As with all assessments, it is vitally important that the work you complete is fully of your own creation, and that you cite any material that is not your own, whether it be exact words, or paraphrased or summarized ideas. If you include words or ideas that are not your own, and that you could not have known about were it not for encountering them in your research, then they must be cited within your essay, and the complete sources listed in your bibliography.
If you violate standards of academic honesty, the consequences can be significant, and can include not being granted your IB Diploma. Even if your errors are unintentional, they may still carry a heavy price. Thus, be safe rather than sorry. Read the information below, and if you ever have questions about best practices, make sure to ask.
There are many web sites that that include helpful information regarding how and when to cite, and best academic practices to avoid plagiarism. However, the one I find most useful is the Purdue OWL (Purdue is a prestigious university in Indiana; "OWL" stands for "online writing lab"). I consulted it in my own graduate work and it is known in academic circles in the U.S. for its accuracy and clarity. This page is a great overview of Best Practices, as it discusses how to research, take notes, and draft in a way that encourages academic integrity.
You need to cite whenever you reference words, material or ideas that you were not familiar with before beginning your work. This includes direct quotes, paraphrased information, and summarized information. Here is a good overview of what information needs to be cited.
Remember: you must cite not only printed material, but images, videos, and interviews as well.
Many students ask whether something can be considered common knowledge, and thus not necessary to cite. Yes. Generally, if you could find the same fact in five or more different sources, it is common knowledge. This information from MIT provides a good overview of when something can be considered common knowledge.
As per the IB Academic Integrity document:
How should teachers guide their students when using AI tools?
Students should be informed of the following rules.
If they use the text (or any other product) produced by an AI tool—be that by copying or paraphrasing that text or modifying an image—they must clearly reference the AI tool in the body of their work and add it to the bibliography.
The in-text citation should contain quotation marks using the referencing style already in use by the school and the citation should also contain the prompt given to the AI tool and the date the AI generated the text.
The same applies to any other material that the student has obtained from other categories of AI tools—for example, images.
Using software to improve language and grammar
There are software programs available to help authors improve the quality of the language they use, from simple spell checkers to complex tools that rewrite sentences. IB assessments usually do not evaluate the quality of language or spelling so there is limited benefit in using such tools.
The IB allows students to use basic digital tools, such as spell-checkers and non-generative grammar checkers, to improve writing accuracy without changing meaning or adding content. Students must use these tools ethically to maintain clarity and originality.