Detection and consequences of plagiarism

Academic misconduct is unacceptable and includes plagiarism, collusion and cheating. Specific definitions are available in the Definitions Policy.

Detection of plagiarism

Students are advised that their assessment items may be examined to see if plagiarism has occurred. Techniques include:

• checking students work using plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin. Software specifically designed to search for plagiarism within computer programs may also be used
• examination of assignments for specific sentences or unusual phrases taken from known sources eg "paper mills"
• comparison of individual assignments from students allocated to group

You may be asked to answer questions concerning their assignments and provide evidence of their research. Clear examples or a record of your research effort will assist you to prove that no plagiarism has occurred.

Consequences of plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct. Minor academic misconduct is defined to occur where the academic misconduct is manifest in less than five percent of a student's response to an assessment item and where the academic misconduct is the student's first offence. All other academic misconduct is defined to be major academic misconduct and is regarded seriously by the University.

What are the penalties?

The University Regulations on Academic Misconduct specify a range of penalties, which may be imposed when students have plagiarised, colluded or cheated in any other way.

For minor misconduct, the student's name will be recorded in the Faculty Misconduct Register and they may face one or more the following:

• be issued with a formal warning
• have marks reduced by up to 20 percent of the marks available for that assessment item
• be required to resubmit the piece of assessment by a specified date
• be required to undertake additional, equivalent assessment by a specified date.

For major misconduct the student may be:

• required to undertake additional assessment in the course
• failed in the piece of assessment
• awarded a grade of Fail for the course
• withdrawn from the course with academic penalty
• excluded from the course or the program for a specified period of time and/or
• disciplined in accordance with Statute No.3 (Student Discipline) 1999.

Under any of the above circumstances students may choose to have the representation of the Student Guild.

The disciplinary process

In all cases of alleged plagiarism, collusion or cheating the University will follow the processes detailed in the Student Academic Misconduct Policy.