basis, students who engage in such activities receive zero credit for assignments, "U" in citizenship, and possible disciplinary action including removal from Virtual High School.

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