Typical examples of moderate academic misconduct

Examples may include (but are not limited to):

• assessment that contains text, laboratory results, reported research etc., identical or with significant similarities to that of another student, whether the other student is aware, or not, of the copying (except for instance, where identical or very similar presentation of results such as in a complex table or graphic derived from the group’s activity, is explicitly permitted in a group assignment brief).
• assessment that includes ideas or concepts which appear to originate from the student but are in fact the work of others, e.g. are not fully referenced, cited or otherwise acknowledged, as required.
• the inclusion of text that is inappropriately paraphrased or directly quoted without speech marks and is not referenced.
• the use of identical or closely related text and ideas to another assignment previously submitted by the student for which marks, or credit have already been given and will contribute to the marks record for the student – but which the student fails to acknowledge to the assessor as previously submitted and assessed ideas/work.
• having or using any form of unauthorised communication during an exam window.
• collusion, i.e., the unauthorised co-operation of students working together to gain an unfair advantage over others.
• having or using any form of unauthorised reference material or device during an exam window.

Typical examples of severe academic misconduct

Examples may include (but are not limited to):

• having or using any form of unauthorised reference material or device during an exam window.
• having or using any form of unauthorised communication during an exam window.
• impersonating another person or being impersonated by another person in any examination or for any assessment.
• plagiarism in extensive and/or significant portions of a submission, whether ideas, hypotheses, text, code, graphics, tabulated data or other elements e.g., failure to attribute every such incidence; significant portions of coursework reproduced in collusion with others.
• a second offence of any form of plagiarism including collusion.
• use of an ‘essay mill’, commercial organisation or the services of another person to commission or purchase work or to seek answers to exam questions, this includes study or homework help sites such as Chegg as well as individuals such as private tutors.
• fabrication of laboratory results e.g., reporting on experiments never performed or data never collected.
• deliberate manipulation of sections of work presented for assessment, to avoid plagiarised elements being recognised as such by a plagiarism detection system.
• collusion, i.e., the unauthorised co-operation of students working together to gain an unfair advantage over others.

Poor academic practice

Students whose work includes poor academic practice are required to retake an academic integrity test and are not otherwise subject to penalties. Feedback will be provided by Unit Convenors to help avoid similar errors in future.

Typical examples of poor academic practice include where there is a very small and/or relatively insignificant case of:

• poor referencing.
• incorrect (or an absence of) attribution for copied work inserted in an assignment.
• paraphrasing without adequate attribution.