Avoiding Plagiarism

This handout (PDF) from Bedford/St. Martin's has great information about avoiding plagiarism.  If you do not have Adobe Reader, download it here.

BRTC Plagiarism Policy

Academic Dishonesty--Students are expected to do their own work on examinations and in preparation of all assignments. They are also expected at all times to uphold high standards of integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and any other form of theft of intellectual property are all examples of academic dishonesty and are prohibited.

Cheating--is an attempt to deceive the instructor in his or her efforts to evaluate an academic exercise. Cheating includes copying another student's homework, classwork, or a required project, whether in part or whole, and presenting this material to the instructor as the student's own work. It also includes giving, receiving, offering, selling, buying, and or/soliciting information on a quiz, test, or examination.

Plagiarism--is the intentional copying of any published work whether from a book, magazine, audiovisual program, electronic media, films, or manuscripts belonging to another student or another writer. It also includes purchasing written assignments from another person, company, or through an electronic paper-writing business. It will be deemed plagiarism when a student uses direct quotations without the proper usage of quotation marks and necessary attribution or when he or she uses the ideas of another without giving proper credit.

In fairness to all students, each instructor must enforce strict regulations to ensure honesty. Any student who violates the regulations may receive the letter grade of "F" in the specific assignment or examination. The instructor will also submit a written report of the incident to the appropriate Division Chair. The Division Chair will notify Student Services for documentation in the permanent record.

In case of repeated infractions, other disciplinary sanctions will be imposed. Under the specific circumstances of multiple incidents, the student may be dropped from the class for academic dishonesty; and the circumstances leading to this removal from the class be entered in the student's permanent record. Continued infractions of this policy will result in the student's expulsion from the college and the reason for this expulsion will be entered on his or her permanent collegiate record.

If the student believes an erroneous accusation of academic misconduct has been made and the final course grade lowered as a result, the student may submit an appeal under the guidelines for Academic Appeals.