3.6 Academic honesty and plagiarism

One of the things that a lot of our students worry about when they first arrive is referencing and avoiding plagiarism. Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own. The key message is that you are unlikely to get into trouble if you read the guidance we offer during the Academic Honesty and Plagiarism ELE courses!

Most students who find themselves accused of academic misconduct are not intentionally cheating. Here are some of the main mistakes these students make:

Not taking the time to understand how to reference their sources properly

Solution: Read referencing guides and ask if you’re unsure!

Overly relying on sources to ‘do the talking’ for them

Solution: Use your sources to back up your ideas and analysis - bring them in as evidence and for examples that illustrate your points.

Not giving themselves enough time to research and write assignments

Solution: Plan your time effectively - you are much more likely to panic and accidentally forget to acknowledge your sources correctly if you rush.

Failing to understand the purpose of an assignment

Solution: Most assignments are looking for you to synthesise (“bring together”) your readings to answer a particular question or to reach a set of recommendations. You do not necessarily need to come up with ‘new’ ideas but rather to share your views on how different writers and researchers consider the same problem or issue. Then you need to decide who you agree with the most. Always acknowledge where ALL of the information, ideas and data you use in an assignment has come from. We are usually awarding marks for the quality of your research and like to see that you have read widely.