Academic Integrity

What is plagiarism??

Plagiarism is using someone else's words or ideas as if they were your own.

• If you copy something from a book, website, or any other source and include it in your work as if you had written it, this is plagiarism.
• If you take someone else's idea and present it in such a way that it appears to be your own, this is also plagiarism.

Why is plagiarism wrong?

Plagiarism is both theft and fraud — stealing someone else's work and fraudulently presenting it as your own. Universities treat it as a serious academic offence. Consequences can include:

• Having to resubmit the work with the mark capped at pass level
• Scoring zero for that piece of work or course unit
• Failing the year and having to re-sit
• Expulsion from university

Refer to your student handbook for the specific rules at your institution.

How to avoid plagiarism

Make sure it is absolutely clear where you have used someone else's words or ideas.

• When quoting directly, mark it clearly as a quotation and cite the source.
• When paraphrasing or using someone else's ideas, make sure those ideas are properly referenced.

For further guidance, plagiarism.org is a useful external resource.