Plagiarism can be either intentional or unintentional. It can also range widely in its severity. Review the information below to learn about the different types of plagiarism. Knowing these will help you to avoid the most common mistakes.
The most common plagiarism offenses are unintentional, so it's important to know what to avoid before you begin your research. Some of the most common mistakes include:
Avoiding these pitfalls is easy so long as you review the contents of this guide, give yourself enough time to complete an assignment, and be honest about which ideas are your own and which ideas come from others' works.
This useful graphic shows the most common forms of plagiarism, with the most severe at the top. Numbers 1 and 8 are intentional and flagrant plagiarism violations, but every other form could be committed either intentionally or unintentionally.
(image source: originally from plagiarism.org)
Intentional plagiarism is often treated more severely than unintentional plagiarism. Students accused of plagiarism often admit that they knew what they were doing was wrong, but "had no choice" because they began the assignment too late or didn't do enough research beforehand. Regardless of the circumstances, intentional plagiarism (like intentional fouls in sports) is treated very seriously by Whittier College. Types of intentional plagiarism include:
In each of these cases, even if you make substantial revisions, it's still considered plagiarism.
The whole point of going to college isn't only to get good grades. It's to learn how to think and communicate. By plagiarizing, you're only cheating yourself out of what is perhaps the most valuable learning experience of your four years at Whittier College. You may be surprised to learn that employers really don't care about your GPA, but they will be concerned if they discover that you are the type of person who attempts to pass off others' work as your own.