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Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty means students do their own work. This also means their instructors will evaluate that work. Students should not be dishonest—this includes all types of work in their courses.

Examples of Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using other peoples’ words, ideas, or data without citing, quoting, or referencing the original author. Examples of plagiarism, including but are not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: copying others’ ideas, words, or data without citing, quoting, or referencing the author or source
  • Incidental (accidental) plagiarism: this happens when a student uses another person’s words, ideas, or data, but does not cite, quote, or reference them appropriately
  • Paraphrased Plagiarism: this happens when a student uses his or her own words to describe ideas, words, or data from another person or source without citing or referencing that person or source
  • Plagiarism Mosaic: this happens when students borrow words, ideas, or data from another person or source. Then the student combines those words, ideas, or data into his or her own writing without citing or referencing the original author or source
  • Insufficient Acknowledgment: partial or incomplete referencing of another person or source when borrowing words, ideas, or data from that person or source

Fabrication or Falsification

Fabrication or Falsification is creating false or fake information from an original source or author. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Citing a source that does not exist
  • Creating fake information, words, or data and stating the fake information, words, or data come from an official author or source
  • Stating that results come from an author or source when the original author or source did not claim those results
  • Citing an author or source in a reference section or bibliography section when the author or source is not referenced in the assignment
  • Purposefully changing the meaning or application of data, words, or information from another source or author
  • Creating fake data or results to support conclusions

Cheating

Cheating is copying other people's work during projects, assignments, tests, or other school work. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Copying from another person’s work during a test, a quiz, an assignment, or project.
  • Allowing someone to copy work during a test, a quiz, an assignment, or project.
  • Using notes or other materials during a test, a quiz, an assignment, or project without permission from the instructor.
  • Working with other people on a test, quiz, assignment, or project without permission from the instructor.
  • Completing a test, quiz, assignment, or project for another person without permission from the instructor.
  • Allowing another person to complete a test or quiz for you without permission from the instructor

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is lying or any other dishonest behavior regarding school work. Examples included but are not limited to:

  • Giving or receiving help on assignments when the instructor has prohibited it
  •  Making plans with another person to be academically dishonest
  • Offering to give money or something of value in order to receive help on tests, or quizzes
  • Offering to give help on tests or quizzes
  • Changing or altering grades in official education records
  • Obtaining answers to a test, quiz, or assignment without permission
  • Providing answers to a test, quiz, or assignment without permission
  • Entering a building or office, without permission, in order to access academic material or content
  • Continuing to work on an assignment, quiz, test, or project if time has expired
  • Trying to gain credit in different classes for the same assignment or project without permission from each course instructor
  • Getting equal credit on group assignments when a student did less work than other students

Unauthorized Uploading Or Sharing

Uploading or sharing BYU-Idaho course content and material without permission is also a form of academic dishonesty. Students should not upload, share, or find course material without permission from the instructor. Your course instructor may also impose other restrictions on the use of course materials.

Consequences Of Violating The Academic Honesty Policy

Violations of the Academic Honesty Policy may result in consequences up to and including suspension or expulsion from the university.

Other Notes: A suspension means not being able to take BYU-Idaho classes for a certain amount of time. Expulsion means not being able to continue as a student at BYU-Idaho.

“When you are honest in every way, you are able to enjoy peace of mind and maintain self-respect. You build strength of character, which allows you to be of service to God and others. You are trustworthy in the eyes of God and those around you. If you are dishonest in your words or actions, you hurt yourself and often hurt others as well. If you lie, steal, cheat, or neglect to give the full amount of work for your pay, you lose your self-respect. You lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost”
(“Honesty,” True to the Faith (2004), 84)