According to the Bethel College Student Handbook, plagiarism is the act of offering another's words, ideas, data, or conclusions as one's own. It is considered a serious academic offense punishable at minimum by failure on the paper or oral project, and may result in failure in the course or even expulsion from the institution, according to faculty assessment of sillfulness and/or negligence.
Even if you paraphrase or put something into your own words, you still need to cite the original source.
Think plagiarism is just an issue for college students writing research papers. Think again! Check out these real world examples of celebrities being accused of plagiarizing.
To avoid plagiarizing someone else words or ideas, make sure you: