Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in the University's regulations as the act of taking someone else's work and passing it off as your own. This includes incorporating either unattributed direct quotation(s) or substantial paraphrasing from the work of another/others. It is important to cite all sources whose work has been drawn on and reference them fully in accordance with the referencing standard used in each academic school.
In effect, plagiarism involves stealing another's work and passing it off as your own. You must use the relevant system of referencing that is used on your course (for example, the Harvard referencing system). If you have any doubts about the referencing system used on your course, ask your course leader.
The University has a range of penalties for academic misconduct. The maximum penalty for plagiarism is exclusion from the University, so it is vital that you use the appropriate referencing system in your assignment. Seek help from your Personal Tutor or a Study Skills Adviser in Learning Centres if necessary.
When the University Suspects Plagiarism
In cases of plagiarism the University suspects that you have not referenced correctly, and therefore you have used another person's ideas or words without proper acknowledgement. This is, in effect, 'academic theft'.
Academic Misconduct Meeting
If the University suspects you have plagiarised, an Associate Dean from your School will write to you to invite you for a meeting with Head of the Conduct and Appeals Unit. At the meeting it is up to you to either admit you failed to reference correctly or provide evidence to show that you have referenced correctly (e.g. by showing relevant drafts and study notes, and by explaining how you approached the assignement).
At the meeting the Associate Dean and the Head of the Conduct and Appeals Unit will show you the evidence of the suspected plagiarism. Areas of your assignment will be highlighted and compared to the original sources, and you will be given chance to put forward your own views on the evidence before you. The average meeting lasts around 15 minutes.
The panel's decision will be communicated to you in writing, usually within 7 days, although where there is a clear-cut case you may find out the verdict at the end of the meeting. If a penalty is applied, its severity will depend upon your year of study, the number of times you have been found guilty of academic misconduct and whether there was any deliberate attempt to mislead or gain an unfair advantage in the assessment. You can find out more from the
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Representation at the Meeting
You can take someone along with you to the meeting for support, or you can attend on your own if you prefer. Your representative can be a friend, relative or a Students' Union Vice President. The representative's job is to ensure you are treated fairly, although they are not normally required to speak on your behalf. If you would like to find out more about the role of a representative, please see the procedure for requesting a
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Appealing a Penalty
If you think the outcome of the meeting is unfair, you can contest the decision if you can establish grounds for an appeal. More information can be found in the Appeals section of the SU's website. You cannot, however, simply appeal on the grounds that you disagree with the decision. You will have to provide new evidence of extenuating circumstances that couldn't for good reasons be communicated to the panel at the time of the meeting and/or an example of an error in the procedures followed by the panel.
