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Collaboration, Copying, and Cheating

Citation Guides

Please ask library faculty about various print style guides in the library collection.

Olympic College's Academic Dishonesty Policy

"Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and facilitating academic dishonesty.

  • Cheating is intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic activity.
  • Plagiarism includes submitting to a faculty member any work product that the student fraudulently represents to the faculty member as the student's work product for the purpose of fulfilling or partially fulfilling any assignment or task required by the faculty member as part of the student's program of instruction.
  • Fabrication is the intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic activity.
  • Facilitating academic dishonesty is intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate a provision of this section of the disciplinary code.

Acts of dishonesty are serious breaches of honor and shall be dealt with in the following manner:

  • Any student who commits or aids in the accomplishment of an act of academic dishonesty shall be subject to disciplinary action.
  • In cases of academic dishonesty, the student's final grade may be adjusted. The instructor may also refer the matter to the Vice-President for Student Services for disciplinary action."

Source: Student Conduct Code

OC Resources

Avoiding Plagiarism

How can I avoid plagiarism?
To avoid plagiarism, give credit whenever you:

  • Directly quote another person's written or spoken words. Be sure to enclose these words and/or sentences in quotations marks!
  • Paraphrase another person's spoken or written words. Paraphrase means to re-write in your own words; merely reordering or substituting words is still considered plagiarism!
  • Use theories, ideas, opinions, research, etc. that are not your own.
  • Use historical, statistical, or scientific facts or data that are not your own.

      (Source: Adapted from "Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It" from Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University)
Why do I need to cite sources?
Usually all research papers must include citations. Citations ensure that:

  • Anyone reading your paper can easily find your sources.
  • Words and ideas used from your sources are not assumed to be your own.
  • Authors and researchers are properly credited for their original work.