| Plagiarism |
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Plagiarism and Syndication
From the Students Union perspective: - The Students Union will remain as representative of the students. - As a Students Union, we are in favour of the students discussing their case with an independent advisor.- The Students Union feels that students should not to be severely penalised for a first time offence that might have implications for the continuity of their further programme. - When plagiarism occurs at annual repeats, for example coursework completed during the summer, continuity may be affected. - There is an onus on the college to explain what plagiarism is and the penalties for plagiarising. - We shall represent the students as far as possible in their case. - We encourage students to visit the SU for advice and support on their case.
From the College's perspective: The College has strict rules to ensure that any works which students present for assessment are actually the result of their own efforts, skills and knowledge. Two of the forms of cheating which apply to written coursework are identified here. If you are in any doubt as to whether something might be regarded as cheating, ask the lecturer responsible for the relevant module or module section. Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that your work does not violate any of the regulations with regard to cheating.
Plagiarism: A student must ensure that any work submitted by her/him for assessment is genuinely her/his own, and is not borrowed, copied or stolen, in part or in whole, from another published or unpublished source. If you are making use of ideas, facts or quotations which are derived from a published or unpublished source– even from work you have written yourself – you must acknowledge this each time you do so by the use of a form of referencing which is recommended or approved by the relevant lecturer. It is not enough to list your sources in a bibliography at the end of the work. Nor is it acceptable to change some of the words or the order of sentences if, by failing to reference properly, you give the impression that this is your own work. For safety’s sake, it is best to use your own words unless you are specifically quoting from a properly referenced source.
Syndication: You must also ensure that the work which you submit has been prepared by you alone unless you are specifically instructed that a piece of work for assessment is to be produced jointly with other students. If you collude with other students to produce a piece of work jointly, or copy each other’s work and pass them off as individual efforts you are engaged in syndication, a form of cheating. Obviously, copying someone else’s work without their knowledge is also cheating. If you believe that another student has copied, or has attempted to copy, your work you should notify the relevant lecturer or Head of Department immediately in order to protect your own interests.
Remember: - You must not pass off the ideas and work of others as your own
Please note that under the College’s Code of Conduct it is a serious disciplinary offence to “engage in academic cheating in any form whatsoever”. Under Section 4.2 of the Code: “The College Discipline Committee shall be entitled to impose penalties including suspension or expulsion where, in its view, the gravity of the complaint or offence or the College disciplinary record of the offender shall so warrant.” (Taken from the Student handbook 2009-2010 page 48.) |