Academic offences

A student colludes when they submit work for assessment done in collaboration with another person as entirely their own work or collaborates with another student to complete work which is submitted as that other student’s work. Collusion does not apply in the case of the submission of group projects, or assessments that are intended to be produced collaboratively.

Plagiarism is the passing off of another person’s thoughts, ideas, writings, or images as one’s own. A student commits plagiarism when they incorporate in their own work unacknowledged portions of another person’s material or attempts to pass off such work as original through its inclusion. Poor scholarly practice may justify trivial instances of failure to acknowledge source material.

Self-plagiarism is the re-submission in whole or in part, without proper acknowledgement, of any work by the student for which credit has already been claimed as part of the same or another award.

Inclusion of data which has been invented or obtained by unfair means. This includes passing off of data from previous studies as if conducted by the student or by offering incentives to another person to provide material or otherwise to assist in producing work for assessment.

Any irregular behaviour during live assessments such as the unauthorised possession of notes; the copying of another candidate’s work; the use of programmable calculators and other equipment when this has been forbidden; the unauthorised obtaining of examination papers. Cheating also covers the use of any form of communication (whether verbal or electronic) between students during live assessments in order to gain an unfair advantage.

The fabrication or falsification of data; misrepresentation of data and/or interests and or involvement, or the failure to follow accepted procedures or to exercise due care in carrying out responsibilities for avoiding unreasonable risk or harm to research subjects or participants or the environment. This would also include improper handling of privileged or private information on individuals collected during the research.

The outsourcing of assessment work, in whole or in part, to any third party, whether a commercial provider, current or former student, or acquaintance or family member.